LAKEWOOD, NJ (Jan. 30, 2026) - Despite the freezing temperatures and mountains of snow on the ground, Georgian Court Track and Field has put together an excellent month of January. The first month of 2026 closes this weekend with the Lions back in Pennsylvania for the Alvernia PLEX Shootout.
What
Alvernia PLEX Shootout
When
Saturday, January 31 - 10 am
Where
Reading, PA - The Tom and Helen Flynn Plex (The Plex)
Last Time Out
• Georgian Court finally ran somewhere other than OceanBreeze.
• GCU was at the Franklin and Marshall Coach I Invitational.
• The Lions had another strong meet with five event winners.
ECC Weekly Awards
• Georgian Court picked up two East Coast Conference Athletes of the Week last week.
• After winning the mile,
Ryan Pettrow was the Men's Track Athlete of the Week.
• Pettrow also earned one of these awards last season, giving him two for his career.
•
Daizhae' Brown competed in three jumping events, winning two and finishing in the top-3 in all three. She earned her first career Women's Field Athlete of the Week.
New Look Top-10
• Each week is seems the Georgian Court top-10 list is undergoing major changes. New additions and improvements from last week include:
•
Sigurlaug Sveinsdottir entering the 60m dash in a tie for 10th all-time and the long jump at number nine.
•
Daizhae' Brown moving to fifth in the high jump and the triple jump.
•
Chiamaka Wokocha improved upon her mark in the weight throw which is fourth all-time.
•
Cameren Anderson stayed at sixth in the men's shot put despite a new personal-best mark.
•
Amir Spruell-Everson joined the top-10 in the weight throw and now ranks eighth all-time.
What to Watch For This Week
•
Daizhae' Brown was in the top-3 in four events last week. She's in those same four, 60m dash, long, triple and high jumps this week.
• Similarly
Sigurlaug Sveinsdottir had an excellent meet last week and is back doing three more events this week - 60m dash, long jump, shot put.
•
Chiamaka Wokocha has set a new PR in the weight throw in back-to-back weeks.
• Some of the Lions distance crew will be getting some speed work in.
Sophia Mauro and
Nora Sprunger for the women and
Zachary Spoonire for the men will run the 400m.
• The Lions throwers will have their full compliment competing this week. GCU has five in the men's shot put and four in the women's shot put.
•
Ivan Ramos-Lopez, the pole vaulter who also has a GCU top-10 time in the 60m dash from last year will run his first 60m this season.
• After winning the mile last week,
Ryan Pettrow steps down to run his first 800m race of the season.
Squad Rankings
• The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released their first national checkpoint of the indoor season.
• Part of that check point includes squad rankings.
• A "squad" is any event with at least four unique competitors. Their marks are then averaged and ranked nationally.
• For the men, they currently have the No. 21 squad in the shot put and the #23 squad in the weight throw.
• They rank first in the ECC in both events, first in the region in the weight and second in the East in the shot put.
Regional Rankings
• Within the East Region, comprised of the ECC and Northeast-10, Georgian Court ranks eighth on the men's side.
• They're also third in the conference ranked by the USTFCCCA.
• The women are ninth in the region and fifth in the ECC conference.
About the Indoor Season
• While there are many similarities between the indoor and outdoor seasons, there are some key differences.
• The first is the track itself. Outdoors is a consistent 400m flat track. Indoor tracks vary in size and shape.
• The track at OceanBreeze in Staten Island, where GCU is competing in five of seven meets, is a 200m banked track.
• Events also undergo some change. The short sprints get even shorter as the 100m dash and hurdles drops to 60m.
• On the other end of the spectrum, there is no 10,000m race.
• There are only two throwing events as the discus, hammer throw and javelin are outdoor only events. Throwers only compete in the shot put and weight throw.
The Indoor Schedule
• Georgian Court will compete at OceanBreeze in Staten Island in five of seven meets this season, including the ECC Championship meet.
• The other two races are the Franklin and Marshall Invitational and the Alvernia PLEX Shootout.
• The ECC Championship meet, held at OceanBreeze, is already less than a month away and takes place Sunday, February 15, 2026.
