Torrin Lawrence of Georgia (georgiadogs.com)
A completed updated report, including team scores, will be released following the conclusion of Sunday’s events.
Lawrence, who came into the race with the world’s fastest 400 time this year (45.03), ran out of the second heat and clocked a 45.10 to win the second SEC indoor title of his career. Lawrence was the 2009 league champion in the 200.
Lawrence was forced to answer Kirani James after the Alabama freshman had a 45.24 to win the opening heat. But Lawrence reacted by speeding to the second-fastest time of his career and topping Kerron Clement’s 45.29 SEC Championships meet record set in 2005. Lawrence, who already has the third-fastest indoor collegiate time in history, now also has the fourth-fastest time as well.
The 400 championship marks only the second time that Georgia has won an SEC indoor title in the event after Justin Gaymon won in 2008. This is the second SEC indoor title for the Bulldogs on the weekend after Tommy Barrineau won the school’s first heptathlon crown on Saturday. It is also the third SEC indoor title for sprints coach Jon Stuart in as many years.
The Lady Bulldogs exploded for 14 points in the weight throw after having the second- and third-place finishers. Sophomore Nikola Lomnicka, who had a narrow lead on Kentucky’s Kristin Smith going into the meet, was the runner-up to Smith (65-6.75) after Lomnicka had a top effort of 63-6.25 on her fifth attempt. Lomnicka was forced to use another weight after the handle on her implement snapped during her second attempt and did not pick up a fair mark until her third throw.
Following a foul to open the competition, junior Alesha Asijie watched her second throw travel a career-best 61-2.25 to finish third. Asijie was able to top Ole Miss’ Juliana Smith (60-9.50), who was the defending champion, as well as Florida’s Fidela James (61) for the third spot.
Georgia had a trio of scorers in the women’s triple jump with Latroya Darrell leading the way. Darrell reached a distance of 41-5.25 to take third for the Lady Bulldogs in her first conference action.
Maria Augutis, a second Lady Bulldog who was competing in her first SEC Championship, recorded a personal-best mark of 40-8.75 on her third effort to take fifth. Georgia’s final scorer in the event was freshman Saniel Atkinson after she finished seventh (40-4.75).
In her final indoor meet, senior Bridget Lyons shot to the No. 3 spot in the Bulldog record books and was the runner-up in the 5000 with a time of 16:18.68. Lyons stayed with the lead pack throughout the race before shooting past Florida’s Rebecca Lowe to claim the second spot.
Junior Kylie Foley added three more points for Georgia in the 5000 after taking sixth with a career-best time of 17:18.55. Foley is a first-time individual scorer for the Lady Bulldogs.
Lyons returned to action in the distance medley relay alongside Odeika Bent, Taylor Adams and Kristie Krueger. The Lady Bulldog foursome wedged themselves into the third spot early in the race and held that spot across the finish line. Their time of 11:39.57 is the third-fastest finish in school history, overtaking their time of 11:39.71 at last year’s SEC meet.
In the men’s shot put, freshman Petr Novotny continued to hover around the spot he has been all season and managed to pull out a runner-up finish. Novotny reached 57-5.50 on his fifth attempt before hitting a mark of 58-1 to lock down second-place honors.
Senior Israel Machovec added five more points for the Bulldogs by taking fourth in the shot. Machovec’s top throw of 55-2 made him an SEC indoor scorer for the second straight year in the event. Sneaking in for the final point in the shot was senior Branislav Danis, who had a top throw of 50-6 to take eight in his first action in the event all year.
Krueger made a five-place improvement from 2009 in the mile after crossing the finish line in 4:43.82 to take third. Krueger, who finished with her second-fastest time of the season, was in the second spot until Tennessee’s Brittany Sheffey edged her during the final few feet of the race.
After finishing third in the heptathlon on Saturday, junior Cory Holman returned to the track for the 60 hurdles on Sunday and finished sixth. Holman clocked an 8.13 after registering a weekend-best 8.10 in the heptathlon’s 60 hurdles.
Sophomore John Smith was also a scorer for Georgia in the pole vault. Reaching 16 feet for the second time in his career, Smith cleared 16-4.75 on his first attempt and finished seventh to become a first-time scorer at an SEC meet.
In the men’s 800, sophomore Aaron Evans wrapped up his first SEC meet by taking seventh with a time of 1:52.06.
Senior Taylor Adams also managed a point for the Lady Bulldogs after crossing the finish line in a personal-best 2:09.24 for eighth. Adams, who passed Georgia great Natalie Picchetti to take over the No. 5 spot in the record books, came into the finals with the ninth-fastest time.
Bent, after advancing to her first SEC finals, took eighth in the 400 after completing her two laps in 55.39.
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