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Bulldog training partners Karel Tilga and Kyle Garland made history at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday as the Georgia duo went 1-2 in the heptathlon with record-breaking performances.
Sixth-year senior Kayla Smith led the scoring attack for the Lady Bulldogs with the team’s second silver medal in as many days. Smith reached a personal-best height of 14 feet, 5 ½ inches in the pole vault in her first time competing at indoor Nationals.
The sixth-ranked Bulldog men have scored 20 points and are tied with LSU for the lead after two of three days. The fourth-ranked Georgia women have scored 23 points and are tied with LSU for second place.
Tilga, a native of Tartu, Estonia, scored the second-highest total in collegiate history with a school record 6,264 points to give the Bulldogs their second NCAA title in the event (Devon Williams, 2017) and their fifth NCAA individual crown for the men indoors.
Garland, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., tallied the fourth-highest total in collegiate history with 6,200 points and is the third Bulldog runner-up in the event since 2014. The Bulldogs have had at least one All-American in the heptathlon for 10 consecutive years. Georgia has had two scoring All-Americans six of those times since 2012.
Garland and Tilga became the first teammates in NCAA history to win and earn runner-up honors in the event at the same meet.
Also of note, the country’s seventh-ranked heptathlete in 2021, Bulldog senior and three-time heptathlete All-American Johannes Erm, remained in Athens after sustaining an injury at the Southeastern Conference Championships two weeks ago.
Where To Catch The NCAA Championships: Live streaming of the NCAA meet will air on ESPN3 through Saturday. The broadcast talent includes Dwight Stones, Dan O’Brien and John Anderson.
A tape delay special of the Championships will air on ESPNU on Sunday at 9 p.m.
Saturday(1:30pm): http://gado.gs/6hh
Saturday (6pm): http://gado.gs/6hj
Saturday’s trophy presentation (9pm): http://gado.gs/6hl
Action starts on Saturday with sophomore Matthew Boling in the 200-meter dash final at 3:50 p.m. ET. The first Lady Bulldog competitors on the meet’s final day will be sophomore Jasmine Moore and junior Titiana Marsh in the triple jump at 6 p.m.