Bulldogs Head to Gainesville For Florida Relays

Friday, April 4

Gainesville, Fla.

University of Georgia

Pepsi Florida Relays

Photo by: Chris Watkins Photography

April 03, 2025 | Track & Field

ATHENS, Ga. --- The Georgia track & field team arrived in Gainesville, Fla., ahead of the Pepsi Florida Relays, which are set for Friday and Saturday at Percy Beard Track.

The Bulldogs are entering their third meet weekend of the outdoor season, marking the midway point of regular season competition. Georgia will compete in Gainesville twice in a three-week span, testing the track this weekend before returning to the campus of the University of Florida for the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational on April 18-19.

Who's The Competition?: Georgia will join over 30 institutions competing at the Florida Relays this weekend. Among those teams, eight Southeastern Conference schools will be in attendance, including Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt.

When Do The Bulldogs Start?: Stephanie Ratcliffe will open competition for the Bulldogs in the women's hammer throw at 11 a.m. on Friday. Georgia will then compete in the women's 4x100-meter relay prelims, its first running event of the day, at 2:30 p.m.

Live Results: For results throughout the weekend from the Pepsi Florida Relays, please visit:https://gado.gs/cy8.

Coach Caryl's Comments: "We had a number of competitors open up two weeks ago, and this meet gives another group a chance to make its season debut," Georgia head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert said. "The competition and weather will be elite and ideal. We are building on the momentum started during the indoor season and opening weekend. The goal is that we qualify as many competitors as possible for the postseason. GO DAWGS!"

What Bulldogs Are Competing?: The Bulldogs will send a full squad of competitors to Florida this weekend. On the women's side, Aaliyah Butler, Lianna Davidson, Sanaa Frederick, Sole Frederick, Kieley Gayle, Sydney Harris, Adaejah Hodge, Kaila Jackson, Erin McMeniman, Kelsie Murrell-Ross, Danah Nembhard, Dejanea Oakley, Karsen Phillips, Stephanie Ratcliffe, Reign Redmond, Manuela Rotundo, Michelle Smith, Haley Tate, and Skylynn Townsend will all make the trip to Gainesville to represent Georgia.

The men's competitors for the Bulldogs include Moustafa Alsherif, Brody Buffington, Jacob Carruthers, Shemar Chambers, Will Floyd, Jehlani Gordon, Ian Hodge, Jayden Keys, Alex Kolesnikoff, Eddie Kurjak, Micah Larry, Joseph Minecci, Luther Mogelvang, Ervin Pearson, Riyon Rankin, Xai Ricks, Alon Rogow, Zack Truitt, Nikolai van Huyssteen, and Zavien Wolfe.

LAST WEEK'S FLASHBACK – Raleigh Relays (March 27-28): Four Bulldogs competed in the distance events at the Raleigh Relays on March 27-28. Ryan Olree highlighted the Bulldogs' weekend with his time of 28:38.98 in the 10,000-meter run, shattering an 18-year-old school record that stood since 2007. Conner Rutherford moved into third in school history in the 10,000m with his time of 29:05.30. A pair of freshmen also made their outdoor collegiate debuts as Izzy Yonas ran a 10,000m time of 34:16.17 and Joseph Minecci clocked a 3:48.97 in the 1,500m.

Outdoor SEC Honors: The Bulldogs came away from their first meet weekend of the season with three SEC weekly honors. Davidson was named SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week following her javelin performance at the Yellow Jacket Invitational, where she recorded a school-record mark of 62.59 meters/205 feet, 4 inches to win the event with the No. 2 mark in NCAA history. Additionally, Davidson was named U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Athlete of the Week for her performance in Atlanta.

Smith earned SEC Women's Freshman of the Week honors with her winning time of 55.98 in the 400-meter hurdles at the Black and Gold Invitational, making her the No. 3 performer in program history. Fellow freshman Ervin Pearson was named SEC Men's Co-Runner of the Week after clocking a nation-leading time of 45.42 to win the 400m at the Black and Gold Invitational. He moved into sixth in Georgia history outdoors with his performance.

Where This Season Will Take The Dogs: The Bulldogs will open up the back half of the outdoor regular season on April 11-12 when the multi-event athletes compete at the 44 Farms Team Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M. Georgia will split squads for the second time this season as the Distance Dawgs compete at the Wake Forest Invitational on April 17-18 while the remainder of the team returns to Gainesville for the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational on April 18-19. Georgia will wrap up the outdoor regular season at the one-day Tiger Track Classic on April 26.

The SEC Outdoor Championships will kick off postseason competition for the Bulldogs on May 15-17 in Lexington, Ky. Georgia will then compete at the NCAA East Regionals in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 28-31 before wrapping up the outdoor season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., on June 11-14.

Where To Find Bulldogs News: Results and recaps from the Bulldogs' indoor season will be found at georgiadogs.com. News and updates from Georgia's track & field and cross country teams are always located on X/Instagram at @UGATrack.