Weather forecast forces changes to UGA track meet

Due to predicted inclement weather, the Georgia track and field program has changed its home meet to having events on just Thursday and Friday.

The first five events of the decathlon and the first four of the heptathlon are slated for Thursday starting at 12:30 p.m. at the Spec Towns Track. The women and men’s hammer throw are also on the day one schedule beginning at 5 p.m.

Friday will kick off with the combined events at 10 a.m. and the final event of the meet, the men’s 4x400m relay, is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The Bulldog track and field teams compete in their one and only home meet of the year as they play host to the Spec Towns + Torrin Lawrence Invitational in Athens on Thursday and Friday.

Previously scheduled as a three-day meet, Saturday’s events were moved into Friday’s schedule due to the predicted inclement weather on Saturday.

The 10th-ranked Lady Bulldogs and the Georgia men will welcome Clemson, George Mason, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Tennessee Tech and Virginia, along with a host of unattached competitors, to the Spec Towns Track.

Admission is free to the two-day meet in Athens. Fans can access the Spec Towns Track facility through the entrance off Lumpkin Street. No concessions will be sold so fans can bring in their own food and non-alcoholic drinks to the facility.

When Do The Bulldogs Start Competition? The Spec Towns + Torrin Lawrence Invitational begins on Thursday with the decathlon’s first five events (100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m) at 12:30 p.m. The first four events of the heptathlon (100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m) will start at 12:45 p.m. The only open events of the day will be the men’s hammer throw followed by the women’s hammer at 5 p.m.

The meet’s second day kicks off with the final five events of the decathlon (110mH, discus, pole vault, javelin, 1500m) at 10 a.m. and then the final three of the heptathlon (long jump, javelin, 800m) at 10:30 a.m. A loaded Friday in the open track and field events begins at 12 p.m. with the women’s shot put.

The Bulldogs will recognize the program’s seniors who are saying farewell to their time in Athens at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

Those seniors getting honored include: John Isaac Autry, Matthew Boling, Sam Bowers, Aleesa de Castro, Caleb Cavanaugh, Alejandro Collins, Chase Condra, Johannes Erm, Nico Fontova, Elija Godwin, Ellie Hall, Julia Harisay, Titiana Marsh, Clay Pender, Alencar Pereira and Brandee Presley.

Live Stream: ESPN will live stream the meet. Below are the links for each day:

Thursday (starting at 12:30 p.m.) – gado.gs/ade

Friday (starting at 12:30 p.m.) - gado.gs/adf

Live Results (hashtag: #23SpecTLInvite): gado.gs/adc

Bulldogs Competing: In addition to the seniors listed above, Keshaun Black, Christopher Morales Williams, Kyle Garland, Will Sumner, Zack Truitt, KC Heron, Zachary Roe, Ethan Nordman, Cole Heron, Wesley John, Mac Howie, Ziggy Zoller, Alon Rogow, Nikolai van Huyssteen, Gavin Beverage and Marc Minichello are expected to compete on the men’s side.

Kenondra Davis, Kaila Jackson, Autumn Wilson, Aaliyah Butler, Haley Tate, Bella Witt, Hali Murphy, Charlotte Augenstein, Simone Rojas, Audrey Knoper, Nina Ouellette, Lily Cincola, Gracie O’Neal, Sophia Baker, Lorel Golden, Caitlin Schroeder, Mia Anderson, Zoe Pollock, Dominique Mustin, Elena Kulichenko, Michaella Prevallet, Courtney Long, Madison McConico, Leah Anderson, Ana da Silva, Elsie Igberaese, Ella Rush and Erin McMeniman are entered from the women’s squad.

Remembering Two Bulldog Greats: This year’s Georgia home meet is named for a pair of Bulldog greats in Spec Towns and Torrin Lawrence. Towns, a Fitzgerald, Ga., native was a Bulldog captain who led the Georgia men to their only Southeastern Conference team title in 1937. He set the world record in the 110m hurdles and won a gold medal and set a meet record at the 1936 Olympics. Towns collected Georgia’s first two NCAA individual track titles in the hurdles and then served as the Bulldogs’ head coach from 1938-42 and 1946-75.

Lawrence, a Jacksonville, Fla., native competed for Georgia from 2009-12 and graduated with a degree in Sociology in 2013. During his time as a Bulldog, he captured three SEC titles, an NCAA crown and set a collegiate record in the indoor 300m. Lawrence was tragically killed in a car accident on July 28, 2014. He was 25-years-old.

Lawrence, who is still the No. 12 all-time collegiate performer in the indoor 400m (45.03), started his career as the 2009 SEC Freshman Runner of the Year and was eventually named the 2010 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Indoor Male Track Athlete of the Year. Following his UGA career, Lawrence signed with Nike and was one of Team USA’s brightest prospects in the sprints.

Record-Setting Relay : Godwin, Boling, Cavanaugh and Sumner combined to set the Texas Relays meet record with a school record time of 2:58.82 last weekend. This finish gave the Bulldogs the No. 2 all-time collegiate performer/performance honors and the current world leader for 2023.

The previous meet record was 3:00.23 by NC A&T from 2021 while the former school record was 3:02.10 from 2022, which was a relay that Boling, Cavanaugh and Godwin all ran legs on. This was not Boling and Godwin’s first race of the day as they were a part of the Bulldog 4x200m relay squad that combined to set another meet record to become the No. 3 all-time collegiate performer with the No. 6 all-time collegiate performance thanks to a 1:20.22.

This earned the Bulldog quartet USTFCCCA Men’s Track Athletes of the Week honor as well as the SEC Men’s Runners of the Week honors.

Flashback To 2022 Torrin Lawrence Memorial: Georgia played host to the fifth annual meet last April and it included a host of performances that helped build momentum into the postseason:

- The Bulldogs had 17 outright wins at last year’s meet, which was the sole home meet of 2022, and an additional three top collegiate finishes.

- Kulichenko soared over the high jump bar at 1.87 meters/6 feet, 1 ½ inches to grab top honors.

- Igberaese, who also was the top collegiate finisher in the hammer behind her sister Chelsea igberaese, sent the discus the fourth-longest distance in school history (53.16m/174-5) to top her sister for the win.

- Boling sped to a wind-legal 10.05 to finish first in the 100m while Godwin crossed the line first in the 200m (20.49). Godwin completed the 200-400 sweep after running his lap in 45.70.

- Bowers set a school record and won the 1500m with a 3:42.45.

- Darius Carbin matched a 37-year-old school record in the high jump after clearing the bar at 2.30m/7-6.50.

Next Up: There will be a variety of six meets over three weekends in April to continue the outdoor campaign. The SEC Championships are slated to be in Baton Rouge, La., on May 11-13. Following the NCAA East Prelims in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 24-27, Georgia’s qualified teammates will travel to Austin, Texas, prior to the NCAA Championships (June 7-10).

How To Keep Up With The Dawgs: Results and recaps from the outdoor season 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.

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