University of Georiga - 2025 Track and Field Recruiting Class
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Track and Field Recruiting
Georgia track & field's 2024 signing class is off to a strong start to the 2025 indoor season, excelling for the Bulldogs at the Ted Nelson Invitational and Razorback Invitational to open the year. Through two meets, Georgia's newcomers have already etched themselves into the record books, contributing to two event wins, one school record, and eight top-10 marks in program history.
Georgia boasts a 2024 high school class that ranks among the nation's best. The men's class entered the 2024-25 campaign ranked No. 1 nationally while the women held a No. 2 ranking. The 34-member men's team welcomed 17 new student-athletes to the roster – 11 freshmen and six transfers – and includes one competitor from the 2024 Olympic Games. The Lady Bulldogs' roster stands at 38 and features three transfers and 14 freshmen, including three newcomers who competed as Paris Olympians.
Georgia's complete roster of newcomers for the 2025 season, as well as biographic information on each student-athlete, is included below:
T'oni Birden | Jumps | Jr. | Heritage HS/West Georgia | Conyers, Ga. Birden arrives in Athens following two seasons at West Georgia, where she swept the Gulf South Conference Field Athlete of the Year honors indoors and outdoors during her sophomore season. A two-time long jump All-American, Birden became the first track & field athlete in school history to qualify for both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships during her second year, competing in the long jump indoors and outdoors and the triple jump outdoors. She holds West Georgia's school records in the long jump, triple jump, and heptathlon outdoors and the long jump and pentathlon indoors.
Elizabeth Cowley | Distance | Fr. | Brookstone HS | Fortson, Ga. Cowley joins the Lady Bulldogs' track and cross country teams after a record-setting career at Brookstone High School. She was named the overall MVP of the GIAA state track meet during each of her final two seasons, guiding her team to back-to-back state titles while also picking up a team cross country championship as a senior. She earned state titles in the 400m, 800m, 4x400m, and 4x800m during both her junior and senior seasons and is Brookstone's record-holder in the 400m, 800m, triple jump, 4x400m, and 4x800m.
Lianna Davidson | Throws | Sr. | St. Marys Senior HS/Texas A&M | Sydney, Australia Davidson arrives in Athens following three seasons at Texas A&M, where she was the javelin silver medalist at the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships and the Southeastern Conference champion in the event in back-to-back seasons. During her junior year, Davidson won five of eight javelin competitions in which she competed, including four straight. She posted a personal-best mark of 60.70 meters/199 feet, 2 inches to finish runner-up at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last season and earn her second-straight NCAA First Team All-America honor. The Sydney, Australia native is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll and USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree.
Kayla Dickerson | Distance | Fr. | Highland Park HS | Dallas, Texas Dickerson comes to Georgia from Highland Park High School, where she served as the track team captain as a senior. She competed in high school track & field for four years and cross country for three, earning Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State cross country honors during her first cross country season as a sophomore. Dickerson helped set Highland Park's distance medley relay record with a time of 12:18 as a junior and was named a Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Star following the season.
Sanaa Frederick | Sprints | Fr. | Druid Hills HS | Decatur, Ga. Sanaa Frederick, a 2024 Paris Olympian, joins the Lady Bulldogs from Druid Hills High School in DeKalb County, Ga., where she was a three-time state champion in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. A five-time Atlanta All-Metro honoree (100m two times, 200m, 4x100m, 4x200m), Frederick broke 4A state records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m during her time at Druid Hills. On the international stage, Frederick earned a gold medal in the 200m and took bronze in the 100m at the 2023 CARIFTA Games before taking home silver as a member of Trinidad and Tobago's 4x400m and 4x100m relay teams in 2024. She ran on Trinidad and Tobago's 4x100m relay alongside her sister, Sole, at the Paris Olympics in August.
Sole Frederick | Sprints | Fr. | Druid Hills HS | Decatur, Ga. Sole Frederick arrives in Athens from Druid Hills High School, where she was a four-time state champion. Frederick earned state titles in the 4x100-meter and the 4x400-meter relay during her sophomore and senior seasons, also earning runner-up honors in the 4x100m and 200-meter dash at the CARIFTA Games as a junior and senior. During her junior season, she took home gold in the 200m at the Wingfoot Night of Champions. The national champion of Trinidad and Tobago in the 200m as a senior, Frederick represented her country in the 4x100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, running alongside her sister, Sanaa.
