Samford Bulldogs’ program continues their Indoor Track & Field Championship streak

LEXINGTON, Va. – Samford’s men and women captured their seventh and eleventh Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship titles, respectively, after Saturday’s final day of competition at the VMI Corps Physical Training Facility. 

Samford’s men totaled 228.5 points, finishing 99.5 points ahead of runner‑up Furman. On the women’s side, Samford closed day two with 151 points to remain atop the standings, while Western Carolina finished close behind with 133 points. 

Wofford’s Sherika Christie was named the Women’s Most Outstanding Athlete after scoring 31 points across the championship. The junior won gold in the pentathlon, triple jump, and long jump, and added a point in the shot put. Her victories extended Wofford’s pentathlon title streak to six straight seasons. 

The Heath Whittle Most Outstanding Athlete Award went to Samford’s Bradley Franklin, who scored 20 points. After breaking the men’s 60‑meter hurdles record in both the prelims and finals last year, Franklin repeated the feat this season—running 7.45 on day one and lowering it to 7.41 in the final to win his second straight title. His time currently ranks No. 1 in Division I. Franklin also won gold and set a conference record in the 60m dash with a 6.63, placing him among the top 40 nationally. 

Western Carolina’s Jacob Thomas opened day two with a personal‑best throw of 17.14m to win the men’s weight throw. 

Samford added more women’s titles as Dorsey Parker defended her high jump crown with a clearance of 1.73m, and Aaliyah Mbenda won the 60‑meter hurdles in a personal‑best 8.44, extending Samford’s three‑year streak in the event. Senior Jessica Edwards snapped Furman’s six‑year run in the women’s 800m, winning in 2:06.90. 

VMI freshman Deonte Harris earned gold in the men’s triple jump with a personal‑best 14.90m. 

Furman swept the podium in the men’s mile, led by Bryn Woodall’s 4:03.70. Woodall is the fifth Paladin to win the event since 2017, continuing Furman’s dominance. The Paladins repeated the feat in the men’s 5000m, with Christopher Knight winning in 14:14.59. Furman also swept the women’s mile, where Camryn Wennersten ran a personal‑best 4:40.24, and added another title with Tessa Walter’s 16:37.92 win in the women’s 5000m. 

Samford’s Ben Thomason won the heptathlon with 5,074 points, finishing first in the long jump and 60‑meter hurdles. A Samford athlete has now won the event every year since 2020. 

The Bulldogs continued their momentum with Cole Grande’s personal‑best 47.32 to win the men’s 400m, followed by Zephaniah Carico‑McLennan’s first‑place 800m finish in 1:48.0, a top‑50 national mark. Caleb Yeary added a season‑best 21.32 to win the men’s 200m. 

Wofford’s Taylor Jennings‑Ward became the second Terrier in three years to win the women’s 400m, running a personal‑best 54.58. She was joined atop the podium by teammate Sherika Christie, who won the triple jump with a 12.30m leap. 

In the 200m, Samford’s Caleb Yeary won the men’s race in 21.32, while ETSU’s Micailah Cook won the women’s race in 24.39. Cook later joined the gold‑medal group again with a 16.77m throw to win the women’s weight throw. 

The championships concluded with the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays, where Samford swept both titles. The men finished in 3:16.35, and the women crossed in 3:43.86. 

*Italics: Meet record