ATHENS, Ga. --- Highlighted with trips to Arizona and California, Georgia track and field head coach Wayne Norton announced his teams’ 2010 indoor and outdoor schedules on Friday.
 
In addition to the Arizona State Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., and the Mt. SAC Distance Carnival in Walnut, Calif., during the outdoor season, Georgia will host three home meets, starting with the Spec Towns National Team Invitational on April 9-10.
 
Georgia’s schedule also features three stops in Fayetteville, Ark., during the indoor season and a trip to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Outdoor Championships (June 9-12). Before the national outdoor meet arrives, Norton and his staff will get a chance to compete on their newly renovated track three times for the Spec Towns meet, the Bulldog Limited (April 17) and the Georgia Invitational (May 9).
 
“Anytime there is something new like our track will be, there is a degree of excitement and anticipation,” Norton said. “Not just me and the other coaches but the athletes are also looking forward to see what the finished product looks like and to try the track out. I think the intriguing part to this facility that will help to make it even more fan-friendly are the graphics. There will be a variety of graphics used honoring our past (Southeastern Conference) champions and NCAA champions, which I think will be a great addition.”
 
Georgia kicks off the indoor season with a trip to Lexington, Ky., for the Kentucky Invitational. Bulldog sprinter Torrin Lawrence broke the school’s 200-meter dash record at Kentucky to start his freshman year in 2009 as Georgia finished with five NCAA provisional qualifying marks at the meet.
 
While Georgia is anxious to get the season going, Norton said it is always difficult to prepare for an indoor season when all of the preseason practice is outdoors.
 
“We start our season with a meet that will have about half of the SEC teams competing,” Norton said, adding that the indoor schedule is usually based on what meets are available by date and by invitation. “That is not ideal for a team that does not have an indoor practice facility to use in preparation for the early season. Our objectives and expectations will be more in line with a team simply trying to get started rather than a team that is trying to make a bold statement.”
 
Following trips to Virginia Tech’s campus and to Clemson, S.C., Georgia will close the regular indoor season at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville. The SEC Indoor Championships as well as the NCAA Indoor Championships will also be hosted by Arkansas.
 
“The Tyson meet is two weeks before the SEC which is our last chance to compete before the championships so we need to be as ready as we can be at that point in the season,” said Norton, whose women’s team won the 2006 SEC outdoor team title in Fayetteville. “The Tyson track is the best in the country so we could not ask for a better venue for a meet that time of the year.”
 
The Bulldogs open the outdoor season in a dual meet with Georgia Tech on March 20. Georgia swept the Yellow Jackets in 2009 after the Lady Bulldogs edge Georgia Tech 103-96 and the Georgia men topped their counterparts 104-98.
 
“The dual meet is a great meet because all we do is focus on competing,” said Norton, whose cross country teams have also beaten Georgia Tech in head-to-head action the last two years. “It doesn't matter how far you throw or how fast you run. All that matters is that you beat your opponent. Last season I think it helped many of our inexperienced athletes to develop during the season to be at a point to score in the SEC meet later.”
 
Georgia returns to the road for the Arizona State meet a week later before traveling to the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla., on April 2-3. Another annual trip to the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, is planned for April 22-4 before the Bulldogs host the Spec Towns meet, the Bulldog Limited and the Georgia Invitational on their home track.
 
Georgia will join the league’s competition at the SEC Outdoor Championships in Knoxville, Tenn., on May 13-16. Both Georgia squads will then match up against teams from 25 states to compete in the NCAA East Regional in Greensboro, N.C., on May 28-29 before the NCAA Outdoor Championships arrive on June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore.
 
Admission to all home Georgia track and field meets is free.