EUGENE – If there's a "new blood" in college track and field, the Georgia women are it.

 

A year after claiming the program's first national title, the Georgia women repeated its NCAA outdoor title Saturday evening at Hayward Field, the first program to win consecutive titles since Texas A&M from 2009-11. The Bulldogs also completed the indoor-outdoor title sweep, which has been done two other times this decade by Florida (2022) and Arkansas (2024).

 

Led by collegiate record performers Adaejah Hodge and Dejanea Oakley, the Bulldogs rallied together for 50 points, defeating SEC rival Florida. The Gators beat Georgia for the conference title this year, by seven points.

 

Arkansas was third with 38 points and Oregon was fourth with 36.

 

Head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert, in just her fifth season at Georgia, is the fourth coach in NCAA history to lead a program to consecutive outdoor titles, joining the likes of Pat Henry, Bev Kearney and Scott Chisam. Smith Gilbert also surpassed Kearney for most titles won as a female coach, earning her fourth title between her time coaching at USC (two) and Georgia (two).

 

"It's always been my goal to not have championship teams, but elite, legendary, legacy programs," Smith Gilbert said. "It's very hard to do in the SEC. It's very hard to do in the NCAA ... we take pride in really building a student-athlete as a person and then getting the performance that way."

 

This year's Georgia team was built with young talent that was battle-tested, Smith Gilbert said. 

 

Hodge, a freshman, came away with two collegiate records in both the 100- and 200-meter races, but only won one of those races during Saturday's final. Hodge broke the collegiate record in the 100 during Thursday's heats but finished second to Florida State's Shenese Walker, the indoor 60 champion, in the final by five hundredths of a second.

 

"Just going back, be like, 'hey it is what it is,'" Hodge said. "Move forward to the next and that just shows my maturity in the sport."

 

Forty-five minutes later, Hodge made up for it quickly in the 200, breaking Abby Steiner's collegiate record (21.80) with a 21.68, tying her for eighth-fastest woman all-time in world history.

 

"I've been working for this all my life," Hodge said. "I really wanted this one, so I went out there and I got it."

 

Hodge completed a historic season that followed a 17-month suspension. Since her return to the competition in late January, Hodge has drawn attention for her record-breaking performances, including two NCAA titles won in both the indoor and outdoor 200.

 

For the Georgia program, she never became a distraction. 

 

"All the people at Georgia supported her, the team supported her," Smith Gilbert said. "They understood that she had to be separate, but she did a really good job getting into her Bible, so that was probably what made her the strongest. She strengthened herself in God and that helped."

 

Oakley, one of the few seniors on this year's Georgia team, left a lasting impression herself with a 48.79-second run in the 400, breaking fellow Jamaican Nickisha Pryce's collegiate record by a tenth of a second. Oakley's only competition, USC's Madison Whyte, made the result possible in part to running 48.97 for second place.

 

"This morning, me and my coach were going through a visualization of my race and we were like, 'you can get this collegiate record,'" Oakley said. "To actually see it come to fruition, I was surprised."

 

Over an hour later, Oakley split an identical 48.79 in the 4x400 relay for Georgia to finish second to Arkansas in 3:20.96, adding a final eight points to the team score.

 

Hodge and Oakley accounted for 36 combined points. Georgia also recieved points from Michelle Smith in the 400 hurdles (55.10, fourth), Nina Ndubuisi in the shot put (17.67m, sixth) and the 4x100 relay (41.89, third).

 

"I think this might have been the best team I've ever been on," Oakley said. "We just came out here with a mindset that were in contention to win and we just went with it."

 

There hasn't been a three-peat champion since Texas A&M in 2009-11. The only other program to three-peat is LSU. Both those schools were coached by Pat Henry. 

 

"Just watch out for more," Oakley said. "While I'm not gonna be on the team next year, I can tell you the people who are there and the people who are coming in, they're going to be the best of the best ... Georgia will be coming back for that title again."