More than 40 athletes from the Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers track and field teams are set to begin their outdoor season at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida, according to an April 2 announcement. The event will take place Friday and Saturday at the University of Florida’s Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium.
The meet is significant as it marks the start of the outdoor campaign for many Tennessee athletes, with a total of 46 participants scheduled across 24 events. This includes several newcomers making their collegiate debuts, providing an opportunity for fresh talent to gain experience on a major stage.
Competition begins Friday afternoon with Cedricka Williams competing in the invitational women’s discus. The day’s events conclude with Lady Vol freshman Mary Nyaboke Ogwoka running in the women’s invitational 1,500-meter race. On Saturday, South African athletes Aron Alvarez Aranda and Wesley Badenhorst will participate in the men’s invitational discus event. The meet wraps up that evening with Tennessee’s men’s team competing in the 4×400-meter relay.
Five first-year athletes are expected to see their first official action during this meet: Hannah Grace (women’s pole vault), Brett Jones (women’s javelin), Sophia Scott (women’s javelin), Wesley Badenhorst (men’s discus), and Nikola Kostic (men’s 400m hurdles).
The announcement also highlighted recent achievements from Tennessee’s indoor season, which concluded with 19 All-America honors and four Southeastern Conference podium finishes. Ismaila Sawaneh won a conference title in men’s pole vault by clearing 5.78 meters (18-11.5). Under head coach Duane Ross, Tennessee’s men finished sixth at SECs and tied for nineteenth nationally—marking their eighth top-25 finish during Ross’s tenure.
Next week, both teams return home to Knoxville for their annual home competition—the Tennessee Invite—scheduled for April 10-11 at Tom Black Track.
