After more than a month away from competition following their season opening performance at the Commonwealth Opener, the wait is officially over for the UWG men's track and field team as the indoor season resumes on January 17 at the Samford Open in Birmingham, Alabama. The meet marks the Wolves' first competition of the new year and comes on the heels of a strong debut where UWG took first place at the Commonwealth Opener.

 The Samford Open will feature a deep and competitive field, including programs such as the University of Alabama, Mississippi State University, Auburn University, Jacksonville State, and several others, setting the stage for a high-level test as the Wolves look to carry their early momentum into 2026.

Sprints & Hurdles
UWG's sprint and hurdle group enters the Samford Open with confidence after several standout performances and record-breaking efforts to open the indoor season. In the short sprints, sophomore Gavin Barlow from LaGrange, Georgia leads the group after opening the season with a blazing 6.80 in the 60m dash at the Commonwealth Opener, a time that set a new UWG record and earned him first place. 

Junior Kyron Belton from Panama City, Florida adds versatility after running 7.01 in the 60m at the season opener, posting a 22.40 in the 200m, and serving as the second leg of the 4x400 relay that finished second with a time of 3:18:30. Belton enters the meet with a 7.01 mark in the 60m. 

Freshman Jackson Connors from Kennesaw, Georgia gained valuable experience in his first collegiate meet, clocking 7.23 in the 60m and 23.57 in the 200m, and enters the Samford Open with a 7.23 mark in the 60m.

Leading the hurdlers is sophomore Landon Chovanic from Suwannee, Georgia recorded a personal best of 8.43 in the 60m hurdles to earn fourth place, added another personal best of 35.91 in the 300m, and led the 4x400 relay that finished second at the Commonwealth Opener. Chovanic enters the Samford Open with an 8.43 mark in the 60m hurdles. 

Junior Ishmeal Neblett from Lawrenceville, Georgia posted an 8.97 in the 60m hurdles and a personal best 23.13 in the 200m at the opener and will enter the Samford Open with an improved mark of 8.74. 

Redshirt freshman Kellen Andrews from Warner Robins, Georgia recorded times of 7.38 in the 60m and 8.86 in the 60m hurdles at the Commonwealth Opener and will compete in the hurdles with an 8.86 mark. Junior Matthew Brunner from Roswell, Georgia also returns to the hurdles after clocking a 9.20 at the opener and enters the meet with that same mark.

Junior Trey Campbell from Villa Rica, Georgia posted a personal best of 7.11 in the 60m, placed eighth in the 300m with a time of 35.84, and ran the third leg of the 4x400 relay that finished second. Campbell shifts his focus to the 200m at the Samford Open, entering with a 21.39 mark. 

Sophomore Vaughn Dickenson Jr. from Douglasville, Georgia ran 7.05 in the 60m at the opener and will make his first 200m appearance of the indoor season with an entry mark of 22.83. Freshman David Akinyemi from Hampton, Georgia clocked 7.05 in the 60m at the opener and will make his season debut in the 200m at Samford.

The 400m group is led by sophomore Matt Strickland from Jonesboro, Georgia, who opened the season by finishing fourth in the 300m with a time of 34.52 while breaking a UWG record and contributing to the second place 4x400 relay. Strickland is also the current UWG record holder in the 400m with a time of 48.25 set last season and brings that pedigree into the Samford Open. 

Senior Conner Changizi from Windermere, Florida recorded a personal best of 7.37 in the 60m and another personal best of 1:33.89 in the 600m at the opener and will make his season debut in the 400m with an entry mark of 55.68. Sophomore Zachary Wiggins from Cartersville, Georgia placed seventh in the 60m hurdles at the opener with a time of 8.60 and will compete in his first 400m of the season at Samford.

Distance
Sophomore Abenezer Woellore from Stone Mountain, Georgia returns to competition after a remarkable freshman season in which he broke the UWG indoor records in both the 800m and 1000m. Woellore opens his sophomore indoor campaign at the Samford Open with an entry mark of 1:52.62 in the 800m. 

Freshman Hyrum Smartt from Ringgold, Georgia impressed in his collegiate debut at the Commonwealth Opener, running 7.68 in the 60m and leading UWG in the 800m with a fifth place finish and a time of 1:59.61, which he carries into Samford. 

