Wingate Claims Fourth Straight Women's Outdoor Track and Field Title

EMORY, Va. (TheSAC.com) – For the first time, Emory & Henry hosted the South Atlantic Conference Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship, and the Wingate Bulldogs dominated en route to their fourth consecutive SAC title. Wingate finished with 216 points, 74 points clear of Catawba Indians, who totaled 142 points for second place. Lenoir-Rhyne Bears claimed third with 91 points.

Individually, Wingate's Ally Holmberg was named the Outstanding Field Athlete of the Meet. She captured gold in the heptathlon with 4,822 points to earn 10 team points and added silver medals in the javelin throw (33.99m) and long jump (5.82m). Holmberg also placed eighth in the shot put, finishing the meet with 27 total points.

Tusculum Pioneers standout Jahzara Hart earned Outstanding Track Athlete of the Meet honors after a dominant performance. Hart posted a time of 11.28 in the 100-meter prelims, the third-fastest time in Division II this season, before winning gold in the finals with a time of 11.60. She added another gold in the 200 meters (23.60) and was part of Tusculum's winning 4x100-meter relay team (44.55). Hart also contributed with a fifth-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay.

The SAC Freshman of the Year honor went to Carson-Newman Eagles's Meiah Moss, who placed second in the heptathlon with 4,229 points. She also added a seventh-place finish in the long jump to total 10 team points.

Tusculum's Robert Williams was named the SAC Women's Coach of the Year after leading the Pioneers to a fourth-place finish with 89 points.

Wingate's distance runners once again led the way, scoring 30 team points in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Firdaouss Hriche took first, followed by Karlijn Mesman in second, while Maria Chacha and Sira Bo placed third and fourth, respectively. Maissane Jouen added an eighth-place finish. The Bulldogs also totaled 17 points in both the 1,500 meters and 10,000 meters. Hoyane Esper earned silver in the 400-meter hurdles, helping Wingate to 12 points in the event, while Evie Brooks' gold in the 800 meters added 10 more points. Led by Holmberg, Wingate added 15 points in the long jump.

Catawba dominated the 1,500 meters, placing three runners in the top four to earn 22 points. Eden Barnwell won the event in 4:44.27, while Natalie Almond placed third and Emer McGlynn finished fourth. Standout Madison Clay added another gold to her decorated career, winning the 10,000 meters in 35:07.76, with Hannah Caudill placing third. Catawba also claimed gold in the discus, as Jamelia Nicholas led the way with a throw of 39.91 meters.

Lenoir-Rhyne excelled in the 100-meter hurdles with a second-place finish from Mackenzie Pringle and a seventh-place effort by Sharonda Priester. Priester later won gold in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.29.

Tusculum's sprinters powered the team to a fourth-place finish, accounting for 84 of the team's 89 points in sprint and relay events. In addition to Hart's performances, Qitarah Castlin placed second in the 100 meters, while Shanice Cox finished third. Kori Moore won the 100-meter hurdles (13.54), and Kialia Claiborne placed third. Hart and Castlin went 1-2 in the 200 meters, with Cox finishing eighth.

Women's Final Standings

1. Wingate – 216
2. Catawba – 142
3. Lenoir-Rhyne – 91
4. Tusculum – 89
5. Carson-Newman – 88
6. UVA Wise – 55
7. Anderson – 46
8. Lincoln Memorial – 34
9. Coker – 17
   T-10. Mars Hill – 15
   T-10. Newberry – 15
   12. Emory & Henry - 9