Track Signing Class Already Shaking Up Record Books

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Track Signing Class Already Shaking Up Record Books

February 16, 2023 | Track & Field

ATHENS, Ga. --- Georgia track and field welcomed a new batch of Bulldogs to the program in the fall and the group has paid immediate dividends.

Twenty-two of the Lady Bulldogs' 41-woman roster are fresh in the red and black, including five transfer additions.  The Georgia men have eight newcomers on this year's roster, including the defending NCAA javelin champion in Marc Minichello.

In fact, Minichello is one of three All-American transfers who is now in Athens.  Minichello, a graduate transfer from Penn, launched a personal record 81.17 meters/266 feet, 3 inches on his third attempt to win last year's national championship by more than four feet.  He went on to finish third at this year's USATF Championships.  Fellow javelin thrower Erin McMeniman (Brown) was also a qualifier for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and is preparing for her first spring with the Bulldogs.

Oklahoma transfer Mikeisha Welcome earned four All-America certificates while triple jumping for the Sooners.  This season, Welcome is ranked fourth nationally with the third-longest mark in school history (13.72m/45-0.25) and has a pair of runner-up finishes and one third place showing in the triple jump.

A talented corps of true freshmen has also already dotted the UGA all-time top-10 lists as the indoor postseason nears.  Sprinters Aaliyah Butler, Kaila Jackson, Haley Tate and Autumn Wilson, mid-distance standout Will Sumner and heptathlete Ella Rush are making waves across the country during their early performances.

Sumner, who is out of Canton, Ga., was the class of 2022's top recruit with a career best 800m time of 1:46.53, which is the third-fastest time in history for a high schooler.  Jackson, who had the nation's top wind-aided 100-meter dash time, is ranked 10^th in the wind-legal 100m division with Wilson at sixth.  Tate also had the country's eighth best 400m time.  In addition, Rush won the Senior British indoor pentathlon title.

So far this indoor campaign, Sumner has set the 800m school record (1:47.28), Jackson now owns the school's No. 1 mark in the 60m (7.16) and she and the other freshmen sprinters have established a total of nine adjustments to the school record books already.  Rush is also battling for a spot at Nationals after scoring 4,100 points in the pentathlon, which ranks 10^th on Georgia's all-time top-10 list.

The class is also highlighted by the addition to distance runners Simone Rojas and Katherine Law along with jumpers Leah Anderson and Madison McConico.  Rojas captured the 2021 GHSA 6A cross country title and the 2022 state 1600m crown in high school and scored at all six 2022 cross meets last fall, including a top finish for the Lady Bulldogs at the Live In Lou Classic.  Law won the 4A state cross country title as a junior and finished in the top three in both the 3200m and 1600m at the state meet as a senior.

In the jumps, Anderson was an indoor Nike All-American in both the triple jump and 60m hurdles and outdoors in the triple as well.  McConico was the Adidas national champion in the triple jump and three-time Virginia state champion in the event.

On the men's side, here are the other new additions:
Sprints - Christopher Morales Williams, Shamali Whittle
Pole vault - Alon Rogow
Distance - Ethan Nordman

For the women, here at the rest of the additions:
Sprints - Hali Murphy
Distance - Lily Cincola, Lorel Golden, Emily Guy, Audrey Knoper, Nina Ouellette, Janie Sandel, Ashley Thompson

In addition, sophomore sprinter Keshaun Black (Meridian Community College) and sophomore distance runner Zack Truitt (Georgia Tech) are on the Bulldogs' roster after transferring in.  The Lady Bulldogs now also feature sophomore distance runner Samantha Aromin (Penn State), sophomore sprinter and hurdler Dominque Mustin (Texas A&M) and graduate transfer sprinter and hurdler Zoe Pollock (Royal Latin School).

The Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships arrive for the Bulldogs in Fayetteville, Ark., on Feb. 24 to start the postseason.

The outdoor season begins in Atlanta at the Yellow Jacket Invitational on March 17.  Georgia will play host to its only home meet on April 6-8 with the annual Spec Towns & Torrin Lawrence Invitational.

Where To Find Bulldogs News: Results and recaps from all of Georgia's meet can be found at georgiadogs.com.  News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are always located on Twitter/Instagram at @UGATrack.