Bulldog track & field hosting memorial for Torrin Lawrence Friday

Athens, Ga. (UGA SPORTS RELEASE) – Former Bulldog champion Torrin Lawrence will be remembered during a memorial service in Stegeman Coliseum on Friday evening.

Lawrence, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., passed away in a car accident on July 28 near Cordele. Georgia’s track and field teammates, friends, family and the public are all expected to pay their respects to Lawrence on Friday at 6 p.m.

The memorial will include comments from the Bulldog coaches, a list of Lawence’s accomplishments, a video highlight from this career and reflections from those who knew Lawrence.

Lawrence captured Southeastern Conference and NCAA titles and set a collegiate record during his Georgia’s track and field career from 2009-12 and graduated in 2013. He experienced one of the most prolific indoor careers in SEC history and still holds three school records.

As a first-year freshman, Lawrence captured the 2009 SEC indoor 200-meter dash title in his first league meet. He was an All-American in the same event with a seventh-place national finish before being named the 2009 SEC Freshman Runner of the Year.

In 2010, Lawrence was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Male Track Athlete of the Year after earning the organization’s South Region Athlete of the Year as a freshman the year before. He highlighted his sophomore year by winning the SEC and NCAA championships in the indoor 400. This remains the only indoor NCAA title in a sprints event for the Bulldog men in history.

The graduate of Andrew Jackson High School also set a collegiate record in the 300 that still remains (32.32). He owns three of the top 10 times in the indoor 400 in collegiate track history, topping out at his 45.03 set at the 2010 Tyson Invitational which is fourth on the all-time list. Lawrence still owns UGA’s 200 (20.77), 400 (45.03) and 4×400 relay (3:06.97) records.

Lawrence earned yet another All-America certificate at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships with a runner-up finish in the 400. During his final season in 2012, he captured the SEC indoor 400 crown and brought home his fourth All-America certificate at the NCAA finals.

Lawrence graduated from UGA with a degree in Sociology in May 2013. He signed to run professionally with Nike following his collegiate career. Lawrence was a member of Team USA at the inaugural IAAF World Relays in 2014, competing on the men’s 4×400 relay. The American foursome finished in 3:01.09 in the prelims with Lawrence handling third leg duties.

Lawrence competed at USA vs. The World in 2013 as a member of the winning 4×400 relay team, running an impressive opening leg to hold off the Jamaicans in 3:00.91. Just two weeks ago, Lawrence ran a lifetime best outdoors at the Kortrijk Guldensporenmeeting in Belgium, turning in a time of 45.32. He posted three 400 wins on the 2014 season, including the Tom Jones Memorial Classic over Olympic medalists Tony McQuay and Kerron Clement.