Georgia track and field graduate transfer Marc Minichello collected the second javelin title of his career to highlight the opening day of action at the NCAA Outdoor Championships Wednesday as the Bulldogs moved into an early second place.
Fast Facts
Minichello, a native of West Pittston, Pa., earned his third First Team All-America certificate in the event and his second javelin crown after also placing first for Penn in 2022. Minichello set the tone in the javelin on his opening toss, going 78.33 meters/257 feet. This mark would have given him runner-up honors after six throws. Then, Minichello launched a second attempt of 80.70m/264-9 to distance himself from the field. His championship is the first for the Bulldogs in the event after school record holder Chris Hill went back-to-back in 2008-09. Minichello started his career by taking 17th at the NCAA Championships for Penn in 2019.
Also in the throws, graduate transfer Alex Kolesnikoff recorded the first outdoor First Team All-America certificate in the shot put to three more points on the scoreboard for the Bulldogs. Kolesnikoff, a native of Strathfield, Australia, opened his series in the shot put with a mark of 19.70m/64-7.75. This performance delivered the Harvard graduate sixth place a year after he finished ninth for the Crimson. Kolesnikoff completed the indoor-outdoor First Team All-America sweep with his showing Wednesday. The native of Strathfield, Australia, opened his series in the shot put with a mark of 19.70m/64-7.75. This performance delivered the Harvard graduate sixth place a year after he finished ninth for the Crimson.
Sophomore Christopher Morales Williams won the 400-meter dash semifinal with his fourth sub-45 second finish of 2024 to advance to Friday’s final. Morales Williams came out of the opening heat in lane six and won with the fastest qualifying time of the semifinal (44.96). He will race in the 400m final on Friday at 10:02 p.m.
Key Quotes
Marc Minichello
“The emotions were there today and it was a long time coming. This year, we are really putting the pieces together and I am proud to be a Georgia Bulldog. To take the crown back, that’s what our goal has been. It’s so hard to do something a second time. There is a banner out there at Hayward Field that says ‘Champions Win Here’ and that gave me a lot of confidence.”
Up NextGeorgia will continue day two action of the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field on Thursday. Graduate transfer Stephanie Ratcliffe, who won the 2023 NCAA hammer throw title for Harvard, will attempt to defend her championship on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. On the track, sophomore Aaliyah Butler, sophomore Kaila Jackson, freshman Karsen Phillips and graduate transfer Kimberly Harris are expected to run in the semifinal round of the 4x100m relay at 8:32 p.m.
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