GAINESVILLE, Fla., April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tom Jones Memorial Invitational returns to the Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium on April 17–18, bringing together elite collegiate and professional athletes—including multiple Olympic and World Champions—for one of the premier meets on the track & field calendar.
k5:G :5lQ5:G#6=62D6w:89=:89E3bb3Q DEJ=6lQ3@C56C\E@Ai `AI D@=:5j 3@C56C\3@EE@>i `AI D@=:5j 3@C56C\4@=@Ci vC2Jj 4@=@Ci 8C2Jj H:5E9i a__AIj 7=@2Ei =67Ej A@D:E:@?i C6=2E:G6j >2C8:?i dAI `_AI dAI `_AIj E6IE\2=:8?i ;FDE:7JjQ 4@?E6?E65:E23=6lQ72=D6Qm%6?r2E6 :?DE2==65 2 ?6H EC24< 2E &uVD !6C4J q62C5 %C24< :? a_adj :E 9@DED E96 %@> y@?6D x?G:E2E:@?2= pAC:= `f–`g]k^5:Gm
kAm%9:D J62C >2C<D 2? 6I4:E:?8 >:=6DE@?6i E96 563FE @7 E96 ?6H=J :?DE2==65 |@?5@ $FA6C ) fa_ EC24<[ 56D:8?65 2?5 :?DE2==65 3J E96 %6?r2E6 8C@FA :? a_ad] z?@H? 8=@32==J 7@C :ED F?A2C2==6=65 DA665[ @AE:>2= 6?6C8J C6EFC?[ 2?5 4@?D:DE6?4J[ E96 $FA6C ) fa_ DFC7246 C6:?7@C46D E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 u=@C:52VD 4@>>:E>6?E E@ >2:?E2:?:?8 2 H@C=5\4=2DD 4@>A6E:E:@? 6?G:C@?>6?E] %96 ?6H EC24< C6A=246D E96 |@?5@ DFC7246 :?DE2==65 3J E96 %6?r2E6 E62> :? a_`g]k^Am
kAm%6?r2E6 %C24< $@=FE:@?D[ E96 EC24< 5:G:D:@? @7 %6?r2E6[ :D 2=D@ A=2J:?8 2 =625:?8 C@=6 :? DFAA@CE:?8 E96 %@> y@?6D |6>@C:2= x?G:E2E:@?2=[ H:E9 2 >F=E:\J62C 4@>>:E>6?E E92E 6IE6?5D E9C@F89 a_ah]k^Am
kAmQ(6 2C6 :?4C65:3=J AC@F5 E@ A2CE?6C H:E9 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 u=@C:52 E@ 56=:G6C 2 H@C=5\4=2DD DFC7246 2E !6C4J q62C5 %C24<[Q D2:5 y:> $E2=7@C5[ !C6D:56?E @7 %6?r2E6 %C24< $@=FE:@?D] Q%9:D 724:=:EJ C67=64ED E96 9:896DE DE2?52C5D @7 A6C7@C>2?46 2?5 D276EJ[ 2?5 H6 2C6 E9C:==65 E@ DFAA@CE E96 @FEDE2?5:?8 2E9=6E6D 4@>A6E:?8 2E E9:D J62CVD %@> y@?6D |6>@C:2= x?G:E2E:@?2=] xEVD 2? 9@?@C E@ 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ 2? 6G6?E E92E 46=63C2E6D 6I46==6?46[ EC25:E:@?[ 2?5 E96 6?5FC:?8 =6824J @7 r@249 %@> y@?6D]Qk^Am
kAm%96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 u=@C:52 6DE23=:D965 E96 %@> y@?6D |6>@C:2= x?G:E2E:@?2= :? a__g E@ 9@?@C E96 =2E6 %@> y@?6D[ H9@ D6CG65 2D E96 v2E@CDV H@>6?VD EC24< U2>Aj 7:6=5 9625 4@249 7C@> `hhb–a__f] y@?6D =65 E96 AC@8C2> E@ E9C66 $tr E:E=6D 2?5 =67E 2 =2DE:?8 =6824J 2D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE C6DA64E65 4@2496D :? 4@==68:2E6 2E9=6E:4D] %@52J[ E96 >66E DE2?5D 2D 2 EC:3FE6 E@ 9:D :>A24E @? 3@E9 E96 DA@CE 2?5 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 u=@C:52 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAmQ(6VC6 E9C:==65 E@ D9@H42D6 E96 ?6H |@?5@ $FA6C ) fa_ EC24< 96C6 2E !6C4J q62C5 %C24<[Q D2:5 q:== $>:E9[ pE9=6E:4 s:C64E@C 7@C u24:=:E:6D 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 u=@C:52] Qv6@$FC7246D 56=:G6C65 2? 6I46AE:@?2= :?DE2==2E:@? E92E 8:G6D @FC 2E9=6E6D 2 ECF=J 6=:E6 DFC7246] (6VC6 6BF2==J 8C2E67F= 7@C E96 4@?E:?F65 4@==23@C2E:@? H:E9 %6?r2E6 %C24< $@=FE:@?D[ H9@D6 DFAA@CE 96=AD 6=6G2E6 E96 %@> y@?6D |6>@C:2= x?G:E2E:@?2= J62C 27E6C J62C] %9:D FA8C2565 724:=:EJ 6?DFC6D E92E r@249 y@?6DVD =6824J :D 9@?@C65 H:E9 E96 DE2?52C5 @7 6I46==6?46 96 :?DA:C65]Qk^Am
