Davidson, N.C. -- The Western Carolina track and field teams began the 2025 outdoor season with multiple event wins and a handful of personal bests at the Davidson Relays, hosted by in-state foe Davidson at the Irwin Belk Track.

Freshman Justin Hayes and senior Imani Boyd headlined the individual efforts for the Catamounts with a win in the men's mile and the women's high jump, respectively, while the men's 4x400m relay team consisting of senior John Davis, freshman Christian Roberts, senior Henry Stecher, and freshman Trevor Williams took first with a time of 3:18.64. 

Hayes led the Catamount men's team in the mile with a 4:17.35 finish, just 0.73 seconds ahead of teammate Davis's time of 4:18.08. Fellow Catamount cross-country runners in sophomore Chase Thurber and senior Will Mitchell also took fourth and eighth in the event. Hayes's event win is the first individual event victory of his career, though he was a member of a Catamount distance medley relay team that took first at the VMI Winter Classic in 2022.  

Boyd led the Catamount women's squad with a 1.60m clear in the high jump, tying for first in the event with Gardner-Webb's Teandra Clemons. She and Clemons had only a single fault en route to their high mark, giving them the advantage over VMI's Morgan Fraser and Davidson's Riley Dodd, who cleared the same height but took third and fourth.  

The Catamounts also put forth strong efforts in the relays, taking first and seventh in the 4x400m. WCU also took fourth in the 4x100m relay thanks to a 42.22s finish by the freshman trio of Leyton Shuler, Trevor Williams, and Ian Hicks, along with junior Noah Straley.  

WCU's throws squad also had a strong weekend in Davidson, with junior Jackson Livingston and freshman Ericka Jackson leading their teams. Livingston broke the 60m barrier in the javelin throw, and his mark of 60.13m finished fourth at the event, the 77th-best mark in the nation so far.

Jackson, fresh off a 41.93m toss in the women's javelin throw at the Raleigh Relays that stands as the fourth-best in Catamount history, earned a fourth-place finish in the shot put with a 12.33m mark.

Junior Shaneil Lysight led the Catamount sprints squads in a highly competitive field, taking fourth in the 100m hurdles. The junior set a new personal best in the event with her 14.16s finish and was one of only eight athletes with a sub-14.5 finish.  

Up Next for The Catamounts: 
The WCU track and field teams continue the spring campaign beginning on Friday, April 4, with a trip to High Point for the two-day VertKlasse Meeting hosted by the Panthers. Following the two-day meeting at High Point, the Catamounts see action at the Duke Invitational (April 10-12) and the UNC Asheville Invitational (April 11-12) before returning to Cullowhee for the annual Catamount Classic (April 25-26) that is slated to include Friday coverage on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).

Top Five Finishes: 

Shaneil Lysight – 4th | 100m Hurdles 

Braeyln-Shae Wahy – 4th | 1500m 

Katherine Hopkins – 5th | 1500m 

Justin Hayes – 1st | Mile 

John Davis – 2nd | Mile 

Chase Thurber – 4th | Mile 

Jessica Connole – 5th | 3000m 

Toria Roundtree – 5th | Discus Throw 

Imani Boyd – 1st | High Jump 

Raelyn Vadala – 4th | Long Jump 

Kendal Hudson – 5th | Long Jump 

Austin Cline – 4th | Shot Put 

Ericka Jackson – 4th | Shot Put 

Jackson Livingston – 4th | Javelin Throw