2023 Track & Field Roster
Pender, Clay
Clay Pender
- Height:
- 5-10
- Weight:
- null
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Winder, Ga.
- High School:
- Jefferson
Bio
2023: Outdoor – Ran the fifth-fastest 1500-meters time in Georgia history at the Virginia Challenge, placing 14th with a time of 3:44.43…Victorious in the 1500m at the Spec Towns & Torrin Lawrence Invitational with a time of 3:44.53…Runner-up at the Yellow Jacket invitational with a 3:50.00…Ran a season-best 800m time of 1:48.62 at the Mt. SAC Relays…Ran a 1:49.82 in the first round of the NCAA East Prelims before placing 10th in the 800m quarterfinals with a time of 1:50.36.
Indoor – Was fifth in the 600 meters (1:18.55) at the MLK Invite…Shot to No. 7 on the school’s all-time top-10 list thanks to a 1:48.89 for ninth in the 800m at the Music City Challenge…Was ninth in the SEC prelims after clocking a 1:50.06.
2022: Outdoor – Earned a bronze medal in the 800-meter run after running the fastest time of his career (1:46.71) at the SEC Championships…Was 14th (1:48.64) in the 800m at the Tom Jones Memorial…Punched his ticket to Nationals after recording a 1:48.77 for 10th in the NCAA East Prelims quarterfinal…Won the 800m at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial after running two laps in 1:49.06…Had a season-best time 3:46.19 to take seventh in the 1500m at the Georgia Tech Invitational...Ran at his first NCAA Championships and earned Second Team All-America honors in the 800m after running the second-best time of his career (1:47.71) for 12th.
Indoor – Ran the eighth-fastest time in UGA history with a 1:49.29 to take ninth in the 800 meters at the Music City Challenge…Had a season-best time of 4:09.47 in the mile at the Music City meet…Leg of school record distance medley relay after the Bulldog foursome clocked a 9:35.97 for fourth at the SEC Championships.
2021: Cross Country - Ran in a pair of meets for the Bulldogs, taking 76th at the 8k North Alabama Showcase and 291st at the 8k Pre-Nationals.
Outdoor – Posted a personal best of 1:49.87 to take 10th in the 800 meters at the Raleigh Relays…Won the 800m (1:50.47) at the Spec Towns Invitational…Finished 18th in the 800m prelims at the SEC Championships after running a 1:51.19 while also taking 25th (4:00.78) in the 1500m…Had a career-best time of 3:47.99 for runner-up honors in the 1500m at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial.
Indoor – Registered the ninth-best time in school history (1:50.09) to take fifth in the 800m at the Music City Challenge…Took 11th in the 800m prelims at the SEC Championships thanks to his 1:50.41….Ran the fourth-best mile time in school history with a 4:04.71 to take ninth at the Music City Challenge…Ran a leg on the ninth-place distance medley relay team that finished in 9:43.66 at the SEC Championships, which is the third-best time in school history.
2020: Indoor - Redshirted for the Bulldogs.
2019: Cross Country - Competed in four meets for the Bulldogs, including the 8k SEC Championships where he was 85th with a 25:05.5.
Outdoor - Had a season-best time of 1:51.22 to take 12th in the 800 meter prelims at the SEC Championships…Was third at the home Spec Towns Invite thanks to a 1:52.79…Also had a season-best 1500m time of 3:54.86.
Indoor - Competed in three events in his first postseason meet at the SEC Indoor Championships...Helped the distance medley team to a seventh-place finish (10:00.98) and the 4x400 meter relay team to a ninth-place finish with a time of 3:15.95...Also placed top-20 in the mile run with a time 4:21.99...Turned in a ninth-place finish in the 800 meters (1:54.34) at the Tyson Invitational...Sped to a season-best time of 4:16.52 in the mile run at the Husker Invitational...Competed in two events each of the first two meets: notched eighth in the 800 meters and 12th in the mile at the Clemson Invitational after placing seventh in the 1,000 meters and fourth on the 4x400 relay at the UAB Blazer Invitational.
2018: Cross Country - Redshirted for the Bulldogs.
High School: Qualified for the New Balance Nationals in the 800 meters as a senior…Was GHSA state runner-up in both the 800m and 1600m in his fourth year and took second at the Georgia Meet of Champions in the 800m…Also collected region titles in both the 800m and 1600m as a senior…Ran at New Balance Nationals and was second in the 800m at the state meet as a junior…Won the region title in the 400m, was ninth in the event at the state meet and finished fifth at the USATF Junior Olympics in his third year…Took third in the 800m at the state meet as a sophomore, topping a 46-year-old school record…Placed 10th at the state meet in the 1600m as a freshman…Personal-best times of 50.03 (400m), 4:19.97 (1600m) and 1:52.68 (800m)…Earned US Army Scholar-Athlete, MVP and Captain awards…Was an All-American at the USATF Junior Olympics…Also played football and basketball at Jefferson…Honor graduate who was part of Beta Club and Total Person Program.
