THE FLATS – The Georgia Tech men’s and women’s track and field teams closed out the Yellow Jacket Invitational with eight top-three finishes on Saturday afternoon.
The second day of competition opened with all the remaining field events taking place including the women’s triple jump. Adaora Tagbo wasted no time by stomping out a 12.31m jump in her first effort before repeating the exact distance again in the following attempt. 11 other jumpers came and went and Tagbo’s first two efforts remained untouched to secure her first event win of the outdoor season.
Tagbo repeated as the triple jump champion in the invitational after taking home first in 2025. 12.31m is her furthest outdoor effort since the Florida Relays in April 2025 at 12.34m.
The Jackets were placing high across the board as Alexander Arrambide and John Jessup finished 2-3 in the men’s 800m with sub-1:52 times. Both runners recorded monster personal bests. Lottie Chappell went 0.14 faster at 2:07.22 to pencil in a new best for her as she came across the line second overall in the women’s 800m.
Kelsey Chambers came out firing in the women’s high jump, landing her first three attempts with ease before needing just a second attempt to clear 1.72m for the first time in her career. She finished second overall and leapt over 1.70m for the first time since her 1.70m clearance at Lee.
Tech recorded four third place finishes with new personal bests across the board. Sophomore Charlie Crowder flew in his second effort and landed at 14.88m for his second best outdoor attempt while fellow sophomore Tahir Hines set a new personal best in the discus throw at 47.27 on his fifth try. Caden Terrell ran his outdoor best time of 47.29 in the 200m race.
2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships participant Kendall Ward finished fourth overall in the high jump at 1.67m as Cooper Timberman ran his personal best in the 800m at 1:52.09 to place fifth. Aaron Jones crossed the line fifth in his first-ever outdoor individual event at 52.39 in the 400m hurdles with Sarah Noel placing sixth at 1:02.07 in the women’s event.
Sophia Richard led Tech in the women’s 200m at 24.65 in sixth place with Ward and Noel finishing inside the top-15. Gracie Marston recorded a 2:10.72 in the women’s 800m to place fifth as Stella Chambless and McKenzie Blackledge finished inside the top-15. Underclassmen Sophia D’Elena and Macy Felton finished side-by-side in 23th and 24th, respectively.
Georgia Tech will split its travel next week with one squad heading south to the Terry Long FSU Relays in Tallahassee, Florida, and the other reporting to the Raleigh Relays on the campus of NC State. Both events will begin on Thursday, the FSU relays concluding on Friday with the Raleigh Relays ending on Saturday.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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