UGA report: Lawrence is SEC 400 champion

Georgia sophomore Torrin Lawrence set a meet record while winning the 400-meters during the final day of the SEC Indoor championships in Fayetteville, Ark., on Sunday.

The Bulldogs finished fifth (61 points). The Lady Bulldogs also took fifth (65 1/2).

Lawrence, who entered the race with the world’s fastest 400 time this year (45.03), ran out of the second heat and clocked a 45.10 to win his second SEC indoor title. He was the 2009 league champion in the 200.

Lawrence was forced to answer Kirani James after the Alabama freshman ran a 45.24 to win the first heat. Lawrence responded with the second fastest time of his career, topping Kerron Clement's 45.29 SEC championship meet record set in 2005.

On Thursday, Lawrence was named one of 10 finalists for the Bowerman award, the collegiate track and field's equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.

Lawrence wasn't Georgia's only SEC champ. Tommy Barrineau won the school's first heptathlon crown.

Men's golf

Russell Henley is the SEC golfer of the week. Henley, a junior from Macon, claimed medalist honors and led Georgia to the team title at the Charleston Shootout at the Links at Stono Ferry in Hollywood, S.C., on Monday.

Henley recorded a 9-under 207 with three straight rounds of 3-under 69. He won for the second time this season and for the fourth time in his career. The Bulldogs posted a 20-shot victory over College of Charleston. Georgia finished at 18-under 846, the third-best score in school history, for its first win of the season.

Men's tennis

UGA landed four players on the latest edition of the ITA national rankings released Tuesday. Javer Garrapiz is Georgia's highest ranked singles player (No. 29), followed by freshman Bo Seal (No. 104) and Nate Schnugg (No. 105). In doubles, Drake Bernstein and Garrapiz are ranked No. 34.

Garrapiz leads the team with 20 wins this season, including eight against ranked opponents. Seal, who joined the team in January, is 5-4. Schnugg is 13-9. Bernstein and Garrapiz are 10-4 with five wins in dual matches. This marks the first time this season four Georgia players have been ranked.

In the team rankings, the Bulldogs are No. 11. Virginia is No. 1, followed by Tennessee, Ohio State, Texas, Southern Cal, UCLA, Florida, Kentucky, Stanford and Cal.

Gymnastics

The fifth-ranked Georgia gymnastics team (4-4, 3-3 SEC) will compete in its second consecutive home meet, hosting No. 3 UCLA at Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday at 4 p.m. UCLA will be Georgia’s fourth consecutive top-10 opponent and seventh of the season.

The Gym Dogs are coming off last Friday’s victory against No. 10 LSU. The previous week, Georgia lost at No. 4 Florida by a tenth of a point.

Georgia and UCLA have combined to win the last seven national team championships, with UCLA winning in 2003 and 2004 and Georgia in 2005 through 2009. The teams have won 12 of the last 13 titles dating back to the Bruins’ victory in 1997. The two teams have combined for a total of 65 all-time individual NCAA champions. UGA is first with 37, the Bruins winning with 28.