Alisa Gordon | Jumps | Fr. | Alexander HS | Douglasville, Ga. Gordon joins the Lady Bulldogs following back-to-back Georgia state championships in the triple jump. A graduate of Alexander High School, she set the school's triple jump record as a junior and became the national runner-up in the event later that season. Gordon took home the state long jump title as a junior and placed third in the triple jump at the state meet as a sophomore.
Rylee Hampton | Sprints/Hurdles | Fr. | Cypress Ridge HS | Houston, Texas Hampton, a four-year University Interscholastic League (UIL) state qualifier, arrives in Athens from Cypress Ridge High School, where she earned a state title in the 100-meter hurdles during her junior season. A three-time state medalist in the event during her high school career, she also took silver as a senior and bronze as a sophomore. Hampton was a UIL Region 3 champion during her senior season and a USATF U20 bronze medalist as a junior.
Adaejah Hodge | Sprints | Fr. | Montverde Academy | Douglasville, Ga. Hodge joins the Lady Bulldogs following a record-setting career at Montverde Academy. During her senior season, she captured the 200-meter dash title at New Balance Indoor Nationals, swept the 100m and 200m national titles for the British Virgin Islands, and earned bronze medals in the 100m and 200m at New Balance Indoor Nationals before placing 17th in the 200m semifinals at the Paris Olympics. Hodge rounded out her 2024 season with a title in the 200m and runner-up honors in the 100m at the World Athletics U20 Championships. The U20 indoor world record-holder in the 200m, Hodge also holds the British Virgin Islands' 100m national record. She earned six state titles across four events (100m, 200m, 400m, long jump) during her high school career while taking home titles at the 2023 New Balance Indoor and Outdoor National Championships (200m, 4x400m) and the 2022 CARIFTA Games (100m, 200m, long jump). Hodge was a semifinalist in the World Athletics Championships in 2023 and runner-up at the 2022 Nike Nationals in the 200m dash.
Danah Nembhard | Jumps | Fr. | Dacula HS | Dacula, Ga. Nembhard comes to Athens from Dacula High School, where she was a state, region, and county champion in back-to-back seasons as a junior and senior. A two-time Gwinnett County Field Athlete of the Year, she was named Atlanta All-Metro in the triple jump as a senior and the high jump as a junior. Nembhard earned region and county titles as a sophomore, also capturing a regional title and state runner-up honors as a freshman.
Dejanea Oakley | Sprints | Jr. | Clarendon College/Texas | Colonels Ridge District, Clarendon, Jamaica Oakley arrives at Georgia after two seasons at the University of Texas, where she won Big 12 titles in the 200-meter dash outdoors and the 400m indoors. During her sophomore season, she guided Texas' 4x400m relay team to fourth place at the NCAA Indoor Championships to earn USTFCCCA Indoor First Team All-America honors. She clocked a personal-best time of 51.75 to earn the Big 12 indoor title in the 400m, also posting a runner-up performance in the 200m with a personal-best time of 22.86. As a freshman, she was named 2023 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America Honorable Mention as a member of the Longhorns' 4x400m relay team that competed at the NCAA Championships.
Kate Robinson | Distance | Fr. | West HS | Knoxville, Tenn. Robinson joins the Lady Bulldogs from West High School in Knoxville, Tenn., where she competed in track & field, cross country, and swimming. She was named 5 Star Preps Cross Country Athlete of the Year as a senior after finishing sixth at the state cross country meet. She placed in the top 10 in the 1600m at the state track meet in each of her final three seasons and was named to the All-Metro Cross Country Team as a sophomore and senior.
Manuela Rotundo | Throws | Fr. | Liceo 7/Universidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay | Paysandú, Uruguay Rotundo arrives in Athens from Paysandú, Uruguay, as the South American U23 and Uruguayan national record holder in the javelin. The 2023 Pan American U20 javelin champion, she also earned a gold medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2022. Rotundo recently set Uruguay's national javelin record of 61.84 meters/202 feet, 10 inches at the 2024 Ibero-American Athletics Championships in May, where she finished third. With the mark, she also holds the South American U23 javelin record.
