The Red and Black

Issue date: 1/5/09 Section: Sports

2009 Track & Field schedule

Georgia's track and field teams will host four meets and compete against a mixture of Southeastern Conference competition as well as other nationally ranked teams on the road during the 2009 seasons, according to an announcement from head coach Wayne Norton.

"This is probably one of the, if not the, most anticipated starts to a season we have had because of our curiosity about both teams," Norton said, adding his teams return to practice today after about a three-week layoff. "Both the indoor and outdoor schedules will be a big test for us. The men's team didn't reach its goals last year and the women's team is still a young group so there are a lot of questions
about how this schedule will play out for us. But we are looking forward to
getting going."

The Bulldogs open the indoor season in Lexington, Ky., on Jan. 16-17 for the Kentucky Invitational before returning to Lexington for the SEC Indoor Championships (Feb. 27-March 1). Other highlights during the indoor action include a trip to Champaign, Ill., for the Carle Health Alliance Classic and the Virginia Tech Elite meet in Blacksburg, Va.

Texas A&M will host the NCAA Indoor Championships (March 13-14) in College Station.

Norton is expecting about five other teams from the SEC and several other ranked squads to be competing in Lexington in his teams' season-opening meet.

"We have added an additional meet during the indoor season to give us more of a chance to improve before the SEC Championships arrive," said Norton. "It would have been nice if the Kentucky Invitational would have been a little later in the season because of the top competition they are expecting. But I think this will be a unique challenge where it would be great if good things happen and if anything bad happens, it won't be that
big a deal since it's so early in the year."

The Bulldogs host the Lewis Gainey Georgia Relays on March 20-21 at the Spec Towns Track to begin the outdoor season. There will be three more weekends of home action during the outdoor campaign, including the final tune-up before the SEC Championships at the Georgia Invitational on May 9.

While Georgia traveled to Tucson, Ariz., for the Jim Click Invitational last year, the Bulldogs will be making the trip to Tempe, Ariz., for the Arizona State Classic in 2009. The Sun Devil women were the runner-ups at the 2008 NCAA outdoor meet while the Arizona State men were sixth.

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