THE FLATS – Georgia Tech track & field is headed to Tuscaloosa, Ala., this weekend to compete at the Crimson Tide Invitational on April 9-10 at Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium. Week Four pits the Yellow Jackets against host Alabama, Central Arkansas, Indiana State, Kennesaw State, UL-Lafayette, LSU, Memphis, Mississippi State, Samford, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Troy, Tulane and UAB (women).
At the time of publication, three Yellow Jackets rank in the top-20 in the country in their respective events. Senior distance runner Andrew Kent is ranked No. 20 in the men’s 5K with a time of 13:47.77. Senior jumper Bria Matthews holds the No. 8 mark in the nation in the women’s long jump at 6.47m/21′ 2.75″. Fellow senior distance runner Nicole Fegans owns the highest spot for a Yellow Jacket on the national outdoor list at No. 3 in the women’s 5K, having clocked in at 15:37.16 at Raleigh Relays in late March.
Other notable nationals marks for the Tech women include junior distance runner Liz Galarza (16:13.17) at No. 36 in the 5K, true freshman jumper Carla du Plessis (1.75m/5′ 8.75″) with the No. 35 mark in the high jump and junior vaulter Olivia Moore (4.05m/13′ 3.5″) in the No. 34 spot in the pole vault. On the men’s end of the national outdoor list, true freshman jumper John Watkins (15.48m/50′ 9.5″) sits in the No. 38 spot in the county in the triple jump.
Tech will travel 20 men & 20 women to Tuscaloosa for the Invite. Kent & Fegans are both slotted to compete in the 1500m race and will lead a swarm of Jackets beginning at 8 p.m. (EST) on Friday. Freshman distance runner Zach Jaeger will cap off Friday night’s action in the men’s 5K at 9:05 p.m. (EST).
Matthews is listed to compete in the women’s triple jump on Friday & women’s long jump on Saturday. Watkins will face the men’s triple jump & men’s long jump as well on both days. Moore will guide the Jackets in the women’s pole vault starting at 3 p.m. (EST) on Saturday. Sophomore Brian Hauch looks to lead the Tech men in the pole vault beginning at 3:05 p.m. (EST).
The running events kick-off at 1:20 p.m. (EST) when sophomore Taylor Grimes and freshman Anna Witherspoon take on the women’s 100m hurdles. Grimes will also face the 200m dash on Saturday afternoon.
True freshmen classmates Shanty Papakosta and Carla du Plessis will face the women’s high jump, both having set new personal bests last week. The men’s & women’s 800m features three women (Kayla Rose, Illene Soleyn, Haley Unthank) and six men (Henrik Anderson, Mac Bloodworth, Harrison Fultz, Nick Nyman, Alex Thomas and Joshua Williams) attached to Tech in that event.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and Athletics Initiative 2021, Georgia Tech athletics’ ongoing $125 million initiative to allow Tech to recruit the nation’s most elite student-athletes, build a better student-athlete once they arrive on The Flats and, ultimately, win! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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