Friday, March 8
Boston, Mass.
TBA
University of Georgia
at
NCAA Indoor Championships
Photo by: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Morales Williams Highlights NCAA Championships With 400m Title
March 09, 2024 | Track & Field
BOSTON, Mass. --- Bulldog sophomore sprinter Christopher Morales Williams ran the fifth-fastest collegiate time in history to capture his first 400-meter dash title on the final day of the NCAA Indoor Championships at The Track at New Balance in Boston Saturday.
In the team race, the Georgia women scored 33 points and finished third. Arkansas (55) and Florida (50) made up the top three. The Lady Bulldogs have finished in the top five at the NCAA Indoor Championships for three out of the last four completed seasons.
Morales Williams, a native of Vaughn, Ontario, sped to the second-fastest time of his life (44.67) to win the Bulldogs' their second straight crown in the event (Elija Godwin, 2023) and third overall for Georgia (Torrin Lawrence, 2010). Morales Williams' time was the fourth fastest in NCAA meet history.
The Bulldog men tied with Ole Miss and Florida State for 15th place with 14 points on the men's ide while Texas Tech (50.5), Arkansas (41) and Florida (39) made up the top three.
In addition to Morales Williams, Georgia had eight more scoring All-Americans on the meet's second and final day.
Where To Catch The NCAA Championships: The broadcast talent includes Dwight Stones, Dan O'Brien, Larra Overton and John Anderson. A tape delay special of the Championships will air on ESPNU on Monday at 9 p.m.
Full Results: For full results, please visit: http://gado.gs/bha
The Lowdown: Two weeks departed from running the world's fastest indoor 400m in world history (collegiate record 44.49) to win the SEC championship, Morales Williams ran out of lane six in the final and topped Texas A&M's Auhmad Robinson (44.91) with the fastest finish. Morales Williams, who arrived in Athens in January 2024 midway through his freshman year, blew away the former facility record (45.40) set on Friday.
Jackson, who hails from Redford, Mich., came out of lane five in the 60m final and finished just .01 off her school record personal record with a 7.08 for a runner-up finish. She had the exact same time and finish at last year's NCAA meet. Four events later, Jackson lined up in lane six and shot ahead the nearest competitor in her group in the final steps to finish in 23.63 for fourth. This improved her No. 3 mark on Georgia's all-time top-10 list set at last year's meet and was the best finish for the Lady Bulldogs since Autumn Wilson was third last year.
Kulichenko, a native of Odintsovo, Russia, passed at 1.75m/5-8.75 and promptly cleared 1.80m/5-10.75 and then 1.85m/6-0.75 on her first try at the heights. Despite grazing the bar on jump number one, she cleared 1.88m/6-2, matching her 2023 height at the meet. Kulichenko then became the second jumper over at 1.91m/6-3.25 on her second time trying at the height. The next height, 1.94m/6-4.25, would have been both a school record and a career best for the junior. However, she finished with a top mark of 1.91m/6-3.25 for the bronze.
Butler, a native of Fort Lauderdale, shot out of lane five in the 400m final and finished second in her heat and fourth overall. After a fifth-place finish at SECs, Butler continued to make sub-52 second finishes the norm with her 51.64.
Welcome, who owns the St. Vincent national record after her performance at the 2023 NCAA Championships, bumped from 13.48m/44-2.75 on her opening attempt to 13.53m/44-4.75 on her second try. Following a pair of shorter jumps, Welcome went to work in the fifth and sixth rounds, first flying 13.63m/44-8.75 on her fifth try. Then, she surged from fourth to third on her last attempt with a mark of 13.71m/44-11.75.
Rankin, a native of Brunswick, Ga., plowed through the bar on his opening attempt in the men's high jump at 2.10m/6-10.75 before soaring over the bar with room to spare on his second attempt. He missed his first two tries at 2.15m/7-0.50 and before securing a clean jump on his third attempt. Almost simultaneous with Kulichenko going over the bar at 6-2, Rankin nudged the bar on his first try but cleared 2.18m/7-1.75. He then worked to match his personal record at 2.21m/7-3 but missed his three tries, barely clipping the bar on the third. Rankin scored two points after finishing just where he was ranked coming into the meet.
Kolesnikoff, a native of Strathfield, Australia, was hanging in 11th and in danger of not making the nine-man final before recovering for a scoring spot for the Bulldogs. He launched his third throw 19.16m/62-10.50, an effort which ended up being his best and putting him in seventh overall.