Michelle Smith | Sprints/Hurdles | Fr. | Montverde Academy | Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Smith comes to UGA from Montverde Academy, where she was a state champion hurdler. She captured state titles in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles as a senior and the 300-meter hurdles as a sophomore. Smith also shined on the international stage, capturing three straight CARIFTA Games gold medals in the 800m and 400m hurdles during her sophomore through senior seasons. She most recently clocked a 57.21 to finish fourth in the 400-meter hurdles at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in August.
Skylynn Townsend | Jumps | Fr. | Rock Hill HS | Prosper, Texas Townsend arrives in Athens following a stellar career at Rock Hill High School, where she was named Texas Track & Field Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. She captured Nike indoor and outdoor national championships as well as the USA under-20 title in the triple jump during her final season, also earning state titles in the long jump and triple jump during her junior and senior years. Townsend was the Nike indoor triple jump and long jump national champion as a junior, setting the indoor national junior triple jump record during her third season. Earning titles in all four years of high school, she was the USATF triple jump national champion as a sophomore and the AAU triple jump national champion as a freshman.
Jaci Wright | Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps | Fr. | Buford HS | Atlanta, Ga. Wright joins the Lady Bulldogs following two strong seasons at Buford High School, where she won back-to-back state 7A championships in the long jump. During her senior season, she was a New Balance indoor runner-up in the long jump, and she placed second in the 100-meter hurdles at the 7A state meet as a junior. She was also a region champion in the event during each of her final two seasons. Wright began her high school career at Maynard Jackson High School, where she won 5A state titles in the long jump and triple jump, also finishing second in the 100m hurdles as a sophomore and sixth in the triple jump as a freshman.
Izzy Yonas | Distance | Fr. | South Forsyth HS | Cumming, Ga. Yonas comes to Georgia from South Forsyth High School, where she competed in track and cross country. She earned All-County and All-Metro honors in cross country after taking fourth at the state cross country meet and winning the region meet as a senior. Yonas was also named Cross Country County Runner of the Year in her fourth year. In her final track season, she finished fifth in the 3200m and sixth in the 1600m at the state championship meet, placing second in both events at the region meet.
Moustafa Alsherif | Javelin | Sr. | Al Manara HS/Arab Academy for Science and Technology | Cairo, Egypt Alsherif joins the Bulldogs from Egypt, where he is the back-to-back defending national champion in the javelin throw. A native of Cairo, Egypt, Alsherif was a bronze medalist in the javelin at the African Games and the African Championships, set a personal-best mark of 81.92 meters/268 feet, 9 inches in Dessau, Germany, and competed for Egypt at the Paris Olympics during the 2024 season. He won the Arab Athletics Javelin Championship and the Arab U23 javelin title in 2023 while finishing third at the Mediterranean U23 Championships in 2022.
Jacob Carruthers | Jumps | Fr. | Barrow Arts and Sciences Academy | Winder, Ga. Carruthers arrives in Athens from nearby Winder, where he attended Barrow Arts and Sciences Academy. A two-time state high jump champion as a senior, Carruthers also took home state titles in the 400-meter dash and 200-meter dash during his final season. Additionally, he was an Adidas National Champion, a two-time high jump All-American, and a Junior Olympic All-American as a senior. Carruthers earned his first state high jump title as a junior while finishing second in the 400m and third in the 200m. As a sophomore, he placed in the top 10 at the state cross country meet. In addition to track & field, Carruthers was a two-time All-State soccer player and played basketball at BASA.
Shemar Chambers | Sprints | Sr. | Calabar HS/North Carolina A&T | Spalding, Manchester, Jamaica Chambers arrives at Georgia following three seasons at North Carolina A&T State University. A seven-time All-American and nine-time conference champion, Chambers competed in the 4x400-meter relay and 400-meter dash at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning Second Team All-America and Honorable Mention All-America honors, respectively. In 2022, he guided the 4x400m relay team to First Team All-America honors as the Aggies finished eighth outdoors with a time of 3:03.15. During the 2021 season, Chambers was a two-time All-American at Florida Memorial University, where he placed second in the 4x100m and fourth in the 400m at the NAIA Outdoor Championships. Prior to college, Chambers helped set the high school world record in the 4x400m (3:03.73), a mark that still stands.
