Lexington. Va. – Western Carolina men's and women's track and field are primed for a strong finish to the indoor season following Friday's first day at the 2026 Southern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the VMI Corps Physical Training Facility.

The Catamounts sit third in both the men's and women's championships after picking up four combined medalists in day one action and sending 17 qualifiers to the finals in their respective events. Additionally, WCU earned six all-freshman selections across the men's and women's competition.

The championship concludes on Saturday in Lexington, with events resuming at 9 a.m. Coverage on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) begins at 11:30 a.m.

Sophomore Ericka Jackson in the women's shot put and freshman Daniel Coronell in the men's long jump led off the day for the Catamounts with second-place finishes. Additionally, senior Austin Cline and freshman Josh Flack picked up a pair of third-place finishes in the men's shot put and the men's high jump to start the scoring early.

Jackson then took second place in the shot put with a 13.74m toss, setting a personal record in the event and securing eight points for the Catamount women's team. Sophomore Lexie Durban also scored in the event with a fifth-place finish at 12.28m, claiming four more points as the WCU women's throws squad picked up 12 points.  

Additionally, the Catamount combined team picked up 11 total points in the pentathlon as freshman Celia Gully, junior Kendal Hudson, and freshman McCarey Beaty all earned points for the Catamounts. Gully recorded a fourth-place finish with 3,355 total points in the event and now ranks fifth in the WCU all-time top five performance list. 

On the men's side, the Catamounts recorded 12 points in the high jump and the shot put. Freshmen Josh Flack, Daniel Coronell, and Noah Brannon finished third, fourth, and eighth with clears of 2.04m, 1.99m, and 1.84m, respectively, to rack up points.

Cline was joined by freshman Anthony Hawkins Jr. and senior Jacob Thomas in scoring order of the men's shot put. Cline took third place to secure six points while Hawkins Jr. and Thomas took fifth (15.20m) and seventh (14.88m) to score four and two points, respectively.

Samford's men totaled 59 points to take a 15-point lead over Furman through day one as they pursue their seventh straight championship. On the women's side, Samford closed day one with 71 points to sit atop the standings. 

The Catamounts look to close out the indoor championships with a strong performance on Saturday, with combined events beginning at 9 a.m.  Fans can tune in to an ESPN+ (paid subscription required) broadcast of the meet beginning at 11:30 a.m. 

Catamount Men's Scorers on Day One (40 total points): 

Daniel Coronell (13 total points): Men's Long Jump (2nd – 7.12m | 8 points) and Men's High Jump (4th – 1.99m | 5 points)

Austin Cline (6 points): Men's Shot Put (3rd – 15.99m) 

Josh Flack (6 points): Men's High Jump (3rd – 2.04m) 

Men's DMR Team (5 points): Eli Clonch, Elias Barton, Trevor Williams, Bradley White (4th – 10:19.82) 

Anthony Hawkins Jr. (4 points): Men's Shot Put (5th – 15.20m) 

Nathan Williams (3 points): Men's Long Jump (6th – 6.80m) 

Jacob Thomas (2 points): Men's Shot Put (7th – 14.88m) 

Noah Brannon (1 point): Men's High Jump (8th – 1.84m) 

Catamount Women's Scorers on Day One (46 total points): 

Kendal Hudson (9 total points): Women's Long Jump (4th – 5.71m | 5 points) & Pentathlon (5th – 3,341 | 4 points) 

Ericka Jackson (8 points): Women's Shot Put (2nd – 13.74m) 

Katherine Hopkins (5 points): Women's 3000m (4th - 9:54.69) 

Women's DMR Team (5 points): Peyton Skoglund, Shaneil Lysight, Ashlyn Watkins, Katherine Hopkins (4th – 12:11.48) 

Celia Gully (5 points): Pentathlon (4th – 3,355 pts) 

Lexi Durban (4 points): Women's Shot Put (5th – 12.70m) 

Jasmine Greene (3 points): Women's Long Jump (6th – 5.64m) 

Morgan Edwards (3 points): Women's Pole Vault (6th – 3.34m) 

McCarey Beaty (2 points): Pentathlon (7th – 3,216 pts) 

Raelyn Vadala (1 point): Women's Long Jump (8th – 5.49m) 

Bella Hilleary (1 point): Women's Pole Vault (8th – 3.19m)

Bold – denotes SoCon All-Freshman Team