Sophomore Daniel Murtagh from Cumming, Georgia recorded a personal best of 2:04.23 in the 800m to finish sixth at the opener and followed that with a fourth place finish in the mile at 4:44.04, entering the Samford Open with a 2:04.23 mark in the 800m. Freshman Parker Ferguson from Carrollton, Georgia will make his collegiate debut at the Samford Open, competing in the 800m.

In the mile, sophomore Solomon Johnson from Douglasville, Georgia will make his indoor season debut at Samford and enters with a mark of 4:25.23. Sophomore Reed Crabtree from Douglasville, Georgia placed second in the mile at the Commonwealth Opener with a time of 4:39.54 and returns with that same mark.

In the 3000m, sophomore Noah Anderson from Cumming, Georgia enters with a mark of 8:51.18, while sophomore Aiden Thaxton from Mount Airy, Georgia enters with a mark of 8:54, and freshman Alex Njoroge from Villa Rica, Georgia will compete in his first collegiate indoor race. 

In the 5000m, sophomore Tyler Jones from Cartersville, Georgia shifts up in distance after placing third in the mile at the opener with a personal best of 4:43.48 and enters the Samford Open with a 16:59.60 mark. Freshman Quentin Smith will compete in his first collegiate meet in the 5000m and enters with a mark of 17:00.

Jumps
The jumps group was one of the highlights of the Commonwealth Opener and enters the Samford Open with significant momentum. Junior Isaiah McMichael, a Carrollton native, was named ASUN Field Performer of the Week after breaking the UWG high jump record with a clearance of 2.00m to win the event. McMichael enters Samford with that same 2.00m mark. 

Freshman Blake Davis from Tyrone, Georgia made an impressive collegiate debut by competing in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump, earning second place in the high jump at 2.00m, recording 6.09m in the long jump, and placing sixth in the triple jump at 13.62m. Davis enters Samford with a 2.00m mark in the high jump and 13.62m in the triple jump. 

Senior Will Shawley from Villa Rica, Georgia placed fourth in the high jump at the opener with a 1.85m clearance and enters the Samford Open with a 1.89m mark. In the pole vault, junior Connor McLain from Marietta, Georgia placed fifth at the opener with a mark of 4.61m and enters Samford with an improved mark of 4.78m. 

Senior Kareem Nazim, a Carrollton native, broke the UWG pole vault record in his first indoor meet as a Wolf with a mark of 4.61m to place fourth and enters the Samford Open with that same mark. Sophomore Shea Thiewes from Kennesaw, Georgia placed seventh with a 4.31m vault at the opener and enters Samford with a 4.48m mark.

Sophomore Rhett Howard from Acworth, Georgia competed in multiple events at the opener, including the 60m, long jump, and shot put, and will enter the pole vault at Samford with a mark of 3.87m. Freshman Grayson Greene from Centreville, Mississippi will make his collegiate debut in the pole vault.

Sophomore Godsfavor Adenuga from Mableton, Georgia placed second in the long jump at the opener with a 7.29m mark and set a UWG record in the triple jump at 14.26m to place fourth. Adenuga enters the Samford Open with a 7.56m mark in the long jump and 14.26m in the triple jump. 

Sophomore Gavin Barlow from LaGrange, Georgia added a third place finish in the long jump at 6.80m at the opener and enters Samford with a 7.37m mark. Sophomore Marcus Thompson Jr. from Snellville, Georgia placed fifth in the long jump at 6.63m and seventh in the triple jump at 13.55m and enters the Samford Open with marks of 6.93m in the long jump and 14.38m in the triple jump.

Throws
Junior Nicholas Lane competed in both the shot put and weight throw at the Commonwealth Opener, placing seventh in the shot put with a mark of 12.26 and fifth in the weight throw with a 14.07m effort. Lane enters the Samford Open with an opening mark of 15.04m in the weight throw.

Sophomore Darius Mcneal from Atlanta, Georgia recorded a personal best of 13.76m in the weight throw at the opener to place sixth and enters Samford with that same mark.

The Wolves will be led by Head Coach Ryan Bailey, along with sprints, jumps, and hurdles coach Shanicka Dyson-Woodman, pole vault coach Shannon Riley, throws coach Robert Brown, and graduate assistants Phelani Maduwa and Olivia Fulford. 

The Wolves continue their indoor campaign on Saturday, January 17th, and fans can stay connected with all things UWG track & field by following @uwgxctf on Instagram and @UWGTrack on X.