Georgia track & field’s regular season concludes at 2023 NCAA Championships

Micahya Costen 

Georgia’s regular season has come to a close.

Both the Georgia men's and women’s track & field teams finished its outdoor season scoring points within the top 10 of its team sections during the four-day NCAA championship event.

The men’s team came in seventh place scoring 28 points, two places below its last year’s championship rank. Florida emerged as the champions for the second year in a row with 57 points total. 

On day one, Will Sumner flew out the gates and set an 800-meter personal record in the semi-finals with a 1:46.00. Two days later, Sumner broke it with a blazing 1:44.26. This was the second fastest in meet history, fifth fastest time in collegiate history in the event, and gave Georgia its first-ever 800-meter championship title. Sumner is the first freshman to win the 800-meter title since 2017. 

Fifth-year senior Kyle Garland, who avoided the NCAA East Prelims thanks to his No. 1 national ranking, placed second and earned a silver medal in the decathlon events. His score placed third all-time in the collegiate decathlon.

Garland, who scored 8,630 points, finished behind Texas’ Leo Neugebauer — who broke Garland’s previously set collegiate record of 8,720 points with a score of 8,836. Garland still had noteworthy performances despite falling short of gold. He won the shot put and 110-meter hurdles and set a personal best in the 400-meter, placing third.

The women’s team finished tied for 10th place with Tennessee, posting a total of 19 points. The final result was a big jump from its last NCAA championship placement, where Georgia tied for 45th place. Texas finished in first place with 83 total points.

Garland  completed five out of 10 of his decathlon events,Senior Elijah Godwin and junior Caleb Cavanaugh put up qualifying times in the men’s 4x400 relay and the 4x100 relays, respectively. 

On day two, sophomore Elena Kulichenko took third in her high jump event to pad out the women’s point total on the final day.

The women’s 4x100 relay team qualified in sixth place. Freshman Kaila Jackson automatically qualified in sixth for the 100 meter dash and the 4x400 meter relay team, crushed the school record and qualified with a 3:29:90. 

For the women’s field events, senior Titiana Marsh and junior Mikeisha Welcome qualified in the triple jump and sophomore Elena Kulichenko took third in her high jump event to pad out the women’s point total on the final day.