Aries Merritt, a two-time NCAA hurdles champion who is tied for the fastest time in the world this year, will compete for Reebok, according to his manager, Mark Wetmore. Wetmore is president of Global Athletics & Marketing, Inc., a Boston-based athlete representation and events management firm. Merritt announced last week at a University of Tennessee press conference that he would forgo his final year of eligibility and turn professional.

In winning the 2006 NCAA title at the 110-meter hurdles, the 20-year-old Merritt ran 13.21, putting him atop the world leaderboard alongside 2004 Olympic gold medalist Liu Xiang of China. Also the 2006 NCAA Indoor Champion in the 60-meter hurdles and a three-time SEC titleholder, Merritt went undefeated this season and broke the 24-year- old school record of Willie Gault and the SEC meet record (13.29) of two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrence Trammell.

Merritt will make his professional debut on Saturday afternoon at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis. There, he will face Trammell and four-time World Champion Allen Johnson, among others.

A Boston-based athlete representation and events management firm, Global Athletics & Marketing, Inc., manages 70 top athletes from around the world and owns or produces four of the biggest track-and-field events in the United States: the Reebok Boston Indoor Games; the adidas Track Classic in Los Angeles; the Reebok Grand Prix in NYC and the Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Feb. 2, 2007.