University of Georgia Athletics
Reynolds Still Learning, Still Improving
June 05, 2026 | Track & Field, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Nick Reynolds never expected to be where he is today, throwing the javelin for the No. 3-ranked Georgia men's track and field team. A little over three years ago, Reynolds was a high school soccer player planning on playing Division III ball at a small college in New York, but a lot can happen in three years.
"I was a soccer player for 13 years. My senior year of high school, I did track on a whim. I was like, OK, I'm going to get more fit for soccer," the sophomore from Concord, N.H., said this week. "I thought I was going to do the 400 (meter run), the 800, things like that."
As it turned out, the coaches at Concord High School had him try a little bit of everything. It's a good thing they did. In his first meet throwing the javelin, the 6-foot-5 Reynolds broke the school record, he said. He went on to win a New Hampshire Division I state championship in the event, beating the runner-up by more than 40 feet, was named the Gatorade Boys Track & Field Player of the Year for New Hampshire, and he also holds the state record of 62.75 meters (205-10).
"That first year was definitely hard because I was brand new to it. Every meet was a P.R. (personal record)," he said.
In his first year throwing, Reynolds won every meet he entered, including the NHIAA Meet of Champions and the New England Outdoor Nationals, until he faced the best of the best in the country at the USATF U20 Championships in Eugene, Ore., where he placed fifth.
"After that first meet, I just kept going," he said. "I got a bunch of accolades that year, which kind of came all of a sudden, and then I got the attention of some schools. It was at the U20s that I kind of realized, OK, I can do this more; I can be more confident in this."
What started out as a plan to help with his soccer career turned into something completely different: a javelin career was born. Through a connection, he got introduced to the throws coach at Tennessee, took a visit, and committed to the Volunteers.Â
"It was definitely a big switch," he said. "Mentally, I was like, I have no idea where I am, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I think my training group and the coaches at Tennessee helped out a lot."
As a freshman at Tennessee last season, Reynolds placed third in the javelin at the SEC Championships with a throw of 76.69 meters (251-7), a new personal best and the best throw by any freshman in the country. Reynolds not only developed a lot as a thrower during his time in Knoxville, he also changed his body. After arriving at a lean 180 pounds, he added lots of muscle. He said he's now at around 220, which has helped with his throwing and overall strength, but has also taken some getting used to.
"It was weird when you go from wearing a large to an extra-large (shirt), but that's the step I was looking for," he said.
An injury hampered Reynolds' postseason in 2025 — he only threw 65.35 meters (214-5) at the NCAA East Prelims and didn't qualify for the NCAA Championships — but he's had a healthy 2026. After transferring to Georgia to work with Associate Head Coach Don Babbitt, long one of the best throws coaches in the world, Reynolds has gotten better and better.
"When I entered the transfer portal, I wasn't 100% sure at first, but after coming here and talking to Coach Babbitt, it was so clear. My big question was: 'What would you change?' He said all the right things, everything I was thinking, basically. ... He's coached some of the best people in the world, and he's been here for 30 years, and has been coaching javelin for even longer than that. He's a walking encyclopedia; he knows everything."
In his first meet as a Bulldog, at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational in late March, Reynolds threw 75.68 (248-3). At the Torin Lawrence Memorial at the UGA Track and Field Complex in early May, he threw a career-best 77.55 (254.5).
Reynolds threw 76.73 (251-8) at the SEC Outdoor Championships to place fourth, and then threw 74.49 (244-5) at the NCAA East Prelims in late May to place second behind teammate Jordan Davis in the meet and qualify for his first NCAA Championships.
Reynolds' best throw this season, 77.55 meters, ranks seventh in the country and is fifth-best all-time at Georgia. Davis is ranked third in the country with a throw of 80.38 meters (263-8), which is the fourth-longest in program history. Both have an excellent shot at scoring at next week's NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Oregon's Hayward Field.
The Georgia men are going for the program's first national championship since winning the Outdoor crown in 2018, while the women are ranked No. 1 and going for their second straight Outdoor title and third in a row after also capturing the NCAA Indoor crown in March.
Georgia men and women have won multiple NCAA titles in the javelin over the years. Kim Engel was the first, winning in 1989. Ten years later, Vigdis Gudjonsdottir won the title in 1999. Chris Hill won back-to-back titles in 2008-09, Freya Jones won in 2013, Marie-Therese Obst won in 2021, and most recently, Marc Minichello won in 2024 (after winning in 2022 while at Penn).
Reynolds and Davis would love to add their names to that list. It's the last shot for Davis, a graduate transfer in his final season, but Reynolds is still just getting started after arriving so late to the sport.
"Looking at my form, it's nowhere near perfect," Reynolds said. "But that's kind of like the best part about it. I'm so glad that I have so much to improve on in the years ahead. ... Being at a program like Georgia, I feel like there's no better place to improve and develop."
