Durham, N.C. – The Catamount track and field teams closed out a split weekend of competition with strong performances across the board, with Cymoria Thomas sprinting to the WCU all-time performance list at the Duke Invitational and the Catamounts claiming 11 top-five finishes at the Southside Power & Fitness Invitational in Hickory, N.C.
Thomas improved to third on the WCU 200m all-time performance list, earning her placement after a 24.23s sprint at the Duke Invitational. She is the first entry on the top-five list since BriAnna Adams in 2016, and only trails Tayla Carter's 2015 record of 23.60s and Felicia Paulding's 23.83s in 2009.
Additionally, the WCU women's 4x100m relay team earned a fourth-place finish at Duke with a 45.93s finish. The time set by Jada Erwins, Cymoria Thomas, Shaniya Shirley, and Emma Goins currently leads the Southern Conference.
Meanwhile, in Hickory, N.C., at the Southside Power & Fitness Invitational, the Catamounts claimed an event win in the decathlon thanks to Bennett Whitefield, who earned a personal record 6,461points. He remains fifth on the WCU all-time performance list. Colby Capps took second in the event with 6,225 points, while Dakota Braucher was fifth with 4,877.
Hannah Kline, Anthony Hawkins Jr., and Jasmine Greene all earned second-place finishes in the women's high jump, the men's discus, and the women's triple jump competitions, respectively. Kline tied for second with a 1.53m clear, while Greene claimed a solo second-place finish in the triple jump with an 11.97m bound. Hawkins Jr. earned his runner-up finish in the discus with a 47.90m toss on his sixth and final throw of the day.
Additionally, the Catamounts earned a pair of third-place finishes in the heptathlon and the triple jump. Celia Gully recorded 4,392 points in the heptathlon and Raelyn Vadala leapt 11.90m in the triple.
Kendal Hudson scored 4,245 points to finish fifth in the heptathlon, while Josh Flack was fourth in the high jump, clearing 1.98m. Octavia Massena's 11.80m attempt in the triple jump took fifth place, overall.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
Western Carolina will host its next two meets of the 2026 outdoor season. The Catamounts return to action in the annual Catamount Classic on April 24-25, before hosting the 2026 SoCon Outdoor Championships on May 10-11 at the Catamount Athletic Complex. WCU then turns its attention to the 2026 NCAA East Prelims in Lexington, Ky., scheduled for May 27-30.