With Kimberly Harris as the lead-off, the Lady Bulldogs relay battled for a seventh-place finish in the meet's final event, the 4x400m relay. Harris handed to Butler and then Haley Tate and Dominique Mustin, respectively, to cross the line in 3:30.07 for sixth. Butler highlighted the relay with a 50.72 split on her second leg.
Wolfe, a native of Memphis, Tenn., earned expected Second Team All-America honors with a 12th-place finish in the triple jump. In just his sixth collegiate meet, Wolfe worked up to a third try of 15.47m/50-9.25 to slide past a number of the more seasoned competition.
What's Next For The Bulldogs?: Following the NCAA Championships, the Bulldogs start their outdoor season a week later at the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta on March 15-16.
Where To Find Bulldog News: Results and recaps from the NCAA Indoor Championships will be found at georgiadogs.com. News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are always located on X/Instagram at @UGATrack.
Bulldog Finishers On Saturday
Name Event Finish (Mark/Time)
Christopher Morales Williams M. 400m 1st (44.67)
Kaila Jackson W. 60m 2nd (7.08)
Elena Kulichenko W. High Jump 3rd (^1.91m/6-3.25)
Mikeisha Welcome W. Triple Jump 3rd (^44-11.75)
Aaliyah Butler W. 400m 4th (51.64)
Kaila Jackson W. 200m 4th (!22.63)
Alex Kolesnikoff M. Shot Put 7th (19.16m/62-10.50)
Riyon Rankin M. High Jump 7th (2.18m/7-1.75)
K. Harris, A. Butler W. 4x400m Relay 7th (3:30.07)
H. Tate, D. Mustin
Zavien Wolfe M. Triple Jump 12th (15.47m/50-9.25)
^season best; $school record ; !personal best
In the team race, the Georgia women scored 33 points and finished third. Arkansas (55) and Florida (50) made up the top three. The Lady Bulldogs have finished in the top five at the NCAA Indoor Championships for three out of the last four completed seasons.
Morales Williams, a native of Vaughn, Ontario, sped to the second-fastest time of his life (44.67) to win the Bulldogs' their second straight crown in the event (Elija Godwin, 2023) and third overall for Georgia (Torrin Lawrence, 2010). Morales Williams' time was the fourth fastest in NCAA meet history.
The Bulldog men tied with Ole Miss and Florida State for 15th place with 14 points on the men's ide while Texas Tech (50.5), Arkansas (41) and Florida (39) made up the top three.
In addition to Morales Williams, Georgia had eight more scoring All-Americans on the meet's second and final day.
- Sophomore Kaila Jackson copied her 2023 finish to the hundredth of a second to lock down another silver in the 60m final. Minutes later, Jackson returned in the 200m final and a career best 22.63 gave her fourth place a year after she was eighth as a true freshman.
- For the second year in a row, junior Elena Kulichenko scored six points for the Lady Bulldogs with a third-place finish in the high jump. She equaled her exact performance from two weeks ago with a bronze medal at the height of 1.91 meters/6 feet, 3 ¼ inches.
- Senior Mikeisha Welcome steadily improved in her triple jump series before traveling a season-best distance to retake the bronze medal spot on her final try a year after finishing fourth.
- Sophomore Aaliyah Butler made her debut as an individual at the NCAA indoor meet and left with a fourth-place finish in the 400m final. This is the best finish for a Lady Bulldog since Olympian Lynna Irby earned the bronze medal at the 2018 meet en route to the Georgia women winning their first team national championship.
- On the men's side, true freshman Riyon Rankin made his first appearance at NCAAs and scored two points with a seventh-place finish after flying over the high jump bar at higher than seven feet for the fourth time this season. Rankin is the first Bulldog to score in the men's high jump since 2019 (Keenon Laine).
- Alex Kolesnikoff had his top mark on his third throw of his shot put series and managed a seventh-place. This marks the Harvard graduate transfer's first First Team All-American showing at Nationals. Kolesnikoff is the first Bulldog putter to finish in the top eight in doors since Denzel Comenentia earned bronze in 2019.
- The Lady Bulldogs concluded the meet with a seventh-place finish in the 4x400m relay to help assure their team third-place finish. This marked the best showing for Georgia in the event since taking fourth in 2019.
Where To Catch The NCAA Championships: The broadcast talent includes Dwight Stones, Dan O'Brien, Larra Overton and John Anderson. A tape delay special of the Championships will air on ESPNU on Monday at 9 p.m.
Full Results: For full results, please visit: http://gado.gs/bha
The Lowdown: Two weeks departed from running the world's fastest indoor 400m in world history (collegiate record 44.49) to win the SEC championship, Morales Williams ran out of lane six in the final and topped Texas A&M's Auhmad Robinson (44.91) with the fastest finish. Morales Williams, who arrived in Athens in January 2024 midway through his freshman year, blew away the former facility record (45.40) set on Friday.