Conor Clifford | Distance | Fr. | Christian Brothers Academy | Middletown, N.J. Clifford joins the Bulldogs from Christian Brothers Academy, where he competed in cross country, track & field, and baseball. He was a First Team All-State Cross Country honoree as a senior, also earning First Team All-Non-Public A honors in cross country and track & field during his final high school season. Clifford won the 1600-meter state title indoors during his senior season, also earning All-America honors. A First-Team Non-Public A honoree in cross country and track as a junior, Clifford also earned Second Team All-State Cross Country during his third season. He was a track All-American as a sophomore at Christian Brothers.
London Costen | Sprints | Fr. | Landmark Christian School | Fayetteville, Ga. Costen arrives in Athens from Fairburn, Ga., where he attended Landmark Christian School. He was a Coca-Cola/Powerade Athletic Award honoree as a senior, also taking home two state titles and two state runner-up finishes during his junior season. He set Landmark Christian School's 400-meter dash record as a sophomore before toppling his own record as a junior. Costen was a two-time Junior Olympic champion during his freshman season.
Jordan Fick | Multi-Events | Sr. | North Oconee HS/Kennesaw State | Bogart, Ga. Fick joins the Bulldogs following three seasons at Kennesaw State, where he competed in a variety of events, including combined events, pole vault, javelin, and hurdles. He was the ASUN indoor heptathlon champion during his junior season, placing third in the event during his freshman and sophomore years. The Bogart, Ga., native attended North Oconee High School, where he ranked as the top high school decathlete nationally as a junior and third as a senior.
Will Floyd | Sprints | So. | Seattle Preparatory School/Stanford | Seattle, Wash. Floyd comes to Georgia following one season at Stanford, where he competed as a sprinter. The Seattle, Wash., native posted top-five finishes in seven of the eight indoor competitions in which he competed, highlighted by a Stanford freshman indoor record 400-meter dash time of 46.46 at the Don Kirby Invitational (5th place) and a victory in the 400m at the Ken Shannon Last Chance Meet (46.47). Outdoors, he earned a victory in the 200m at the Payton Jordan Invitational with a wind-aided time of 21.18 (W+2.6), also posting top-three finishes in the 400m (2nd), 4x400m (2nd), and 200m (3rd) at the Stanford vs Cal Big Meet. Prior to Stanford, Floyd attended Seattle Preparatory School, where he was a three-sport athlete, the Washington state indoor 200m record-holder, and a three-time state champion (100m, 200m, 400m).
Ian Hodge | Sprints/Jumps | Fr. | Tucker HS | Covington, Ga. Hodge arrives in Athens following a three-sport career at Tucker High School. Hodge was a state champion and Adidas National Champion during his senior track & field season, also earning state runner-up and New Balance All-America honors as a sophomore. He primarily competed in the high jump and 400 meters in high school, also playing football and basketball.
Jayden Keys | Hurdles/Jumps | Fr. | Katy Tompkins HS | Katy, Texas Keys arrives at Georgia following a decorated career at Katy Tompkins High School, where he competed in the long jump, 110-meter hurdles, and 300-meter hurdles. The Katy, Texas, native won state titles in the long jump and 300m hurdles as a senior while capturing runner-up honors in the 110m hurdles. He was the long jump champion at the 2024 Nike Indoor Nationals while collecting runner-up honors at Nike Outdoor Nationals, also placing fifth in the long jump and 110m hurdles at the USA Under-20 Championships. A Junior Olympic champion in the 100m hurdles and long jump as a junior, Keys also broke the high school national long jump record for all conditions during his sophomore season. He medaled at the state track & field meet during all four of his high school seasons.
