Due to the inclement weather forecast, the Georgia track and field program has switched its home meet to Thursday and Friday only.
The first five events of the decathlon and the first four of the heptathlon are scheduled for Thursday from 12:30pm on Spec Towns Track. The women’s and men’s hammer throw will also take place on day one, starting at 5:00 p.m
Friday begins with the combined events at 10:00 am and the final competition of the meet, the men’s 4x400m relay, is scheduled for 6:00 pm
The Bulldog track and field teams compete in their only home meeting of the year when they host the Spec Towns + Torrin Lawrence Invitational in Athens on Thursday and Friday.
Previously scheduled as a three-day gathering, the Saturday events have been moved to the Friday schedule due to forecast poor weather on Saturday.
The 10th-placed Lady Bulldogs and Georgia men will welcome Clemson, George Mason, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Tennessee Tech and Virginia along with a host of untied competitors on the Spec Towns Track.
Admission to the two-day meeting in Athens is free. Fans can access the Spec Towns Track facility through the Lumpkin Street entrance. No concessions will be sold, allowing fans to bring their own food and soft drinks into the facility.
When will the Bulldogs start competing? The Spec Towns + Torrin Lawrence Invitational begins Thursday at 12:30 p.m. with the first five events of the decathlon (100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m). jump, shot put, 200 m) at 12:45 p.m. The only open competitions of the day are the men’s hammer throw, followed by the women’s hammer throw at 17:00
The second day of the competition starts at 10:00 a.m. with the last five disciplines of the decathlon (110 mH, discus, pole vault, javelin throw, 1500 m) and the last three of the heptathlon (long jump, javelin throw, 800 m) at 10:30 a.m An invited Friday in open athletics begins at 12 noon with the women’s shot put.
The Bulldogs will recognize the program’s seniors, who will bid farewell to their time in Athens at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Seniors 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 broadcast: ESPN will live stream the meeting. Below are the links for each day:
Thursday (from 12:30 p.m.) – gado.gs/ade
Friday (from 12:30 p.m.) – gado.gs/adf
Live Scores (Hashtag: #23SpecTLInvite): gado.gs/adc
Bulldogs in competition: In addition to 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 Bei den Van Huyssteen, Gavin Beverage and Marc Minichello are expected to compete for men.
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.
In memory of two great bulldogs: This year’s Georgia home meet is named after two Bulldog greats at Spec Towns and Torrin Lawrence. Towns, a native of Fitzgerald, Georgia, 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, won a gold medal and set a meeting record at the 1936 Olympia. Towns won Georgia’s first two NCAA singles titles at the hurdles and then served as the Bulldogs’ head coach from 1938-42 and 1946-75.
Lawrence, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., competed for Georgia from 2009 to 2012 and received his 2013 degree in sociology. During his time as a Bulldog, he won three SEC titles, an NCAA crown and set a college record in the indoor 300m. Lawrence died in a car accident on July 28, 2014. He was 25 years old.
Lawrence, who is still the No. 12 all-time indoor 400-yard dash (45.03), began his career as the 2009 SEC Freshman Runner of the Year and eventually became the 2010 US Track & Field and Cross Country runner-up Coaches Association Named (USTFCCCA) National Male Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year. After his UGA career, Lawrence signed with Nike and was one of Team USA’s brightest prospects in the sprints.
Record breaking relay : Godwin, Boling, Cavanaugh and Sumner shared the Texas Relays Meeting record this past weekend with a school record time of 2:58.82. This finish gave the Bulldogs the #2 overall collegiate performer/performance honors and the current world leader for 2023.
The previous competition record was 3:00.23 set by NC A&T in 2021, while the previous school record was 3:02.10 set in 2022, which was a relay that Boling, Cavanaugh and Godwin ran all legs. This wasn’t Boling and Godwin’s first race that day, as they were part of the Bulldog 4x200m relay team, which together set another competitive record to be the No. 6 all-time collegiate performance, No. 3 all-time to become thanks to a 1:20.22.
This earned the Bulldog quartet the USTFCCCA Men’s Runner of the Week award as well as SEC Men’s Runner of the Week awards.
Looking back at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial in 2022: Georgia hosted the Fifth Annual Meeting this past April and it included a variety of performances that helped build momentum into the postseason:
– The Bulldogs had 17 overall wins and another three top collegiate finishes at last year’s meeting, which was the only home meeting of 2022.
– Kulichenko flew 1.87 meters/6 feet, 1½ inches over the high jump bar to capture top honors.
– Igberaese, who was also 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 lead her sister to victory.
– Boling accelerated to a wind-legal 10.05 to finish first in the 100m, while Godwin crossed the 200m first (20.49). Godwin finished the 200-400 sweep after setting his lap in 45.70.
– Bowers set a school record, winning the 1500m in 3:42.45.
– Darius Carbin set a 37-year-old school high jump record after clearing the bar with 2.30m/7-6.50.
next up: To continue the outdoor campaign, there will be a multitude of six meetings over three weekends in April. The SEC Championships are scheduled to take place May 11-13 in Baton Rouge, La. After the NCAA East Prelims in Jacksonville, Fla. on May 24-27, Georgia’s qualifying teammates will travel to Austin, Texas ahead of the NCAA Championships (June 7-10).
How to keep up with the Dawgs: For outdoor season results and recaps, visit georgiadogs.com. For news and updates from Georgia’s track and field teams, follow @UGATrack on Twitter/Instagram.
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