University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Tony Walsh/UGAAA
Georgia T&F Has Four USTFCCCA South Region Awards
March 20, 2025 | Track & Field
ATHENS, Ga. --- Georgia had four U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Region accolades, according to a recent announcement.
Head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert was named the Coach of the Year on the men and women's side while associate head coach Karim Abdel Wahab garnered Women's Assistant Coach of the Year in the region. In addition, senior Elena Kulichenko was voted the Women's Field Athlete of the Year.
This is the second Men's Coach of the Year for UGA (Smith Gilbert, 2023), fourth Women's Coach of the Year (most recent was Smith Gilbert, 2023), second Women's Assistant of the Year (Petros Kyprianou, 2014) and eighth Women's Field Athlete of the Year (most recent was Anna Hall, 2021). Smith Gilbert also had a pair of Women's Coach of the Year honors while at Central Florida (2011, 2013).
In 2024, Christopher Morales Williams was the Bulldogs' sole regional award winner last year, collecting Men's Runner of the Year honors.
Smith Gilbert, who is in her fourth year at Georgia, used six scorers to take second on the women's side at the NCAA Indoor Championships thanks to 39 points. Smith Gilbert had the high jump national champion as well as runner-up finishes in the 4x400-meter relay and 400m to collect runner-up team honors. Smith Gilbert had the No. 3 all-time collegiate performer in the 400m (49.78) and the No. 12 all-time collegiate performer in the high jump (1.95 meters/6 feet, 4 ¾ inches). Her team set four school records (400m, 4x400m relay, high jump, shot put) in 2025.
Smith Gilbet guided the Bulldog men to a second-place finish at NCAAs with 33 points thanks to five underclassmen scoring after coming into the meet ranked 12th in the latest USTFCCCA national poll. She had the 400m and 4x400m champions to complement scorers in the long jump and high jump at Nationals. Smith Gilbert's team had a champion in the long jump, runner-up in the 400m and bronze in the heptathlon at the SEC Championships.
Abdel Wahab, who joined the Bulldogs in July 2023, guided his group to score 22 of 39 points at NCAAs. He coached Aaliyah Butler to runner-up honors in the 400m (49.97, No. 5 all-time collegiate performance) and Dejanea Oakley to bronze (51.24). The 4x400m relay returned to the track at NCAAs for runner-up honors to become the No. 6 all-time collegiate performer with a 3:26.07. Butler won the SEC 400m title with the No. 3 all-time collegiate finish (49.78) and the UGA relay won the conference title with a 3:26.42.
Kulichenko, a native of Odintsovo, Russia, won the NCAA high jump with a mark of 1.94m/6-4.25 to complement her 2024 national outdoor championship. She captured the SEC title with a school record mark of 1.95m/6-4.75, which moved her to No. 12 on the collegiate all-time performer list. Kulichenko hit at least 1.90m/6-2.75 in all five of her 2025 indoor meets. She won both the Ted Nelson Invite (1.90m/6-2.75) and the Tiger Paw Invite (1.92m/6-3.50).
How To Keep Up With The Dogs: Results and recaps for the Bulldogs 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.
Head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert was named the Coach of the Year on the men and women's side while associate head coach Karim Abdel Wahab garnered Women's Assistant Coach of the Year in the region. In addition, senior Elena Kulichenko was voted the Women's Field Athlete of the Year.
This is the second Men's Coach of the Year for UGA (Smith Gilbert, 2023), fourth Women's Coach of the Year (most recent was Smith Gilbert, 2023), second Women's Assistant of the Year (Petros Kyprianou, 2014) and eighth Women's Field Athlete of the Year (most recent was Anna Hall, 2021). Smith Gilbert also had a pair of Women's Coach of the Year honors while at Central Florida (2011, 2013).
In 2024, Christopher Morales Williams was the Bulldogs' sole regional award winner last year, collecting Men's Runner of the Year honors.
Smith Gilbert, who is in her fourth year at Georgia, used six scorers to take second on the women's side at the NCAA Indoor Championships thanks to 39 points. Smith Gilbert had the high jump national champion as well as runner-up finishes in the 4x400-meter relay and 400m to collect runner-up team honors. Smith Gilbert had the No. 3 all-time collegiate performer in the 400m (49.78) and the No. 12 all-time collegiate performer in the high jump (1.95 meters/6 feet, 4 ¾ inches). Her team set four school records (400m, 4x400m relay, high jump, shot put) in 2025.
Smith Gilbet guided the Bulldog men to a second-place finish at NCAAs with 33 points thanks to five underclassmen scoring after coming into the meet ranked 12th in the latest USTFCCCA national poll. She had the 400m and 4x400m champions to complement scorers in the long jump and high jump at Nationals. Smith Gilbert's team had a champion in the long jump, runner-up in the 400m and bronze in the heptathlon at the SEC Championships.
Abdel Wahab, who joined the Bulldogs in July 2023, guided his group to score 22 of 39 points at NCAAs. He coached Aaliyah Butler to runner-up honors in the 400m (49.97, No. 5 all-time collegiate performance) and Dejanea Oakley to bronze (51.24). The 4x400m relay returned to the track at NCAAs for runner-up honors to become the No. 6 all-time collegiate performer with a 3:26.07. Butler won the SEC 400m title with the No. 3 all-time collegiate finish (49.78) and the UGA relay won the conference title with a 3:26.42.
Kulichenko, a native of Odintsovo, Russia, won the NCAA high jump with a mark of 1.94m/6-4.25 to complement her 2024 national outdoor championship. She captured the SEC title with a school record mark of 1.95m/6-4.75, which moved her to No. 12 on the collegiate all-time performer list. Kulichenko hit at least 1.90m/6-2.75 in all five of her 2025 indoor meets. She won both the Ted Nelson Invite (1.90m/6-2.75) and the Tiger Paw Invite (1.92m/6-3.50).
How To Keep Up With The Dogs: Results and recaps for the Bulldogs 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.
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