GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The University of South Alabama track and field teams will return to action at the Pepsi Florida Relays beginning on Thursday. The three-day event, first held in 1939, will be held at James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track on the Florida Gators' campus.

"Florida will have a lot of good competition, so it's an opportunity for our athletes to compete at a high level," track and field head coach Paul Brueske said. "I want to see our student-athletes get after it and compete the way I know they are capable of. In the words of Nature Boy Ric Flair, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best." 

USA will have a total of 22 individuals compete over three days. Over 90 teams are set to compete in the Gators' Relays this weekend, including Sun Belt members Louisiana-Lafayette, Troy, Georgia State and Appalachian State. 

Five Jaguars competing this weekend are ranked among the top 50 in the country. Senior Kaitlyn Beans is currently ranked No. 17 in the women's triple jump. She has earned three victories this season, most recently taking the event title at the Samford Alabama Track Challenge last week. Junior thrower Zach Blahnik's best marks in the men's hammer throw are second in the league and rank tied for 31st in the country for the event.  Other Jaguars among the top 50 in the nation competing include Barbara Rivera (35th, women's javelin), Taylor Dames (27th, women's high jump) and Ireland Armstrong (tied for 50th, women's pole vault). 

The highest nationally-ranking Jaguar will not compete in the Florida relays, but will be traveling to the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas to compete in the men's pole vault. Sophomore Sean Collins ranks tied for eighth in the country and first in the Sun Belt Conference. Collins will compete on Saturday at approximately 3 p.m. Results can be found here or the event can be viewed live on ESPN3.

The Florida Relays are slated to begin with running events at 2 p.m. with field events starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. SEC Network (via Watch ESPN) will broadcast live coverage of Friday's (12:10-4:10 p.m. ET) and Saturday's (2:35-7:10 p.m.) collegiate and post-collegiate competition. Results will also be provided online by Delta Timing and the full schedule for the Relays can be found here. 

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Finish Line Club, the track and field and cross country specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  All donations to the Finish Line Club go directly to support the South Alabama track and field/cross country programs.  For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/finishlineclub

 —USA—