Former Georgia All-American Garrett Scantling had the breakthrough every decathlete dreams of, earning his first trip to the Olympics on Sunday.
Scantling recorded personal bests in four of the 10 decathlon events to win the U.S. title after finishing fourth in the 2016 Trials, missing a trip to the Rio Olympics by one spot.
Scantling was one of three current or former Georgia track stars to secure a place on Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on Sunday.
Georgia sprinter Matthew Boling was not among those athletes, however, finishing 14th in the 100-meter semifinal (10.22).
Boling, a sophomore from Houston, will be back in action in the 200 meters on Friday. Boling was recently identified as one of five current UGA athletes expected to be approached for a NIL deal by Onward Reserve on July 1, which would make him among the first collegiate athletes paid for the usage of his name image and likeness.
Former Bulldogs track star Keturah Orji, meanwhile, set a meet record in the triple jump (47 feet, 7.5 inches) on Sunday to win the U.S. Title.
Orji was fourth at the 2016 Olympics and will be looking for gold next month in Japan. The Olympic Games take place in Tokyo July 23-Aug. 8.
Orji is an eight-time NCAA champion and the collegiate record holder, and her Sunday performance made her the first back-to-back women’s triple jumper winner in the U.S. Trials’ history.
UGA sophomore Jasmine Moore also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, finishing third in the triple jump (46-5.25). Moore, who is from Grand Prairie, Texas, was the 2021 NCAA outdoor meet runner-up.
In other Sunday action at Haward Field, Georgia junior Elija Godwin was sixth in the 400-meter final. Godwin, from Covington, ran a 44.94 that registered as a third-fastest among the collegiate sprinters in the final round.
Former Bulldog Lynna Irby also ran in her respective 400-meter finals, finishing sixth (50.35). Irby, who will compete in the 200 meters later this week, is expected to be named to the Team USA relay team, per a UGA spokesperson.
Georgia sophomore Anna Hall (high jump) and junior Titiana Marsh also made the finals of their events.
Marsh finished in eighth place in the triple jump (44-0.50), while Hall was 11th in the high jump (5-9.75).
Hall will compete in the heptathlon beginning next Saturday.
Georgia sophomore Kyle Garland, this year’s SEC decathlon champion, was sixth at the Trials. Garland recorded four personal bests in the two-day competition.
Looking ahead Georgia senior Kayla Smith and former All-American Morgann Leleux will compete in the qualifying round of the women’s pole vault at 8 p.m. on Thursday, while Moore and Orji will line up in the long jump at 8:45 p.m.
Irby will also run in the opening round of the 200 meters at 9:31 p.m. on Thursday night, and senior Amber Tanner will compete in the first round of the 800 meters at 10 p.m.