Garland Surges Into Decathlon Day One Lead At World Championships
September 20, 2025 | Track & Field
TOYKO, Japan --- Former Bulldog collegiate record holder Kyle Garland (USA) holds more than a 150-point lead halfway through the decathlon as the nine-day World Athletics Championships continued in Tokyo, Japan.
Garland, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., has scored 4,707 points following the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m to stand 164 points ahead of Sander Skotheim (Norway), who has 4,543 points.  Garland is just off his day one personal best that eventually allowed him to claim the title at the USATF Championships.  Skotheim is 68 points off of the pace from his world-leading score earlier this year.
Current Georgia sprinter Dejanea Oakley (Jamaica) ran the opening leg on the 4x400-meter relay that finished second in the qualifying round with a 3:22.77.  The final in the event will arrive on the meet's final day.
In other action, Kelsie Murrell-Ross (Grenada) launched a top effort of 16.19m (53-1.50) to compete the competition in 35th.Â
Also of note, Georgia great Elena Kulichenko soared over the high jump bar to be one of 16 qualifiers earlier in the meet and will be competing on the coming final day of competition along with the decathletes.Â
Former Bulldog national champion Lynna Irby-Jackson was already part of Team USA's gold medal winning mixed 4x400m relay to jumpstart the World Championships on the first day of action.Â
A school record total of 22 former and current Georgia team members and coaches are representing the Red and Black at the world's biggest track and field meet of 2025.  UGA Director of Track & Field Caryl Smith Gilbert is the head coach of the Team USA women's team so collected her first gold alongside Irby-Jackson.
Aaliyah Butler (women's 400m, 4x400m relay, U.S.), Oakley (women's 400m, mixed 4x400m relay, Jamaica), Murrell-Ross (women's shot put, Grenada), Manuela Rotundo (women's javelin, Uruguay), Vimbayi Maisvorewa (women's 400m, Zimbabwe), Shaquena Foote (women's 4x400m relay, Jamaica), Michelle Smith (women's 400m hurdles, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands) and Maurice Gleaton (men's 4x100m relay, U.S.) are the current Georgia team members set to compete at the World Championships along with volunteer assistant Janek Oiglane (decathlon, Estonia).
The former Bulldogs include: Christopher Morales Williams (men's 400m, Canada), Denzel Comenentia (men's hammer throw, Netherlands), Marc Minichello (men's javelin, U.S.), Garland (decathlon, U.S.), Karel Tilga (decathlon, Estonia), Johannes Erm (decathlon, Estonia), Irby-Jackson (mixed 4x400m relay, 4x400m relay, U.S.), Kulichenko (women's high jump, Cyprus), Ana da Silva (women's shot put, Brazil), Stephanie Ratcliffe (women's hammer throw, Australia), Lianna Davidson (women's javelin, Australia) and Marie-Therese Obst (women's javelin, Norway).
In addition, Smith Gilbert, who was the 2025 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coach of the Year, is the head coach for Team USA's women.Â
Garland is one of three former Bulldogs in the decathlon and is competing alongside current volunteer assistant Oiglane.  Garland registered a runner-up finish in the 100m to start the competition with a 10.51. Erm was seventh (season best 10.78), Tilga took 17th (11.02) and Oiglane had a season best 11.16 for 19th.Â
In the long jump, Garland soared a season best 7.92m (26-0) to lock down third place.  Erm was one spot behind after recording a mark of 7.63m (25-0.50) and Tilga was next up in 10th with a mark of 7.31m (23-11.75).  Oiglane had another season best in the long jump with a 6.61m (21-8.25) for 23rd.
Garland sent the shot put the longest distance of his career to win the dec's third event.  He reached 17.02m (55-10.25) with Tilga in third (15.78m/51-9.25), Erm in seventh (15.18m/49-9.75) and Oiglane in 10th(13.71m/44-11.75).
When the high jump arrived, Garland went over the bar at 2.11m/6-11 to manage second place.  Erm was next in 10th after registering a mark of 1.96m/6-5. Â
The decathletes wrapped up their day one in the 400m.  Erm had a season best 47.51 for third and Tilga and Garland finished up 10th and 11th with season bests, respectively, with a 48.64 and a 48.73.
How To Watch Worlds:Â https://gado.gs/dfu
Here is a breakdown of the rest of the schedule for the current and former Bulldogs competing in Tokyo:
Sept. 21
Kyle Garland, Johannes Erm, Karel Tilga, decathlon: 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, 1500m (starting final five events at 9/20 8:05 p.m.)
Elena Kulichenko, women's high jump (6:30 a.m.)
Shaquena Foote, Lynna Irby Jackson, Aaliyah Butler, women's 4x400m relay final (7:40 a.m.)
Maurice Gleaton, men's 4x100m relay final (8:20 a.m.)
Where To Keep Up With The Dawgs: Results and recaps from the coming Worlds 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.
Players Mentioned
