PREVIEW: Track & Field Ready to Compete in ERAU Spikes Classic

Friday, April 1

Gainesville, Fla.

All Day

University of North Florida

Florida Relays

PREVIEW: Track & Field Ready to Compete in ERAU Spikes Classic

3/31/2022 3:00:00 PM | Men's Track, Women's Track

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Five Athletes Also Heading To Gainesville For Florida Relays

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The North Florida track and field teams are set to make appearances at two meets this weekend. The Ospreys will travel to compete in the ERAU Spikes Classic at Spruce Creek HS, while five athletes will make the trip to Gainesville, Fla., to go against the country's best athletes in the Pepsi Florida Relays from Apr. 1-2.

Due to continued renovations at the Embry-Riddle University track facility, the events will be hosted at Spruce Creek HS in Port Orange, Fla.

The Ospreys will be competing in the 1500m, 5000m, 400mH and 800m races, as well as the high jump for the Spikes Classic. The Florida Relays will feature Aidan O'Gorman and Robert Pedroza in the 1500m race and Timothy Doyle in the 800m race, along with Tariq Lajoie and Kaley Petrosky in the high jump.

LAST TIME OUT

Top Marks at Knights Invite

Petrosky put up a phenomenal mark in the women's high jump at 1.67m to match the jump she made at the Black & Gold Invite.
Lajoie recorded a jump that was just short of his personal-best mark after reaching 2.02m (6-7.5) on the first try at the Knights Invite.

Top Times at Raleigh Relays/Knights Invite

O'Gorman ran the fastest 10,000m time in UNF program history at the Raleigh Relays crushing his personal-best time at 29:17.26 to finish third in his heat.
Jake Turner joined O'Gorman with a lifetime best at Raleigh with a time of 29:31.36 in the 10,000m race.
Doyle finished as the top runner in the 1500m at the Knights Invite among a strong field at 3:47.78, followed by Pedroza and Aiden Arnold in the top four.
Seth Martinez made his debut outdoor run in the 5000m race and brought home a first-place finish with a time of 14:35.91.
Gavin O'Brien and Mia McLain each finished at the top of their respective fields in the 3000mS.
Erica Fisher won her first race as an Osprey with her personal-best mark of 17:30.47 in the 5000m.

NOTABLE OPPONENTS

The field for the Embry-Riddle Spikes Classic will include over 20 teams, including two conference opponents in Stetson and Jacksonville. At the Florida Relays, the Ospreys will be competing against 21 Power Five teams among the three events that they'll be competing in.

On the men's side, UNF ranks 15th in the South region, which ranks as the third-best team in the conference, behind Kennesaw State and Lipscomb. Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami (FL) and Florida are all teams ranked in the top 10 for the South that will also be at the Florida Relays.

On the women's side, they currently rank 32nd in the South, which ranks fifth in that region among the ASUN teams. Petrosky will go against nine Power Five teams in the women's high jump, including Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech, who rank top 10 in the region.

PIGG'S THOUGHTS

"Training has been consistent and we are looking forward to more chances to compete. These meets are good opportunities close to home. Travel can wear them down, so it's great to have just the type of meet we need here in Florida."
-- head coach Jeff Pigg

UP NEXT

The Ospreys have a third consecutive weekend of competition ahead of them at the Flames Invitational hosted by Lee University from Apr. 8-9 in Cleveland, Tenn.