Matthew Boling Opens Season With School Record

Friday, January 14

Clemson, SC

All Day

University of Georgia

Clemson Invitational

Photo by: Clemson Athletics

January 14, 2022 | Track & Field

2022 Clemson Invite - Results

ATHENS, Ga. --- Bulldog junior Matthew Boling erased his own school record in the long jump with a fresh mark to highlight the opening day of the Clemson Invitational on Friday.

Boling traveled 8.25 meters (27 feet, ¾ inches) on his second try to top the nearest collegiate competitor by more than a foot in the long jump before passing on his final four attempts.

The Bulldogs will compete again at the Clemson Indoor Complex on Saturday with action starting in the women's high jump (freshman Elena Kulichenko, junior Shelby Tyler) at 11 a.m.  Sophomore Gavin Beverage, junior Kyle Garland and junior Ziggy Zoller (shot put) will also begin day two for the men at 11 a.m.

Live Results: For live results to this weekend's meet, please visit: https://gado.gs/899

Boling, a native of Houston, Texas, soared 7.73m (25-4.50) in the first round and was just behind Nike's Steffin McCarter, who opened at 7.75m (25-5.25), after the first jump.  However in the next round, Boling took off for a record-breaking mark of 8.25m (27-0.75), surpassing his previous career best and school record performance of 26-5.75 to take fourth at last year's SEC meet.

Freshman Eddiyah Frye shot to sixth on the school's all-time top-10 list in the 60-meter hurdles with an 8.25 for ninth in the opening round during her career debut.  Senior Imani Carothers, who owns the school's third best 60m hurdle clip in history at 8.06 from last year, ran an 8.26 on Friday for 10^th place.

Also breaking into the school record books was senior Delano Dunkley, whose personal record of 6.75 gave the Bulldogs a five-way time at 10^th on the all-time list.  Dunkley was ninth in the prelims.

Fellow freshman Kenondra Davis tied the seventh best 60m time in school history during the prelims with a 7.43 to take ninth during her first time on the track in red and black.

Junior decathlete Kyle Garland broke eight seconds for the first time in his career to bump from ninth to eighth (7.95) on the school's all-time list in the 60m hurdle prelims and advance to the final.  His finish earned him sixth place in the prelims before taking eighth in the final (8.03).

In the long jump, senior Titiana Marsh worked up to a third attempt of 6.28m (20-7.25) to easily clinch second place.

Senior Anna Marian Block ran a personal best of 2:49.54 to be the top collegiate finisher and second overall in the 1000m during the first day of the year.

The Bulldog men went 2-3 in the 1000m as junior Sam Bowers registered a 2:26.33 for runner-up honors.  Sophomore KC Heron finished one spot behind with a 2:26.35.

Senior Alencar Pereira made his season debut and reached 20.14m (66-1) on his second attempt for third place.  Former Bulldog NCAA champion Denzel Comenentia launched a winning toss of 23.65m (77-7.25) to win by nearly nine feet.

This marked the first meet with Caryl Smith Gilbert leading the Bulldogs as head coach.  The Georgia men were third and the women were fifth at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships.  The Bulldog teams have combined for nine top-10 national indoor finishes since 2013, including the 2018 women's title, in addition to the 2021 finishes.

How To Keep Up With The Dogs: Updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams can always be found on Twitter/Instagram (UGATrack) and at georgiadogs.com.