Track Signing Class Making Strong First Impression

September 15, 2023 | Track & Field

ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia track & field welcomed 39 new additions to the program for the 2023-24 school year as the Bulldogs begin preparations for the upcoming indoor and outdoor seasons.

Since Caryl Smith Gilbert has arrived as Georgia's Director of Track & Field prior to the 2022 season, the Bulldogs have recorded six top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships, including a runner-up finish for the men at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships.

The Georgia men have 24 newcomers on their 41-man roster, including one All-American graduate transfer thrower from Harvard. Fifteen newcomers join the group of 44 Lady Bulldogs this fall, highlighted by the defending NCAA hammer throw champion (also a graduate transfer from Harvard).

"We are definitely thrilled to sign this uniquely talented group and have been even more excited to have them on campus in school and training," Smith Gilbert said. "This group is another step towards reaching the goals we envision here at Georgia and the heights that we know are possible. We are excited about not only the talent level, but also the level of student we are adding to the UGA population and the character of people who are certainly going to improve this campus in many ways. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this group."

Freshmen Brody Buffington, Mekhi Gammons and Jehlani Gordon make up the men's class of incoming sprinters. Also highlighting the freshman class is Micah Larry, who will compete in sprints and jumps for the Bulldogs.

On the women's side, Sydney Harris, Karsen Phillips and Reign Redmond join the Lady Bulldogs as new additions to the sprints group. Daszay Freeman, a junior transfer from Arkansas, will compete in hurdles for Georgia.

Georgia adds freshmen duo Riyon Rankin and Zavien Wolfe as part of this year's class. Rankin and Wolfe will join Larry as jumpers for the Bulldogs. Jan Duhovnik will also don the red and black this season as a multi-event student-athlete for the Georgia men.

Three transfers highlight the Bulldogs' throwers for the upcoming season. Graduate students Stephanie Ratcliffe and Alexander Kolesnikoff come to Athens from Harvard, where Ratcliffe captured the 2023 NCAA outdoor title in the hammer throw with a personal record and Kolesnikoff was crowned Ivy League Outdoor Champion in the shot put last season. Georgia also adds 6-foot-8 junior Kelsie Murrell-Ross (Barton Community College), who won NJCAA Division I indoor and outdoor titles in the shot put in back-to-back seasons.

Twenty-three Bulldogs make up the new class of distance runners, including 15 men and nine women. Junior Kieley Gayle (South Carolina) leads the Lady Bulldogs as the lone transfer competing in distance events. Joining Gayle is a group of eight true freshmen composed of Sydney Augmon, Bella Brick, Bella Cammarota, Isabelle Gaharan, Alexa Hoppenfeld, Ella Kepple, Gabriella Malerba and Gracey Owens.

Ten Georgia natives will represent the men's team as newcomers in distance events. Andrew Balogh, Luke Churchwell, John Jessup, Chance Jones, Luke Kalaricki, Sumner Kirsch, Dru Moore, Kushan Patel, Diego Santiago-Cardona and Jake Westing will all compete as distance runners for the Bulldogs. Jones is set to compete as a mid-distance runner for the Red and Black. Jack Bundy and Conner Rutherford join the distance squad from the state of Virginia while Logan Dingman and Conner Inman come to Athens from high schools in North Carolina. Ryan Olree rounds out the distance runners as a native of Colorado.

The Bulldogs open the 2024 indoor season at the Clemson Invite on Jan. 12. The outdoor season begins with the UCF-hosted Black & Gold Invitational on March 15.

Where To Find Bulldog News: News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are posted on georgiadogs.com and are also always located on Twitter/Instagram at @UGATrack.