Staff Writer
Nick Reynolds never expected to be where he is today, throwing the javelin for the No. 3-ranked Georgia men's track and field team. A little over three years ago, Reynolds was a high school soccer player planning on playing Division III ball at a small college in New York, but a lot can happen in three years.
"I was a soccer player for 13 years. My senior year of high school, I did track on a whim. I was like, OK, I'm going to get more fit for soccer," the sophomore from Concord, N.H., said this week. "I thought I was going to do the 400 (meter run), the 800, things like that."
As it turned out, the coaches at Concord High School had him try a little bit of everything. It's a good thing they did. In his first meet throwing the javelin, the 6-foot-5 Reynolds broke the school record, he said. He went on to win a New Hampshire Division I state championship in the event, beating the runner-up by more than 40 feet, was named the Gatorade Boys Track & Field Player of the Year for New Hampshire, and he also holds the state record of 62.75 meters (205-10).
"That first year was definitely hard because I was brand new to it. Every meet was a P.R. (personal record)," he said.
In his first year throwing, Reynolds won every meet he entered, including the NHIAA Meet of Champions and the New England Outdoor Nationals, until he faced the best of the best in the country at the USATF U20 Championships in Eugene, Ore., where he placed fifth.
"After that first meet, I just kept going," he said. "I got a bunch of accolades that year, which kind of came all of a sudden, and then I got the attention of some schools. It was at the U20s that I kind of realized, OK, I can do this more; I can be more confident in this."
What started out as a plan to help with his soccer career turned into something completely different: a javelin career was born. Through a connection, he got introduced to the throws coach at Tennessee, took a visit, and committed to the Volunteers.Â
"It was definitely a big switch," he said. "Mentally, I was like, I have no idea where I am, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I think my training group and the coaches at Tennessee helped out a lot."
As a freshman at Tennessee last season, Reynolds placed third in the javelin at the SEC Championships with a throw of 76.69 meters (251-7), a new personal best and the best throw by any freshman in the country. Reynolds not only developed a lot as a thrower during his time in Knoxville, he also changed his body. After arriving at a lean 180 pounds, he added lots of muscle. He said he's now at around 220, which has helped with his throwing and overall strength, but has also taken some getting used to.
"It was weird when you go from wearing a large to an extra-large (shirt), but that's the step I was looking for," he said.
An injury hampered Reynolds' postseason in 2025 — he only threw 65.35 meters (214-5) at the NCAA East Prelims and didn't qualify for the NCAA Championships — but he's had a healthy 2026. After transferring to Georgia to work with Associate Head Coach Don Babbitt, long one of the best throws coaches in the world, Reynolds has gotten better and better.
"When I entered the transfer portal, I wasn't 100% sure at first, but after coming here and talking to Coach Babbitt, it was so clear. My big question was: 'What would you change?' He said all the right things, everything I was thinking, basically. ... He's coached some of the best people in the world, and he's been here for 30 years, and has been coaching javelin for even longer than that. He's a walking encyclopedia; he knows everything."
In his first meet as a Bulldog, at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational in late March, Reynolds threw 75.68 (248-3). At the Torin Lawrence Memorial at the UGA Track and Field Complex in early May, he threw a career-best 77.55 (254.5).
Reynolds threw 76.73 (251-8) at the SEC Outdoor Championships to place fourth, and then threw 74.49 (244-5) at the NCAA East Prelims in late May to place second behind teammate Jordan Davis in the meet and qualify for his first NCAA Championships.
Reynolds' best throw this season, 77.55 meters, ranks seventh in the country and is fifth-best all-time at Georgia. Davis is ranked third in the country with a throw of 80.38 meters (263-8), which is the fourth-longest in program history. Both have an excellent shot at scoring at next week's NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Oregon's Hayward Field.
The Georgia men are going for the program's first national championship since winning the Outdoor crown in 2018, while the women are ranked No. 1 and going for their second straight Outdoor title and third in a row after also capturing the NCAA Indoor crown in March.
Georgia men and women have won multiple NCAA titles in the javelin over the years. Kim Engel was the first, winning in 1989. Ten years later, Vigdis Gudjonsdottir won the title in 1999. Chris Hill won back-to-back titles in 2008-09, Freya Jones won in 2013, Marie-Therese Obst won in 2021, and most recently, Marc Minichello won in 2024 (after winning in 2022 while at Penn).
Reynolds and Davis would love to add their names to that list. It's the last shot for Davis, a graduate transfer in his final season, but Reynolds is still just getting started after arriving so late to the sport.
"Looking at my form, it's nowhere near perfect," Reynolds said. "But that's kind of like the best part about it. I'm so glad that I have so much to improve on in the years ahead. ... Being at a program like Georgia, I feel like there's no better place to improve and develop."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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