The University track and field team competed at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, over the weekend.

On Friday, sophomore Chris Hill shattered the University’s javelin record with the world’s seventh-best throw in 2008.

Hill, whose previous best was 244 feet, 3 inches, watched his sixth attempt travel a meet-record distance of 268-1 to outdistance Florida’s Adam Montague (263-1).

After already topping the school record with his second throw (256-2), Hill answered Montague’s sixth throw, his best effort of the competition, with his record-breaking and national-leading throw.

Hill’s mark of 268-1 crushed Trevor Snyder’s former school record of 249-5 set at the 2005 NCAA Championships.

“Chris Hill came to Georgia to do big things, and he is stepping up to the plate right now and doing those things,” head coach Wayne Norton said.

Also in the javelin, senior Sigrun Sveinsdottir registered a personal-best and NCAA regional qualifying mark of 170-4 to finish third on the women’s side.

Her mark not only improved her No. 3 spot in the women’s record books, but also gave her the top mark in the Southeastern Conference this season.

Sveinsdottir’s previous top throw came at the 2005 Spec Towns Invitational (168-2).

Saturday, junior Justin Gaymon clocked a season-best 49.26 for the fastest time in the nation to win the 400-meter hurdles.

“[Sveinsdottir, Hill and Gaymon] are three highly-ranked members of our team who continued to step up and provide great results for us,” Norton said.

“They set the tone for our team and hopefully will get everyone else to elevate themselves up to a higher level. We are still three weeks away from the [SEC Championships], so we have time to make improvements in the areas where they are needed.”

Senior Wes Fuller also broke into the top 10 in the men’s pole vault after clearing 15-7. Junior Josipa Jelicic took 13th in the discus after recording a top throw of 147-4, and junior Kevin Dickson finished 21st in the long jump (20-3.50).

The Bulldogs also tallied two more NCAA regional qualifying marks on Saturday.

After coming into the Drake meet with the nation’s fastest 400-meter hurdles time (49.40), Gaymon ran away with the third heat as well as the complete race after clocking the country’s fastest time with an NCAA regional qualifying time of 49.26.

“Gaymon just keeps doing it this year,” Norton said. “He has the chance to be one of the top guys in the SEC and NCAA, and I’m glad to see him having success because he is such a hard-working guy.”

Junior Michael Proctor also made the best of his first try at the 400-meter hurdles this season, clocking a regional qualifying time of 51.97.

Proctor joins Gaymon and Gordon Ritchie-Haughton as the three Bulldogs who have recorded regional times in the 400-meter hurdles this season.

Junior John Freeman came within six inches of a career-best effort in the hammer throw for another regional qualifier for Georgia.

Freeman launched an effort of 206-3 to finish seventh as both junior Nate Rolfe and sophomore David Schiedt fouled out.

In the discus, Rolfe finished eighth (162-2) and sophomore Israel Machovec left with 11th place (158-5).

At the Oregon Relays in Eugene, Ore., late Friday night, three more distance runners finished with regional qualifying times in their respective events.

Senior Ryley Miller clocked a personal-best time of 3:47.04 to be the top collegiate finisher (third overall) and move from No. 10 to No. 9 in the school record books.

Also, senior Natalie Picchetti, who sits at No. 2 in the women’s record books after crossing the 1,500 finish line in 4:16.59 at the USATF Outdoor Championships over the summer, took third with a time of 4:19.72 during her season debut in the event.

On Friday, senior Sarah Madebach won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a regional qualifying time.

“The Oregon Relays were what we would call a successful

meet since we traveled a long way to run what this crew needed to run, and for the most part, everyone got that done,” Norton said.

Georgia has next weekend off before hosting the Georgia Invitational on May 9, at Spec Towns Track in Athens.

- Georgia Sports Communications