Davidson Breaks School Record To Lead Georgia’s Javelin Sweep At Yellow Jacket Invitational

Friday, March 21

Atlanta, Ga.

University of Georgia

Yellow Jacket Invitational

Jun 6, 2024; Eugene, OR, USA; Erica McMeniman of Georgia places 10th in the women's javelin at 174-11 (53.32m) during the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Photo by: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Davidson Breaks School Record To Lead Georgia’s Javelin Sweep At Yellow Jacket Invitational

March 21, 2025 | Track & Field

ATLANTA, Ga. --- Senior newcomer Lianna Davidson shattered the school javelin record with the No. 2 performance in NCAA history while freshman Manuela Rotundo became the No. 8 collegiate javelin performer to lead a 1-2-3 sweep in the event at the Yellow Jacket Invitational on Friday.

The Bulldogs came away with four victories on their first day of outdoor competition in 2025 as the team split up between the Georgia Tech-hosted meet and the Black and Gold Invitational on the campus of UCF.

Fast Facts

Davidson broke Marie-Therese Obst's program record by nearly eight feet, recording a throw of 62.59 meters/205 feet, 4 inches on her fifth attempt before improving her mark to 63.79m/209-3 on her sixth try to earn the javelin win in Atlanta. Coming into the meet as the No. 7 all-time collegiate performer in the event, she improved to second all-time and sits just 16 inches off the collegiate record of 64.19m/210-7 set by Nebraska's Rhema Otabor in 2024.
Rotundo sent her first collegiate javelin throw a whopping 61.13m/200-6 to place second behind Davidson with the No. 3 mark in Georgia history. The throw makes her the No. 8 performer in NCAA history with the No. 11 performance all-time.
Graduate student Erin McMeniman rounded out Georgia's top three in the javelin with a 53.05m/174-0 on her second attempt to finish just 11 inches short of her personal record. McMeniman currently ranks eighth in program history in the event, rounding out a strong trio of javelin throwers leading the Bulldogs in 2025.
Stephanie Ratcliffe opened Georgia's day in Atlanta with a victory in the hammer throw, posting a mark of 66.48m/218-1 on her fifth try to win by nearly 10 feet.
Freshman Michelle Smith picked up Georgia's lone victory at the Black and Gold Invitational on Friday, clocking the No. 3 time in program history in the 400-meter hurdles in the first outdoor race of her college career. Smith ran a blazing 55.98 to win by over three seconds in Orlando.
For full results from the Yellow Jacket Invitational, please visit: https://gado.gs/cup. For full results from the Black and Gold Invitational, please visit: https://gado.gs/cuo.

Up Next
Georgia will continue competition at the Black and Gold Invitational on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. Georgia will compete in the women's high jump (Danah Nembhard) and women's triple jump (T'oni Birden, Alisa Gordon, Danah Nembhard, Skylynn Townsend) to kick off the field events at 10 a.m. while Jordan Fick, Jayden Keys, and Maximus Tucker will compete in Georgia's first running event, the 110-meter hurdles prelims, at 11 a.m.

Where To Find Bulldogs News
Results and recaps from the Bulldogs' outdoor season will be found at georgiadogs.com. News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are always located on X/Instagram at @UGATrack.