kAm%6?r2E6 %C24< $@=FE:@?D =@@<D 7@CH2C5 E@ H6=4@>:?8 2E9=6E6D[ 72?D[ 2?5 E96 3C@256C EC24< U2>Aj 7:6=5 4@>>F?:EJ E@ 6IA6C:6?46 E96 6I46AE:@?2= ?6H DFC7246 2E !6C4J q62C5 %C24<] %96 a_ae %@> y@?6D |6>@C:2= x?G:E2E:@?2= AC@>:D6D EH@ 52JD @7 C6>2C<23=6 A6C7@C>2?46D[ >62?:?87F= EC25:E:@?[ 2?5 DA:C:E65 46=63C2E:@?—2? 6G6?E H@CE9J @7 E96 =6824J :E 9@?@CD 2?5 E96 H@C=5\4=2DD 724:=:EJ E92E ?@H 9@DED :E]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mp3@FE %6?r2E6k^DEC@?8mk^Am
More from this section
kAm%6?r2E6 56D:8?D 2?5 56=:G6CD E96 7FEFC6 @7 DA@CED DFC7246D] (:E9 @G6C b__ J62CD @7 6IA6CE:D6 2?5 ?62C=J kDEC@?8md[___ 6>A=@J66D H@C=5H:56k^DEC@?8m[ %6?r2E6 :D 2 kDEC@?8m8=@32= 4@>A2?J H:E9 DEC@?8 =@42= C@@EDk^DEC@?8m] %6?r2E6 @776CD 9:89\A6C7@C>2?46 DJ?E96E:4 EFC7[ EC24<[ 2?5 DA@CED =:89E:?8 DJDE6>D 7@C 24C@DD >@C6 E92? e_ 4@F?EC:6D] uF==J kDEC@?8mG6CE:42==J :?E68C2E65k^DEC@?8m[ %6?r2E6 >2?286D 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> #U2>Ajs E@ C64J4=:?8[ H@C<:?8 92?5\:?\92?5 H:E9 :ED @H? kDEC@?8mECFDE65 =@42= A2CE?6CDk^DEC@?8m H9@ 3C:?8 566A 6IA6CE:D6 2?5 @?\E96\8C@F?5 :?D:89E] (96E96C :EVD 2 H@C=5\4=2DD DE25:F> @C 2 4@>>F?:EJ 7:6=5[ H6 56=:G6C DFC7246D E92E A6C7@C>[ =2DE[ 2?5 DFAA@CE G:3C2?E[ 24E:G6 =:G6D]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6[ G:D:E kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lceee`c_\`U2>Aj9la`cde``adcU2>AjFl9EEADTbpTauTauHHH]E6?42E68C2DD]FDTauU2>Aj2lHHH]E6?42E68C2DD]FDQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmHHH]E6?42E68C2DD]FDk^2mk^DEC@?8m]k^Am
kAmr@?E24Eik^Am
kAmtC:42 #F>A<6k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i6]CF>A<6oE6?42E68C2DD]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm6]CF>A<6oE6?42E68C2DD]4@>k^2mk^Am
kAmd`b\cgc\efhdk^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQ!#}0x>365565pDD6E#676C6?46Q :5lQs:GpDD6E!=246w@=56CaQmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^ahdgac_^%6?r2E60vC2DD0p>6C:42D0x>286a]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^AmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^aeg_ebb^%6?r2E60{@8@]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^Amk^5:Gm
kA :5lQ!&#{Qmk:>8 E:E=6lQr:D:@?Q H:5E9lQ`aQ 96:89ElQ`aQ 2=ElQr:D:@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^:>8^72G:4@?]A?8nD?lspbeachU2>AjD5la_ae\_c\`eQ ^m ':6H @C:8:?2= 4@?E6?E E@ 5@H?=@25 >F=E:>65:2ik2 :5lQ!#}&#{Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQ 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^E6?42E6\EC24<\D@=FE:@?D\46=63C2E6D\:?DE2==2E:@?\@7\?6H\>@?5@\EC24<\2E\E96\F?:G6CD:EJ\@7\7=@C:52\2?5\:ED\C@=6\:?\DFAA@CE:?8\E96\a_ae\E@>\;@?6D\>6>@C:2=\:?G:E2E:@?2=\b_afccfeb]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^E6?42E6\EC24<\D@=FE:@?D\46=63C2E6D\:?DE2==2E:@?\@7\?6H\>@?5@\EC24<\2E\E96\F?:G6CD:EJ\@7\7=@C:52\2?5\:ED\C@=6\:?\DFAA@CE:?8\E96\a_ae\E@>\;@?6D\>6>@C:2=\:?G:E2E:@?2=\b_afccfeb]9E>=k^2mk^Am
kAm$~&#rt %6?r2E6 vC2DD p>6C:42Dk^Am
kAmk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^CE]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^CE]8:7n}6HDxE6>x5lspbeachU2>Aj%C2?D>:DD:@?0x5la_ae_c`e`_a`!#0}t($0&$!#00000spbeachU2>Ajs2E6x5la_ae_c`eQ DEJ=6lQ3@C56Ci_AIj H:5E9i`AIj 96:89Ei`AIjQ ^mk^Am
