KENNESAW STATE AT Pepsi Florida Relays
April 2-4, 2015 | Gainesville, Fla. | James G. Pressly Stadium
at Percy Beard Track
 
Meet Schedule   Heat Sheets  Live Results  Live Video (Friday)   Live Video (Saturday)
 
The Kennesaw State men and women's teams are traveling to Gainesville, Florida Friday (Apr.2) and Saturday (Apr.3) to compete in the prestigious Pepsi Florida Relays. The event will be held at the James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track, against top competition from across the country.
 
James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track:
Since 1959, James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track has served as the outdoor home of the Gator track and field program. Recognized as one of the finest collegiate track and field facilities in the nation, the complex provides permanent grandstand seating for 4,000 in addition to increased bleacher seating for special events.
 
Named after former Gator head coach Percy Beard (1937-63), a world record-holder and Olympian in the high hurdles and a member of the prestigious USA Track & Field Hall of Fame, James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track is a 400-meter facility. The surface, originally installed in 1985, is patterned after the facility at the Los Angeles Coliseum, site of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. In 1993, the nine-lane Olympic-certified track under-went complete resurfacing and stripping as part of a $550,000 renovation effort. The efforts to keep the facility as one of the finest in the nation, continued during the summer of 2006, when $675,000 was poured into a new Mondo surface, which included installing an additional 30 feet of track space in the southwest corner of the stadium.
 
The nine-lane track also features multiple jump runways, a steeplechase water jump, three circles for both the shot put and discus, three high jump approaches and nine pole vault boxes. The arrangement allows competitors to take advantage of ideal wind direction to create optimum performance opportunities, while the overall design of the complex provides the spectator with an excellent view of all events from the stadium grandstands.

About the Florida Relays:
The Florida Relays first began 76 years ago in 1939, thanks to the vision and creativeness of the Gators' legendary head track and field coach Percy Beard. Since that first meet, the Pepsi Florida Relays have grown in epic proportions from the small regional competitions on April Fools' Day that featured 209 competitors, to one of the nation's premier track and field meets.

Since its inception, the Florida Relays has grown in both stature and size. Previously regarded nationally as the first major event of the collegiate outdoor track and field season, the Relays once swelled from a one-day inaugural event featuring slightly more than 200 athletes to a four-day extravaganza that attracted more than 3,000 athletes from the high school, collegiate and international ranks.
 
In 2007, a new era of the Florida Relays began as the meet was been shifted on the track and field calendar to the first weekend in April and the competition took place during the course of two days instead of four. Since 2013, the Pepsi Florida Relays have been expanded to three days.
COACHES TAKE ON THE WEEKEND
Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Andy Eggerth
"We're mainly running relays this weekend at the Florida relays so it's an
opportunity to have fun doing some non-traditional events.  We will be
racing the standard 4x100m and 4x400m relays, so we hope to improve
timing, chemistry, and get some great performances there." 

Video:
 Live Video Friday
Live Video Saturday

RESULTS:
Live Results

TWITTER: Follow the Kennesaw State track and field team on Twitter @KSUOwlsTrackFieldXC to receive updates throughout the meet.
       
 
NEWS AND NOTES:
» Joshua Mulder broke the school record in the 400m hurdles with a time of 51.96. That time is currently 17^th best in the nation.  Bilal Abdullah was second with a time of 52.47 at the Yellow Jacket Invitational
» Rasmus Rooks was sixth in the long jump with a jump of 7.14m (23'5.25.

» On the track, Dylan Titon finished 15^th in the 1500 meters in 4:01.77.  Cameron Gatt  ran 15:30.09 which was good  for ninth place in the 5000m on Friday evening.
 
»The 4x100 team of Joscelyn Powell, De'Von Johnson, Kentrell White, and Laura Maria-Oja cruised to a third place finish of 46.69.

»Alicia Whittle opened her season with a ninth place finish with a time of 24.61 in the 200 meter while teammate Daisy Helm was 13^th crossing in 24.89
 
»Kidan Kidane grabbed a sixth place finish in the 5,000m in 4:44.09.
 
»Morgan Campbell set the school record in the triple jump with a leap of 12.26m (1"6.0) and is currently tops in the Atlantic Sun.

Next Up:
The Owls will travel to Jacksonville, Florida and compete in the North Florida twilight meet on Saturday April 10 at Hodges Stadium.  
 
Keep up with Owls track and field teams by following KSU on Twitter at @KSUOwlNation and @KSUTrackFieldXC or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook.