CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Samford’s men claimed their sixth straight SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championship on Tuesday. Paced by Men’s Most Outstanding Athlete Cole Grande, the Bulldogs scored 238.5 points to secure the title. Grande won gold in the men’s 400m, earned silver in the 200m, and contributed to Samford’s gold‑medal performances in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Samford’s David Brown was named the Pinnacle Award winner as the student‑athlete with the highest cumulative GPA on the championship‑winning team. Samford also claimed the Women’s Most Outstanding Athlete honor, following JT Shaw’s 26-point performance. Shaw won gold in the women’s shot put, and placed second in the hammer and discus.
Western Carolina’s women, powered by a 20‑point performance from Cymoria Thomas, claimed their first SoCon championship since 2018. Thomas swept the women’s 100m and 200m dashes to lead the Catamounts. Western Carolina’s Gaby Reeve earned the Pinnacle Award, sponsored by the Knight Commission.
Day 2 Men’s Champions |
4x1 | Samford – 40.17 |
1500m | Bryn Woodall, Furman – 3:42.91 |
110m Hurdles | Bradley Franklin, Samford – 13.52 *13.42 - Prelims |
400m | Cole Grande, Samford – 46.35 [PB] |
100m | Caleb Yeary, Samford – 10.46 |
800m | Zeph Carico-McLennan, Samford – 1:48.26* |
400m Hurdles | Christian Roberts, Western Carolina – 52.16 [PB] |
200m | Bradley Franklin, Samford – 20.79 |
5000m | Luke Ward, UNCG – 14:40.99 [SB] |
4x4 | Samford – 3:10.84 |
Decathlon | Gilbert Stein, Samford – 6,739 |
Discus | Anthony Hawkins Jr., Western Carolina – 50.25m |
High Jump | Arthur Chitty, Samford – 2.15m [SB] |
Shot Put | Carl Henry, Samford - 16.58m |
Triple Jump | Patrick Green, Wofford – 14.86m |
Day 2 Women’s Champions |
4x1 | Wofford – 45.36 |
1500m | Nysa Males, Furman – 4:22.17 [PB] |
100m Hurdles | JaKayla Campbell, Wofford – 13.52 |
400m | Taylor Jennings-Ward, Wofford – 53.02* [PB] |
100m | Cymoria Thomas, Western Carolina – 11.74 [PB] |
800m | Jessica Edwards, Samford – 2:04.00 |
400m Hurdles | Aaliyah Mbenda, Samford – 1:00.45 [PB] |
200m | Cymoria Thomas, Western Carolina – 23.88 [PB] |
5000m | Sierra Bower, Furman – 17:22.54 |
4x4 | Wofford - 3:37.83 |
Heptathlon | Olivia Bagg, Wofford – 4, 867 |
High Jump | Morgan Fraser, VMI – 1.68m |
Discus | Toria Roundtree, Western Carolina – 46.57m [PB] |
Triple Jump | Jasmine Greene, Western Carolina – 12.25m |
Day 2 Men’s All-Freshman |
1500m | Wesley Luisi, ETSU Loden Kohrman, Samford Bradley White, Western Carolina |
110m Hurdles | Gage Herring, The Citadel Gilbert Stein, Samford Deonte Harris, VMI |
400m | Leland Bishop, Furman Jackson Sorbello, Furman Emery Anderson, UNCG |
100m | Chase Webb, Samford Jack Stubbs, Samford Ty Watkins, Samford |
800m | Jack Wallace, The Citadel Wesley Luisi, ETSU Jeremiah Jones, UNCG |
400m Hurdles | Kyan Sapko, The Citadel Gage Herring, The Citadel Milo Wilets, ETSU |
200m | Chase Webb, Samford Ty Watkins, Samford Delton Jones, Western Carolina |
5000m | Garrett Hawkins, ETSU Luke Huehn, UNCG Matthias Peterson, Western Carolina |
Decathlon | Myer Daniels, The Citadel Gilbert Stein, Samford |
Discus | Anthony Hawkins Jr., Western Carolina Jack Wilson, ETSU |
High Jump | Josh Flack, Western Carolina Daniel Coronell, Western Carolina Vahin Middough, VMI |
Shot Put | Daniel Dounian, The Citadel Anthony Hawkins Jr, Western Carolina |
Triple Jump | Deonte Harris, VMI |
Day 2 Women’s All-Freshman |
1500m | Eliza Everett, ETSU Katherine Bannigan, Furman Bella King, Chattanooga |
100m Hurdles | Kiera-Lee Abrahams, Samford Ayla Pessoa-Rollins, Wofford |
400m | Jada Erwin, Western Carolina Sofia LaCorte, Wofford Carmen Pollard, Mercer |
100m | TaLaya Broaders, Mercer Shaniya Shirley, Western Carolina Ayzia Jefferson, UNCG |
800m | Tara Watkins, Furman Ava Dennis, Wofford Sarah Turner, Wofford |
400m Hurdles | Katelyn Lemke, ETSU Kali McQuade, Samford McCrary Beaty, Western Carolina |
200m | Ayzia Jefferson, UNCG Shaniya Shirley, Western Carolina Jada Erwin, Western Carolina |
5000m | Madalyn Mahoney, ETSU Tessa Walter, Furman Elly Velasquez, Furman |
Heptathlon | Celia Gully, Western Carolina McCrary Beaty, Western Carolina |
Discus | Maddie Winchester, ETSU Gianna Ortiz, Wofford Maggie Frana, Wofford |
Triple Jump | Liliana Coe, The Citadel Kyndall Brundidge, Samford Celia Gully, Western Carolina |
Shot Put | Jadan Dean, The Citadel Maddie Winchester, ETSU Maggie Frana, Wofford |
High Jump | Halle Carden, Chattanooga Genevieve Cummings, VMI Gracie Sutton, Western Carolina |