Track And Field Heads To Georgia, Alabama

Friday, April 7

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

University of Memphis

Crimson Tide Invitational

Chardae Greenlee, 2016-17 Women's Track and Field

Photo by: Nikki Boertman

Apr 06, 2017 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Biere, Hosten to compete in first collegiate decathlon.

Crimson Tide Invitational (Live Results)
Georgia Spec Towns Invitational-Bulldog Decathlon (Live Results)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It's not quite yet the postseason for the University of Memphis men's and women's track and field teams. But from the looks of the squad's two meets this weekend, it seems as if the Tigers have their sights on the early May American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships and beyond.

Memphis splits its squads this weekend for meets at the University of Georgia and University of Alabama. The Tigers are taking two decathletes and eight field performers to Athens, Ga., for the Spec Towns Invitational and Bulldog Decathlon Saturday-Sunday, Apr. 8-9. The Bulldog Decathlon originally was scheduled for Wednesday-Thursday, Apr. 5-6, but inclement weather pushed it back to the weekend.

The Tigers are taking their track performers and a few field competitors to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the Crimson Tide Invitational Friday-Saturday, Apr. 7-8.

Robinson on Spec Towns Invitational/Bulldog Decathlon:
"The meet at Georgia is very difficult just to get an invitation to compete. It is going to be highly, highly competitive. It may be as or even more competitive than what we'll see at the conference championships. We're facing programs like Nebraska, Clemson, Georgia, Miami, Michigan and South Carolina.

"I want the group going to Georgia to show competitive maturity and step up to the occasion. We want to prove we have athletes that can compete at that level.

"The driving force behind this trip is to get Simon (Hosten) and Lennard (Biere) into a high-quality decathlon. We're hoping Lennard and Simon put up scores that will qualify for the NCAA Championships. But, if we don't get those scores this weekend, we have another opportunity at the conference meet."

Robinson on Crimson Tide Invitational:
"At Alabama, all of our track athletes are going to run in their primary events. We'll put our best athletes in their best events and see what happens. The track athletes will face a high level of competition at Alabama. If the weather cooperates, this meet will give those athletes opportunities to put up qualifying marks and solidify their spots at the conference championships."

Robinson's overall thoughts on the two meets:
"This weekend is our biggest of the season, excluding the postseason conference and NCAA meets. Both are huge for us and are the biggest outdoor meets we will have to date this season. I'm excited for our teams.

"I would consider this weekend as preparatory meets for the conference championships. Most of our athletes are competing in the events this weekend that they'll also compete in at the league championships in May.

"This also may be the last time that many may run in their primary events before the conference championships. So, the weekend is simply this: put our athletes in their best events, get their marks and then see what we have to fine-tune as we build toward the conference meet."

Tigers Tidbits/Five "What To Watch For":

First-timers: For the first time in their short collegiate careers, freshman Lennard Biere and senior Simon Hosten are competing in a men's decathlon. Biere and Hosten both competed in two men's heptathlons in the 2016-17 indoor campaign. Hosten won silver (second place) and Biere bronze (third) at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships in late February. Hosten set the school record in the men's heptathlon (5,991 points) at the league championships.
Greenlee to Alabama: Senior Chardae Greenlee, the reigning American Athletic Conference Outdoors triple jump champion, would have gone to Georgia to compete this weekend, but a schedule conflict has her jumping at the Crimson Tide Invitational. Greenlee has eased into the triple jump event this outdoor campaign after placing third (bronze) at the conference indoors meet. She did not triple jump in Memphis' first two outdoor meets this season, and placed second in the event at last week's Joey Haines Invitational (40-6.75; 12.36m).
Tigers men's sprints: Head coach Kevin Robinson is with the Memphis contingent heading to Georgia this weekend, but said he wishes he could be at Alabama as he's expecting some good times from sophomore Davon DeMoss and freshman Kolbeinn Gunnarsson in their respective events. Last week, DeMoss ran in his first men's 200 meters of the outdoor campaign and posted a first-place time of 20.99. That time is only 0.6 off the school record (20.39). Gunnarsson is running in his second men's 400 meters race this season, after recording a third-place performance at the Joey Haines Invitational (48.69). DeMoss' 200 meters time is third in The American, and Gunnarsson's 400 meters time is seventh in the league. DeMoss and Gunnarsson also will run legs on the Memphis men's 4x400 meter relay this weekend.
Four in a row: Obviously, the competition level is much higher than in the first three meets, but the Tigers are looking for a fourth-straight sweep of the men's and women's javelin titles this weekend. Michael Criticos and Ashley Pryke have won the men's and women's javelin titles, respectively, the past three weeks. Criticos' 226-7 (69.06m) throw at last week's Joey Haines Invitational was a season-best and is second in The American. Pryke's school-record 175-3 (53.41m) throw in the outdoor season's first meet (Mar. 17-18 Rhodes Invitational) leads The American by over three feet.
Three in a row: That's what junior Lauren Wheeler is looking to do Friday when she runs in her third women's 5000 meters of the 2017 season. At the Mar. 18 Rhodes Invitational, she shattered her previous-best 5000 meters time by over 19 seconds. Wheeler ran an 18:50.78 at the Rhodes Invitational. Her previous top 5000 meters time was 19:09.81. Then, at last week's Joey Haines Invitational, she bettered than time (18:50.78) by 15 seconds when she crossed the finish line in 18:35.57.Wheeler's teammate, junior Chelsea Ladd, also is running in the women's 5000 meters. Ladd has the seventh-best time in The American this season (17:08.08).

Up Next:
The Tigers men's and women's squads are taking off from competition next weekend. Memphis returns to action Apr. 21-22 at Arkansas State's Red Wolves Open in Jonesboro, Ark.