Track & Field Set To Compete At Dr. MLK Jr. Invitational

Saturday, January 21

Albuquerque, NM

University of Georgia

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Collegiate Invitational

Track & Field Set To Compete At Dr. MLK Jr. Invitational

January 20, 2023 | Track & Field

mlk-invitational-performance-list.pdf 2023_Dr._MLK_Jr._Invitational_-_Schedule.pdf

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- Georgia's track and field teams departed Friday morning for Albuquerque, N.M., in anticipation for Saturday's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational.

This marks the first of two trips for the Bulldogs to the Indoor Track at the Albuquerque Convention Center.  Those who qualify will return to New Mexico for the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 10-11.

When Do The Bulldogs Start: Sophomore Elena Kulichenko and freshman Ella Rush will begin the action for the Lady Bulldogs in the high jump at 10 a.m. ET.  At the same time, junior Gavin Beverage is scheduled to battle in the men's shot put for the second weekend in a row.

Where To Catch The Meet: There will be streaming coverage of Saturday's action as well as live results.
Live Video (FloTrack): https://gado.gs/9xy
Live Results: For results throughout the weekend, please visit: http://gado.gs/9xx

Coach Caryl's Comments: "The goal for this weekend is to improve on the performances from our opener, and anyone who didn't open up in his or her respective event will open up and get a mark Saturday," said Georgia head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert.  "We want a chance to compete on the track in Albuquerque since that's the track the NCAA championship will be held on. It's important to compete on the NCAA championship track so you can get a feel of the facility, the competition flow, the curve radius, the pit, the ring, etc.  Also when doing race imaging, it's easier to picture the facility, the track and the race when we have already competed on it and we are a little more comfortable."

What Bulldogs Are Traveling: Twenty-one Georgia women are making the trip and 13 Bulldog men are slated to line up on Saturday.  For the women, Leah Anderson, Mia Anderson, Charlotte Augenstein, Aaliyah Butler, Ana da Silva, Kenondra Davis, Eddiyah Frye, Kaila Jackson, Kulichenko, Courtney Long, Titiana Marsh, Madison McConico, Dominque Mustin, Zoe Pollock, Brandee Presley, Simone Rojas, Rush, Haley Tate, Mikeisha Welcome, Autumn Wilson and Bella Witt are each competing in at least one event.

On the men's side, Beverage, Keshaun Black, Matthew Boling, Caleb Cavanaugh, Elija Godwin, Christopher Morales Williams, Clay Pender, Alencar Pereira, Alon Rogow, Will Sumner, Zack Truitt, Nikolai van Huyssteen and Shamali Whittle are set to compete.

Boling Off To A Fast Start: Boling was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Men's Athlete of the Week this week following his performance at the Clemson Invite.

Boling, a native of Houston, Texas, ran his first career 300-meter dash and won with a facility record time of 32.40.  This ranks No. 2 in school history behind the late great Torrin Lawrence, who set a then all-time collegiate best of 32.32 in 2010.  Boling's finish makes him the No. 3 all-time collegiate performer with the No. 4 all-time collegiate performance.  His time is No. 1 in the world in 2023.

Boling also earned Southeastern Conference Men's Co-Runner of the Week honors for his showing in the season debut.

An Albuquerque Re-Do: The last time the Bulldogs traveled to Albuquerque was prior to the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships (March 13-14). That meet was canceled on the final practice day due to the COVID-19 pandemic spreading nationwide.  Soon after the cancelation, the 2020 outdoor season was also scrapped.

Prior to 2020, Georgia made a pair of trips to Albuquerque in 2014.  Following a regular season meet, the Lady Bulldogs scored 40.5 points to tie for third at the NCAA Indoor Championships while the men tallied eight points and tied for 26^th.

Where To Find Bulldogs News: Results and recaps from the Dr. MLK Jr. Invitational will be found at georgiadogs.com.  News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are always located on Twitter/Instagram at @UGATrack.