Keys’ Long Jump Title Highlights Six-Medal Day For Bulldogs At SEC Outdoor Championships

Friday, May 16

Lexington, Ky.

University of Georgia

SEC Outdoor Championships

Photo by: Tony Walsh/UGAAA

Keys’ Long Jump Title Highlights Six-Medal Day For Bulldogs At SEC Outdoor Championships

May 16, 2025 | Track & Field

Friday Results Photo Gallery

LEXINGTON, Ky. --- Jayden Keys earned his second career Southeastern Conference long jump title while two decathletes, two throwers, and a high jumper also earned spots on the podium at the SEC Outdoor Championships on Friday. After two days of competition, the women's team remains in first place with 50 points while the men sit in second place with 43 points.

Fast Facts

Keys flew into first place on his final attempt of the long jump competition, recording a winning mark of 7.95 meters/26 feet, 1 inch to earn his second conference title of the year. The freshman also won the indoor long jump title earlier this season and now has two SEC gold medals to his name.
Maximus Tucker and Jordan Fick brought home a 2-3 finish in the decathlon, tallying 7,437 points and 7,401 points, respectively. Tucker set personal bests in eight of his 10 individual events while competing in his first collegiate decathlon, also recording a lifetime best in the event. Fick posted personal bests in the shot put and discus to land on the podium at SECs for the second time this year.
Elena Kulichenko swept the SEC indoor and outdoor silver medals in the high jump, securing second place in Lexington on Friday with a clearance of 1.87m/6-1.50. She cleared the bar at that height on her first attempt.
Kelsie Murrell-Ross took home bronze in the shot put with her season-best mark of 18.00m/59-0.75. Murrell-Ross also earned bronze in the event at the indoor meet earlier this season. In the men's shot put, Alex Kolesnikoff recorded a season-best throw of 20.09m/65-11 to add third a third-place finish of his own and tally six points for the Bulldogs.
Ella Rush earned a podium finish in the heptathlon, setting four event personal bests en route to a third-place finish. The junior tallied a season-best 5,532 points to secure her bronze medal in the event.
Nikolai van Huyssteen broke his own school record in the pole vault with a clearance of 5.50m/18-0.50 to finish fourth on Friday. Van Huyssteen set the record-breaking mark on his second attempt.
Dejanea Oakley and Aaliyah Butler both won their respective 400m heats to advance to Saturday's final. Oakley clocked the second-fastest time overall in the prelims with a 51.15, and Butler crossed the finish line in 51.27 to place fourth overall.
A quartet of Bulldogs earned automatic qualifications to the 400-meter dash finals, winning their respective heats on Friday. Will Floyd finished second overall in the prelims with a 45.14, Xai Ricks clocked a 45.43 to finish fourth, Shemar Chambers posted a 45.59 to take seventh, and Ervin Pearson ran a 46.00 to cross the finish line 13^th overall.
Kaila Jackson qualified for the finals in the 100m, posting a time of 11.29 (W +2.6) to finish fifth in the prelims. Jackson will also run in the 200m on Saturday as she looks to pick up big points in the sprints.
Brody Buffington also punched his ticket to the 100m finals with his third-place time in the prelims (10.09w). Like Jackson, Buffington is also slated to run in both the 100m and 200m finals on Saturday.
For full results from the SEC Outdoor Championships, please visit: https://gado.gs/d73.

Up Next
Georgia opens its final day at the SEC Outdoor Championships at 4 p.m. Saturday as T'oni Birden, Danah Nembhard, and Skylynn Townsend compete in the women's triple jump. The Bulldogs' first running event of the day will take place at 6:05 p.m. and will feature the women's 4x100-meter relay team.

Where To Find Bulldogs News
Results and recaps from the Bulldogs' outdoor season 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.