Personal: Born May 4, 2000…Son of Ted and Andrea Pender…Father, Ted, graduated from UGA…Intended major in Finance.
Indoor – Was fifth in the 600 meters (1:18.55) at the MLK Invite…Shot to No. 7 on the school’s all-time top-10 list thanks to a 1:48.89 for ninth in the 800m at the Music City Challenge…Was ninth in the SEC prelims after clocking a 1:50.06.
2022: Outdoor – Earned a bronze medal in the 800-meter run after running the fastest time of his career (1:46.71) at the SEC Championships…Was 14th (1:48.64) in the 800m at the Tom Jones Memorial…Punched his ticket to Nationals after recording a 1:48.77 for 10th in the NCAA East Prelims quarterfinal…Won the 800m at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial after running two laps in 1:49.06…Had a season-best time 3:46.19 to take seventh in the 1500m at the Georgia Tech Invitational...Ran at his first NCAA Championships and earned Second Team All-America honors in the 800m after running the second-best time of his career (1:47.71) for 12th.
Indoor – Ran the eighth-fastest time in UGA history with a 1:49.29 to take ninth in the 800 meters at the Music City Challenge…Had a season-best time of 4:09.47 in the mile at the Music City meet…Leg of school record distance medley relay after the Bulldog foursome clocked a 9:35.97 for fourth at the SEC Championships.
2021: Cross Country - Ran in a pair of meets for the Bulldogs, taking 76th at the 8k North Alabama Showcase and 291st at the 8k Pre-Nationals.
Outdoor – Posted a personal best of 1:49.87 to take 10th in the 800 meters at the Raleigh Relays…Won the 800m (1:50.47) at the Spec Towns Invitational…Finished 18th in the 800m prelims at the SEC Championships after running a 1:51.19 while also taking 25th (4:00.78) in the 1500m…Had a career-best time of 3:47.99 for runner-up honors in the 1500m at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial.
Indoor – Registered the ninth-best time in school history (1:50.09) to take fifth in the 800m at the Music City Challenge…Took 11th in the 800m prelims at the SEC Championships thanks to his 1:50.41….Ran the fourth-best mile time in school history with a 4:04.71 to take ninth at the Music City Challenge…Ran a leg on the ninth-place distance medley relay team that finished in 9:43.66 at the SEC Championships, which is the third-best time in school history.
2020: Indoor - Redshirted for the Bulldogs.
2019: Cross Country - Competed in four meets for the Bulldogs, including the 8k SEC Championships where he was 85th with a 25:05.5.
Outdoor - Had a season-best time of 1:51.22 to take 12th in the 800 meter prelims at the SEC Championships…Was third at the home Spec Towns Invite thanks to a 1:52.79…Also had a season-best 1500m time of 3:54.86.
Indoor - Competed in three events in his first postseason meet at the SEC Indoor Championships...Helped the distance medley team to a seventh-place finish (10:00.98) and the 4x400 meter relay team to a ninth-place finish with a time of 3:15.95...Also placed top-20 in the mile run with a time 4:21.99...Turned in a ninth-place finish in the 800 meters (1:54.34) at the Tyson Invitational...Sped to a season-best time of 4:16.52 in the mile run at the Husker Invitational...Competed in two events each of the first two meets: notched eighth in the 800 meters and 12th in the mile at the Clemson Invitational after placing seventh in the 1,000 meters and fourth on the 4x400 relay at the UAB Blazer Invitational.
2018: Cross Country - Redshirted for the Bulldogs.
High School: Qualified for the New Balance Nationals in the 800 meters as a senior…Was GHSA state runner-up in both the 800m and 1600m in his fourth year and took second at the Georgia Meet of Champions in the 800m…Also collected region titles in both the 800m and 1600m as a senior…Ran at New Balance Nationals and was second in the 800m at the state meet as a junior…Won the region title in the 400m, was ninth in the event at the state meet and finished fifth at the USATF Junior Olympics in his third year…Took third in the 800m at the state meet as a sophomore, topping a 46-year-old school record…Placed 10th at the state meet in the 1600m as a freshman…Personal-best times of 50.03 (400m), 4:19.97 (1600m) and 1:52.68 (800m)…Earned US Army Scholar-Athlete, MVP and Captain awards…Was an All-American at the USATF Junior Olympics…Also played football and basketball at Jefferson…Honor graduate who was part of Beta Club and Total Person Program.
Personal: Born May 4, 2000…Son of Ted and Andrea Pender…Father, Ted, graduated from UGA…Intended major in Finance.
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