Spring Break
UGA Track & Field tallies 8 wins
Issue date: 3/20/09 Section: Sports
Georgia track and field recorded eight wins and five NCAA regional qualifying marks during the second day of the Georgia Relays on Saturday.
"This was a successful first meet for us because the number one reason for a meet like this is to have a smooth transition from the indoor season to the outdoor season and I think we accomplished that this weekend," said head coach Wayne Norton about his team's performance at the 2009 outdoor opener. "Now we have the first meet out of the way and we can begin to concentrate on the heart of the season. Individually, I though Michelle (Thompson) had a great first meet as a member of our team. I also thought all of our middle distance crew competed well and got a useful workout from their competition."
After sitting out the 2008 season, junior Michelle Thompson made her presence known in the women's javelin by winning with an NCAA regional qualifying mark of 162 feet, 4 inches. Thompson, who transferred from Cuyamaca College, had her top effort on her opening attempt to move to No. 5 on Georgia's all-time list.
Junior Emily Sanders, also a transfer after leaving Mississippi State, was second in the event with a second attempt of 142-6. This mark was not only exactly the minimum distance for a regional qualifying mark, but it also moved Sanders to No. 7 on the school's all-time list. In addition, freshman Johnnie Borries, one of the Lady Bulldog multi-event athletes, finished eighth with a best effort of 123-1.
Senior Julianne Toto won the women's pole vault as two of her teammates tied for second. Toto cleared a regional qualifying height of 12-8 in a single try to cruise to a season-opening victory. Junior Annalise Peters and sophomore Lindsay Farr both reached a height of 11-4.25 for second place.
On the men's side, Adam Sarafian kicked his season off with a win in the pole vault after clearing 15-9.
In the women's 1500-meter run, junior Bridget Lyons recorded her first collegiate win by winning with a time of 4:47.52. Fellow junior Katie Weise finished third (4:50.25) as senior Jill Skinner clocked a time of 4:50.75 for fourth place.
Freshman Matt Cleaver also locked down his first collegiate win after winning the steeplechase. Cleaver completed the race with a time of 9:42.45 to top Kennesaw State's Scott Burley in one of the day's final events.
Although not the outright winner, junior Israel Machovec jumpstarted his outdoor season by being the top collegiate finisher (second overall) in the discus with a regional qualifying mark of 172-3. Senior Nate Rolfe also registered a regional qualifying throw of 169-11 to take third overall. Former Bulldog thrower Chad McClendon won the meet after reaching a distance of 180-1.
Freshman Kristie Krueger, who was eighth in the mile at the 2009 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships, boosted the Georgia women in the distance medley relay by taking a big lead over the field during her opening leg. Odeika Bent, Taylor Adams and Kiah Vernon combined with Krueger to clock an 11:48.19 to beat Tennessee-Chattanooga by 20 seconds.
Krueger returned to the track with McKayla Plank, who won the 5000 on Friday, Kiah Vernon and Adams to win the 4x800 relay after clocking a time of 9:01.91.
The women's Gainey relay, which is comprised of a 100-100-200-400, also had Georgia taking first after finishing with a time of 1:44.93. Tiffany Trotman, Tierra Bagby, Georgina Nembhard and Odeika Bent combined to win their relay, which was made up to honor former Bulldog head coach Lewis Gainey who was in attendance on Saturday.
Rachel Travis opened her sophomore campaign by finishing second in the discus with a mark of 150-1. One foot behind Travis was senior Josipa Jelicic, who recorded a fourth throw of 149-1 for third place.
Miles Svoboda, Nick Long, Ross Ridgewell and Kris Ward exchanged the baton in the 4x800 relay and came away with a second-place finish with a time of 7:41.94.
Jarrell Stewart, Daniel Black, Omari Barrow and Phillip Adams finished second in the 4x200 relay after the foursome combined for a time of 1:25.63.
In the women's 4x400 relay, the Lady Bulldogs finished second after their final leg crossed the finish line in 3:51.63. Georgia's relay consisted of Javan Gill, Kim House, Shalondan Hollingshed and Georgina Nembhard.
While Jerome McKinzie won the men's high jump after reaching a height of 7-0.50, Georgia junior Daniel Averso cleared 6-8.75 to take third in his season debut.
In the men's distance medley, Ross Ridgewell, Kris Ward, Bejan Abtahi and Miles Svoboda finished third after finishing the race in 10:13.36.
Finishing second in the 4x100 relay were Stewart, Black, Barrow and Adams. The Bulldog foursome clocked a 41.53 to finish behind Middle Tennessee State, which registered a time of 40.77.
Freshman Nick Long also came away with a third-place finish in the 1500 after crossing the finish line in 4:02.90.
In the women's long jump, sophomore Shaquita Young had a fourth attempt of 18-5.75 for third-place honors. Bagby finished fifth in the event with a mark of 18-0.50.
Also of note, 46-year-old Roald Bradstock competed unattached and won the men's javelin with a mark of 219 feet. Bradstock was an Olympian for Great Britain in 1984 and 1988 and is still one of the top throwers in the senior division. Brian Moore, who is redshirting this season after transferring to Georgia from North Carolina, finished third with a top throw of 197-11.
