Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina track and field plays host to the 2026 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the on-campus Catamount Athletics Complex. The two-day championship meet will crown 42 event champions as well as the SoCon men's and women's team champions. Events begin at 9:30 a.m. on Monday and runs through 5:35 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Catamount women's team is currently projected to finish second to the Samford Bulldogs in what is expected to be a tight championship race. Only 4.5 points separate the two teams based on the regular-season performance lists. The men's team is projected to finish as the runner-up as well, with Samford also expected to repeat as the men's team champions.
Tuesday's finale will be broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required), with coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday's Championship Meet:
2026 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships
May 11-12, 2026 | Catamount Athletic Complex | Cullowhee, N.C.
Watch (ESPN+):
https://tinyurl.com/4ht3che3
Live Results:
https://tinyurl.com/yjybxefv
Tickets:
https://tinyurl.com/2wrrsue7
Projected Team Scores:
| Women's |
Projected Points |
Men's |
Projected Points |
| Samford |
181 |
Samford |
261.5 |
| Western Carolina |
176.5 |
Western Carolina |
179.5 |
| Wofford |
126 |
Furman |
111 |
| Furman |
90 |
The Citadel |
76 |
| ETSU |
89 |
ETSU |
73.5 |
| Mercer |
59.5 |
Wofford |
38 |
| Chattanooga |
44 |
VMI |
34.5 |
| VMI |
38 |
UNCG |
11 |
| The Citadel |
8 |
|
|
| UNCG |
4 |
|
|
Catamounts to Watch:
WCU's women's team is expected to be led by
Ericka Jackson and
Lexie Durban, as the throws duo ranks highly in their events. Jackson leads the SoCon in the javelin throw and ranks second in the shot put to go with her fourth-place standings in the discus and hammer. Durban sits second in the hammer and javelin and ranks third in the discus as well as fifth in the shot put.
Additionally,
Toria Roundtree leads the Southern Conference in the discus and is projected to score in the shot put as the Catamount women's throws team is set to anchor the lineup.
Jasmine Greene ranks second in the triple jump and seventh in the long jump and will look to carve out points for the Catamounts in the horizontal jumps.
On the track,
Shaniya Shirley and
Shaneil Lysight are in prime position for strong placements as well. Shirley sits second in the 200m and fourth in the 100m and is set to run a leg on WCU's SoCon-leading 4x100m relay team. Lysight is third in the 100m hurdles and sixth in the 400m hurdles and has an opportunity to improve her times on her home track.
The men's top projected scorers are more evenly spread out, with
Painter Richards-Baker,
Austin Cline, and
Anthony Hawkins Jr. all projected to score 14 points based on their previous performances this season. Richards-Baker ranks second in the Southern Conference in the 110m hurdles -- with
Christian Roberts sitting a close fourth -- and is fifth and seventh in the 400m hurdles and 200m, respectively.
Cline and Hawkins Jr. are set for strong performances in the throws, with Hawkins Jr. currently leading the SoCon in the discus by a full meter. The freshman thrower also ranks fifth in the shot put and is on the scoring fringe in the javelin. Cline is in the silver medal position in the hammer throw and ranks third in the shot put.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The SoCon championships are the last team opportunity for the Catamounts to earn regional qualifying marks, with potential last chance meets to come in the following days. Should a Catamount advance to the NCAA East Prelims, they would represent WCU in Lexington, Ky. on May 27-30.
