T&F Earns Three USTFCCCA South Region Honors
ATHENS, Ga. — The Bulldogs collected three U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Region awards, according to an announcement Friday.
Elena Kulichenko was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Year; Caryl Smith Gilbert garnered Women’s Coach of the Year honors; and Karim Abdel Wahab was voted Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
The next round of USTFCCCA voting will determine the national performers and coaches of the year.
Kulichenko, a native of Odintsovo, Russia, collected her second straight honor of this kind and it stands as the ninth similar award in program history. Smith Gilbert’s honor is the fourth of its kind for the Bulldogs and first since 2017. Abdel Wahab’s accolade is the third award for UGA in this category and first since 2015.
Kulichenko won the third NCAA high jump title of her career (first outright) with a clearance of 1.96 meters/6 feet, 5 inches thanks to a perfect 5-for-5 on opening height clearances. She earned runner-up honors at the Southeastern Conference Championships after reaching a top clearance of 1.87m/6-1.50. Kulichenko had one of the nation’s top regular season heights at 1.89m/6-2.25 during the regular season to win the Tiger Track Classic.
Smith Gilbert locked down her third team national championship and first at Georgia by leaving the nearest competition behind by 26 points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She led Georgia to its first SEC outdoor team championship since 2006 thanks 103.5 points, 21.5 points ahead of the nearest opposition. Smith Gilbert had four NCAA individual champions and 10 scorers to highlight the Bulldogs’ national title run.
Abdel Wahab guided his event area athletes to total 34 of Georgia’s 73 points as the team clinched the women’s first NCAA outdoor crown. He had the 400-meter dash champion (Aaliyah Butler) and the 400m runner-up (Dejanea Oakley), the bronze medalist in the 400m hurdles (Michelle Smith) and concluded the meet with the winning 4x400m relay squad (Butler, Oakley, Smith, Sydney Harris). Abdel Wahab helped Georgia win the 2025 SEC outdoor crown as well. His crew went first and fourth in the 400m, second in the 400m hurdles and second in the 4x400m relay during the team’s run to its first SEC crown since 2006.
Elena Kulichenko was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Year; Caryl Smith Gilbert garnered Women’s Coach of the Year honors; and Karim Abdel Wahab was voted Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
The next round of USTFCCCA voting will determine the national performers and coaches of the year.
Kulichenko, a native of Odintsovo, Russia, collected her second straight honor of this kind and it stands as the ninth similar award in program history. Smith Gilbert’s honor is the fourth of its kind for the Bulldogs and first since 2017. Abdel Wahab’s accolade is the third award for UGA in this category and first since 2015.
Kulichenko won the third NCAA high jump title of her career (first outright) with a clearance of 1.96 meters/6 feet, 5 inches thanks to a perfect 5-for-5 on opening height clearances. She earned runner-up honors at the Southeastern Conference Championships after reaching a top clearance of 1.87m/6-1.50. Kulichenko had one of the nation’s top regular season heights at 1.89m/6-2.25 during the regular season to win the Tiger Track Classic.
Smith Gilbert locked down her third team national championship and first at Georgia by leaving the nearest competition behind by 26 points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She led Georgia to its first SEC outdoor team championship since 2006 thanks 103.5 points, 21.5 points ahead of the nearest opposition. Smith Gilbert had four NCAA individual champions and 10 scorers to highlight the Bulldogs’ national title run.
Abdel Wahab guided his event area athletes to total 34 of Georgia’s 73 points as the team clinched the women’s first NCAA outdoor crown. He had the 400-meter dash champion (Aaliyah Butler) and the 400m runner-up (Dejanea Oakley), the bronze medalist in the 400m hurdles (Michelle Smith) and concluded the meet with the winning 4x400m relay squad (Butler, Oakley, Smith, Sydney Harris). Abdel Wahab helped Georgia win the 2025 SEC outdoor crown as well. His crew went first and fourth in the 400m, second in the 400m hurdles and second in the 4x400m relay during the team’s run to its first SEC crown since 2006.
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