MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama outdoor track & field teams will send 33 student-athletes to the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. Thursday through Saturday. The event will feature entries from 100 universities, including 11 nationally-ranked programs. Live coverage will be available Friday and Saturday through the SEC Network. The program will also compete in the University of Mobile Invitational Friday.

Michaela Preachuk is ranked 16th in the NCAA Division I standings after a 60.94m (199-11.00) hammer throw at last week's Samford Alabama Track Challenge. The junior surpassed her own conference-high measurement and moved to second in the all-time USA rankings with the performance.  

MEET INFORMATION
Event: Pepsi Florida Relays 
Dates: March 29-31
Host: University of Florida
Site: Percy Beard Track
Friday Live Coverage
Saturday Live Coverage
Live Results

FIELD
Includes: Alabama A&M, Alabama-Birmingham, Alabama State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia State, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue, Samford, South Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Troy, Virginia Tech   

MEET INFORMATION
Event: University of Mobile Invitational
Date: March 30
Host: University of Mobile
Site: Jaguar Track, University of South Alabama
Meet Details

NOTES
Field Events 
-Thomas Boyd won the Alabama Track Challenge shot put event and holds fifth place in the league standings with a 16.48m (54-01.00) throw. His 56.77m (186-03.00) effort in the hammer throw is the sixth-best mark in the conference. 
-Jobi Finau is seventh in the Sun Belt after a fourth-place, 53.89m (176-10.00) mark in the Samford Alabama Track Challenge hammer throw.
-Cameron Stokes is 10th in the conference javelin rankings after a career-high 52.73m (173-00.00) throw.   
-Sean Collins' 5.30m (17-04.50) pole vault mark at the Samford Alabama Track Challenge was a season-best and is second in the conference standings. It is tied for the ninth-highest mark in the NCAA Division I rankings.  
-Megan James' 3.70m (12-01.50) pole vault performance was a season-high which earned her the fourth spot in the Sun Belt season rankings. Christina Wiggins posted a personal-best 3.25m (10-08.00) mark to land 16th in the overall standings. 
-Michella Obijiaku and Esherika Hawkins earned spots in the conference top-10 shot put standings. Obijuaku is fifth after a season-high 13.79m (45-03.00) throw, while Hawkins ranks eighth after a 13.58m (44-06.75) effort.   
-Hawkins is 14th in the hammer throw rankings after throwing for 48.39m (158-09.00) at last week's meet. 
-Jessica Matthews and Halee Thomas hold the sixth and seventh spots, respectively, in the league's javelin standings. Matthews took second at the Alabama Track Challenge with a 41.46m (136-00.00) throw, while Thomas recorded a career-high 40.43m (132-08.00) mark to place third in the event. Liz Bolden finished fourth in the event and ranks 11th overall with a 39.76m (130-05.00) effort.
   
Running Events
-Jacob Johnson is third in the Sun Belt Conference and 60th in the NCAA Division I men's 400m hurdles event rankings after clocking a time of 53.51 seconds at last week's Samford Alabama Track Challenge. Javen Jackson is eighth in the conference after completing the event in 55.42 seconds at the same meet. 
-Olivia Swan's 14.72-second finish in the 100m hurdles event ties her for 16th in the league.  
  
QUOTES FROM COACH BRUESKE
On performances at Samford's Alabama Track Challenge… "It was a pretty good meet for us. We just want to build on that and get better."

On this week's practice… "We're coming back from spring break and still managed to get some good training in, so hopefully we'll have some good performances this week."

On the level of competition in a meet that features 100 universities… "It's a very big meet and a very elite meet, so this will hopefully bring out the best in our athletes." 

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.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—