Outdoor Track and Field championships to be held in Cullowhee, North Carolina

CULLOWHEE, N.C. — The SoCon Outdoor Track & Field Championships return to Western Carolina’s Catamount Athletic Complex on Monday and Tuesday. This year marks the 101st men’s championship and the 39th women’s championship. 

Monday’s schedule opens with the men’s decathlon at 9:30 a.m., followed by the women’s heptathlon at 10 a.m. Day 1 concludes with the men’s and women’s 10,000m finals at 7:35 p.m. and 8:20 p.m., respectively. 

Tuesday’s action resumes with the multi events at 9:15 a.m. The meet wraps up with the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays at 5:25 p.m. and 5:35 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony. Day 2 coverage will air live on ESPN+ beginning at 1:30 p.m. The complete schedule, live results, daily recaps, photos, and video highlights are available at SoConSports.com. 

Storylines 

• The event returns to Cullowhee for the first time since 2023. Previous championships hosted by Western Carolina were held in 2005, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2018, and 2021. 

• Samford enters as the defending champion on both the men’s and women’s sides. The Bulldog men claimed their seventh overall and fifth straight title last year. The Samford women secured their sixth straight and eighth overall. 

• Samford holds the top regular season mark in 13 men’s events and 10 women’s events, including the 800m, 100/110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, high jump, shot put, and hammer throw, where the Bulldogs lead on both sides. 

• ETSU’s Micailah Cook is the only SoCon athlete to hold the top regular season mark in three women’s events: the 100m, 200m, and 400m. 

• Samford’s Bradley Franklin enters the championship leading the nation in the men’s 110m hurdles after running 13.07 at the Tom Jones Memorial in April. 

• Furman swept the top marks in the 1500m and 3000m steeplechase, led by Bryn Woodall (Men’s 1500m), Camryn Wennersten (Women’s 1500m), Colton Kempney (Men’s Steeple), and Annie Miller (Women’s Steeple). 

• Western Carolina owns a sweep in the men’s and women’s discus, with Anthony Hawkins Jr. and Toria Roundtree topping the league standings. 

• Western Carolina’s Austin Cline and Samford’s Bryce Davis each earned Athlete of the Week honors in men’s field on three occasions this season.  

• Three 2025 OTK superlative honorees return: Micailah Cook (ETSU), Sherika Christie (Wofford) — No. 1 in the SoCon heptathlon — and Bryce Davis (Samford) — No. 1 in the men’s hammer.  

• Three 2025 OTK gold medalists return to defend their titles: Micailah Cook (Women’s 200m & 400m), Bradley Franklin (Men’s 110H), and Kyle Kaufeld (Men’s Javelin). Samford will also look to defend its crown in the men’s 4x400m relay.