Black Aiming To Join Bulldog Elite Sprinters

By Hana Takamatsu, Georgia Sports Communications

Meet one of the new faces in Georgia's track and field program: Keshaun Black, sophomore transfer from Meridian Community College who hails from Mooresville, N.C.

In his time at Meridian, Black, a 6-0 sprinter, won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) 100-meter dash title outdoors and was second in the 60m and third in the 200m indoors at Nationals.

"I went there [Meridian] to get better opportunities," Black said about his transfer. "I feel like I went there and I worked hard to get the offers that I had. I just wanted to put myself in a better position overall."

As well as winning several awards at MCC, Black also set records. He set the NJCAA 300m national record (33.67) and ran the third fastest 60m in NJCAA history (6.58), as well as the third fastest 100m (10.02) in the league's history.

In transferring to Georgia, Black has had to adjust to a new campus and new team, as well as to national champion and record-breaking head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert, who is in her second year as the first woman head coach of a men's program at UGA.

"The main difference that I experienced was the workload. We train a lot harder and faster here," Black said of his experience so far as a Bulldog. "It showed me what it takes to be a champion, training like a champion."

This champion mentality is necessary to absorb when training next to Olympic medalist Elija Godwin and Georgia's record-breaking NCAA and SEC champion Matthew Boling.

"It was crazy at first. I'm not used to being on a team where somebody is faster than me at certain things," Black said of training with Godwin and Boling and the rest of the Bulldogs. "That was my first time getting beat at practice or anything so it was very eye opening. I'm grateful to have them beside me to see where I need to be in the next couple years."

Black currently ranks 47^th nationally in the 60m with an altitude adjusted time of 6.68 and 11^th in the SEC from the Dr. MLK Jr. Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., which is also the site of this year's NCAA Indoor Championships. He currently stands fifth in the school record books in the event.

This past weekend, the track and field team headed to Clemson for the Tiger Paw Invitational. Black ran a straight 6.68 in the 60m to qualify for the semifinal. However, a false start stalled out his progress in the next round. Black also ran the first 200m of his Bulldog career, finishing in 21.28 to miss the school's all-time top-10 list by only .06.

"I'm just going to go out there and try to execute and do what we work on throughout the week at practice," Black said of his hopes for the remainder of his first year at Georgia. "If I run like I do at practice, the time will take care of itself."

Georgia will take a group to Fayetteville, Ark., this week for Friday's Arkansas Qualifier. This marks the final regular season meet before the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships arrive on Arkansas' campus on Feb. 24-25.

Where To Find Bulldog News: Results and recaps from Bulldog meets meets can 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.

University of Georgia Athletics

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Keshaun Black

Matthew Boling

Elija Godwin

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