Jackson, who hails from Redford, Mich., came out of lane five in the 60m final and finished just .01 off her school record personal record with a 7.08 for a runner-up finish. She had the exact same time and finish at last year's NCAA meet. Four events later, Jackson lined up in lane six and shot ahead the nearest competitor in her group in the final steps to finish in 23.63 for fourth. This improved her No. 3 mark on Georgia's all-time top-10 list set at last year's meet and was the best finish for the Lady Bulldogs since Autumn Wilson was third last year.
Kulichenko, a native of Odintsovo, Russia, passed at 1.75m/5-8.75 and promptly cleared 1.80m/5-10.75 and then 1.85m/6-0.75 on her first try at the heights. Despite grazing the bar on jump number one, she cleared 1.88m/6-2, matching her 2023 height at the meet. Kulichenko then became the second jumper over at 1.91m/6-3.25 on her second time trying at the height. The next height, 1.94m/6-4.25, would have been both a school record and a career best for the junior. However, she finished with a top mark of 1.91m/6-3.25 for the bronze.
Butler, a native of Fort Lauderdale, shot out of lane five in the 400m final and finished second in her heat and fourth overall. After a fifth-place finish at SECs, Butler continued to make sub-52 second finishes the norm with her 51.64.
Welcome, who owns the St. Vincent national record after her performance at the 2023 NCAA Championships, bumped from 13.48m/44-2.75 on her opening attempt to 13.53m/44-4.75 on her second try. Following a pair of shorter jumps, Welcome went to work in the fifth and sixth rounds, first flying 13.63m/44-8.75 on her fifth try. Then, she surged from fourth to third on her last attempt with a mark of 13.71m/44-11.75.
Rankin, a native of Brunswick, Ga., plowed through the bar on his opening attempt in the men's high jump at 2.10m/6-10.75 before soaring over the bar with room to spare on his second attempt. He missed his first two tries at 2.15m/7-0.50 and before securing a clean jump on his third attempt. Almost simultaneous with Kulichenko going over the bar at 6-2, Rankin nudged the bar on his first try but cleared 2.18m/7-1.75. He then worked to match his personal record at 2.21m/7-3 but missed his three tries, barely clipping the bar on the third. Rankin scored two points after finishing just where he was ranked coming into the meet.
Kolesnikoff, a native of Strathfield, Australia, was hanging in 11th and in danger of not making the nine-man final before recovering for a scoring spot for the Bulldogs. He launched his third throw 19.16m/62-10.50, an effort which ended up being his best and putting him in seventh overall.
With Kimberly Harris as the lead-off, the Lady Bulldogs relay battled for a seventh-place finish in the meet's final event, the 4x400m relay. Harris handed to Butler and then Haley Tate and Dominique Mustin, respectively, to cross the line in 3:30.07 for sixth. Butler highlighted the relay with a 50.72 split on her second leg.
Wolfe, a native of Memphis, Tenn., earned expected Second Team All-America honors with a 12th-place finish in the triple jump. In just his sixth collegiate meet, Wolfe worked up to a third try of 15.47m/50-9.25 to slide past a number of the more seasoned competition.
What's Next For The Bulldogs?: Following the NCAA Championships, the Bulldogs start their outdoor season a week later at the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta on March 15-16.
Where To Find Bulldog News: Results and recaps from the NCAA Indoor Championships will be found at georgiadogs.com. News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are always located on X/Instagram at @UGATrack.
Bulldog Finishers On Saturday
Name Event Finish (Mark/Time)
Christopher Morales Williams M. 400m 1st (44.67)
Kaila Jackson W. 60m 2nd (7.08)
Elena Kulichenko W. High Jump 3rd (^1.91m/6-3.25)
Mikeisha Welcome W. Triple Jump 3rd (^44-11.75)
Aaliyah Butler W. 400m 4th (51.64)
Kaila Jackson W. 200m 4th (!22.63)
Alex Kolesnikoff M. Shot Put 7th (19.16m/62-10.50)
Riyon Rankin M. High Jump 7th (2.18m/7-1.75)
K. Harris, A. Butler W. 4x400m Relay 7th (3:30.07)
H. Tate, D. Mustin
Zavien Wolfe M. Triple Jump 12th (15.47m/50-9.25)
^season best; $school record ; !personal best
Players Mentioned
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High Jump
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Jumps
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Sprints
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Sprints
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Jumps
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