LaRon "Bud" Bennett, who was a former three-time All-American at Georgia, won the 400 hurdles with a finish of 50.66 in the 15-man field.
- Georgia Sports Communications
"This was a successful first meet for us because the number one reason for a meet like this is to have a smooth transition from the indoor season to the outdoor season and I think we accomplished that this weekend," said head coach Wayne Norton about his team's performance at the 2009 outdoor opener. "Now we have the first meet out of the way and we can begin to concentrate on the heart of the season. Individually, I though Michelle (Thompson) had a great first meet as a member of our team. I also thought all of our middle distance crew competed well and got a useful workout from their competition."
After sitting out the 2008 season, junior Michelle Thompson made her presence known in the women's javelin by winning with an NCAA regional qualifying mark of 162 feet, 4 inches. Thompson, who transferred from Cuyamaca College, had her top effort on her opening attempt to move to No. 5 on Georgia's all-time list.
Junior Emily Sanders, also a transfer after leaving Mississippi State, was second in the event with a second attempt of 142-6. This mark was not only exactly the minimum distance for a regional qualifying mark, but it also moved Sanders to No. 7 on the school's all-time list. In addition, freshman Johnnie Borries, one of the Lady Bulldog multi-event athletes, finished eighth with a best effort of 123-1.
Senior Julianne Toto won the women's pole vault as two of her teammates tied for second. Toto cleared a regional qualifying height of 12-8 in a single try to cruise to a season-opening victory. Junior Annalise Peters and sophomore Lindsay Farr both reached a height of 11-4.25 for second place.
On the men's side, Adam Sarafian kicked his season off with a win in the pole vault after clearing 15-9.
In the women's 1500-meter run, junior Bridget Lyons recorded her first collegiate win by winning with a time of 4:47.52. Fellow junior Katie Weise finished third (4:50.25) as senior Jill Skinner clocked a time of 4:50.75 for fourth place.
Freshman Matt Cleaver also locked down his first collegiate win after winning the steeplechase. Cleaver completed the race with a time of 9:42.45 to top Kennesaw State's Scott Burley in one of the day's final events.
Although not the outright winner, junior Israel Machovec jumpstarted his outdoor season by being the top collegiate finisher (second overall) in the discus with a regional qualifying mark of 172-3. Senior Nate Rolfe also registered a regional qualifying throw of 169-11 to take third overall. Former Bulldog thrower Chad McClendon won the meet after reaching a distance of 180-1.
Freshman Kristie Krueger, who was eighth in the mile at the 2009 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships, boosted the Georgia women in the distance medley relay by taking a big lead over the field during her opening leg. Odeika Bent, Taylor Adams and Kiah Vernon combined with Krueger to clock an 11:48.19 to beat Tennessee-Chattanooga by 20 seconds.
Krueger returned to the track with McKayla Plank, who won the 5000 on Friday, Kiah Vernon and Adams to win the 4x800 relay after clocking a time of 9:01.91.
The women's Gainey relay, which is comprised of a 100-100-200-400, also had Georgia taking first after finishing with a time of 1:44.93. Tiffany Trotman, Tierra Bagby, Georgina Nembhard and Odeika Bent combined to win their relay, which was made up to honor former Bulldog head coach Lewis Gainey who was in attendance on Saturday.
Rachel Travis opened her sophomore campaign by finishing second in the discus with a mark of 150-1. One foot behind Travis was senior Josipa Jelicic, who recorded a fourth throw of 149-1 for third place.
Miles Svoboda, Nick Long, Ross Ridgewell and Kris Ward exchanged the baton in the 4x800 relay and came away with a second-place finish with a time of 7:41.94.
Jarrell Stewart, Daniel Black, Omari Barrow and Phillip Adams finished second in the 4x200 relay after the foursome combined for a time of 1:25.63.
In the women's 4x400 relay, the Lady Bulldogs finished second after their final leg crossed the finish line in 3:51.63. Georgia's relay consisted of Javan Gill, Kim House, Shalondan Hollingshed and Georgina Nembhard.
While Jerome McKinzie won the men's high jump after reaching a height of 7-0.50, Georgia junior Daniel Averso cleared 6-8.75 to take third in his season debut.
In the men's distance medley, Ross Ridgewell, Kris Ward, Bejan Abtahi and Miles Svoboda finished third after finishing the race in 10:13.36.
Finishing second in the 4x100 relay were Stewart, Black, Barrow and Adams. The Bulldog foursome clocked a 41.53 to finish behind Middle Tennessee State, which registered a time of 40.77.
Freshman Nick Long also came away with a third-place finish in the 1500 after crossing the finish line in 4:02.90.
In the women's long jump, sophomore Shaquita Young had a fourth attempt of 18-5.75 for third-place honors. Bagby finished fifth in the event with a mark of 18-0.50.
Also of note, 46-year-old Roald Bradstock competed unattached and won the men's javelin with a mark of 219 feet. Bradstock was an Olympian for Great Britain in 1984 and 1988 and is still one of the top throwers in the senior division. Brian Moore, who is redshirting this season after transferring to Georgia from North Carolina, finished third with a top throw of 197-11.
LaRon "Bud" Bennett, who was a former three-time All-American at Georgia, won the 400 hurdles with a finish of 50.66 in the 15-man field.
- Georgia Sports Communications
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