Eddie Kurjak | Jumps | Sr. | Longmont HS/Colorado Mesa | Longmont, Colo. Kurjak, a two-time First Team USTFCCCA All-American, joins the Bulldogs from Colorado Mesa University, where he competed in the high jump and triple jump. During his junior season, Kurjak captured the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference indoor and outdoor high jump titles, also earning USTFCCCA all-region honors during both seasons. A 2024 USTFCCCA Indoor All-American in the high jump and triple jump, he was named USTFCCCA South Central Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year after finishing fourth in the high jump and eighth in the triple jump at the NCAA Division II National Championships. Kurjak comes to Athens with seven All-RMAC honors over the course of his collegiate career.
Adam Lippe | Distance | Fr. | Westminster School of Augusta | Evans, Ga. Lippe joins the Bulldogs following an outstanding career at Westminster School of Augusta, where he captured multiple state titles in both cross country and track & field. He was a three-time individual state cross country champion, also earning titles in the 800m as a junior and senior, in the 1600m during his final three seasons, and in the 4x800m relay as a senior. He was a 10-time region champion across his track and cross country events and set school records in the 400m, 800m, 1600m, 3200m, 4x400m, 4x800m, and pole vault during his time at Westminster.
Joseph Minecci | Distance | Fr. | Walton HS | Marietta, Ga. Minecci arrives in Athens following four years at Walton High School, where he holds school records in the 800m and 1600m. He captured the 7A GHSA cross country, 800m, and 1600m titles as a senior, also earning Cobb County Boys' Track & Field and Cross Country Athlete of the Year and All-Metro cross and track (800m) honors in his final season. Minecci was named Walton's Most Outstanding Distance Athlete, boys' cross country MVP, and to the All-Cobb County Team in each of his final three seasons while earning Walton cross country Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman.
Luther Mogelvang | Jumps | Fr. | Naples HS | Naples, Fla. Mogelvang comes to Georgia from Naples, Fla., where he was a pole vaulter and basketball player at Naples High School. He was a three-time FHSAA 3A pole vault state qualifier, winning one silver medal and one championship title in those appearances. A school record-breaker as a junior and senior, Mogelvang qualified for Adidas Nationals twice while competing at the Millrose Games as a senior.
Ervin Pearson | Sprints | Fr. | Buford HS | Dacula, Ga. Pearson joins the Bulldogs from Buford High School, where he was the 6A state champion during his senior season. The Georgia state record-holder in the 400m, Pearson also led his club 4x400-meter relay team to gold at Nike Outdoor Nationals to cap off his senior year. Pearson earned a pair of top-five finishes in the 400m at the USA U20 National Championships during his high school career, placing fifth as a junior before taking fourth place as a senior.
Xai Ricks | Sprints | Fr. | Long Beach Polytechnic HS | Long Beach, Calif. Ricks arrives in Athens from Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he primarily competed as a sprinter. The state 400-meter dash title holder as a senior, he set the Long Beach Poly 800m record during his junior season while also breaking the age 16 600m record that same season. Ricks became the first male in the state of California to compete in three different relays at the state championship (4x100m, 4x800m, 4x400m) during his junior season.
Mark Trammell | Distance | R-So. | Sante Fe Christian Schools/Wake Forest | San Diego, Calif. Trammell arrives in Athens following one season at Wake Forest, where he redshirted the 2023-24 season. He attended high school at Sante Fe Christian Schools, where he competed in cross country, track, tennis, and basketball. As a senior, Trammell competed in the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships.
Maximus Tucker | Multi-Events | Fr. | Mount Pisgah Christian School | Milton, Ga. Tucker joins the Bulldogs following a decorated multi-sport high school career at Mount Pisgah Christian School. As a senior, he was the pentathlon runner-up at the Nike Indoor National Championships and the Georgia indoor pentathlon record-holder, earning Canadian under-20 decathlon runner-up honors outdoors. As a junior, Tucker guided his team to a state championship while earning the individual 400-meter dash title and a bronze medal in the shot put. He was a Canadian Outdoor National Championships U20 decathlon champion, Nike Outdoor National Championships runner-up, and Georgia state decathlon record-breaker during his third season. A state champion in the 4x800m as a sophomore, he also earned a silver medal in the 800m, bronze in the 400m, and qualified for the state cross country meet while guiding the distance team to a region title. Tucker was a state runner-up in the 800m as a freshman, also taking bronze in the event at the Junior Olympics.