Cullowhee, N.C. – The reigning Southern Conference Outdoor track and field champions are bringing in some new faces as head coach Jesse Norman announced the addition of five signees to the women's cross country and track and field teams.
The five-signee class consists of a pair of transfer student-athletes from West Virginia and Toledo, as well as a trio of true freshmen. Three of the signees will compete in the sprints/hurdles for the Catamounts, while the jumps and distance teams receive one signee each, as the Catamount throws team retained much of its roster from the 2026 outdoor championship run.
"This group, while smaller than previous years, could be a high-impact group for the women's program moving forward," said Jesse Norman, the 2026 SoCon Outdoor Women's Coach of the Year. "We returned the majority of the women's program this year, so the coaching staff really looked for individuals that could fill holes or add an immediate impact to the program. This group accomplishes that goal and will set us up to make another run at a team championship."
The Catamount cross country / track & field teams return to action on Friday, Sept. 4 as they face mountain-rival UNC Asheville at the Duel in the Valley to open the 2026 cross country season. The 2026-27 indoor track and field season is set to open in early December and run through March, while the outdoor season gets started a few weeks following the conclusion of the indoor campaign.
Sprints/Hurdles Group:
Raelle Brown (Bandys HS – Terrell, N.C.)
PR's: 100m hurdles – 14.61, 300m hurdles – 45.21
Coach Notes: Is an exciting hurdle addition to the women's squad. We feel that she'll be able to adapt to the level of collegiate training needed to become a star within the conference in the coming years.
Mckencee Cook (Hickory Ridge HS – Charlotte, N.C.)
PR's: 200m – 24.75, 400m – 57.32, Long Jump: 18-9
Coach Notes: A developing long sprinter who can also participate in the long jump. She will be looked at to add depth to our long sprints program when teamed up with our returners Jada Erwin, Kyndal Saunders, and Leah Butler. Adding her to this group will help us continue to progress this training group to the top of the conference in the coming years.
Sydney Stepanovich (University of Toledo – Canton, Ohio)
PR's: 60m – 7.77, 100m – 11.82, 200m – 24.49, 400m – 57.52
Coach Notes: An incoming transfer student-athlete, Sydney will pair well with our current crop of short sprinters, Cymoria Thomas, Shaniya Shirley and Emma Goins. She brings more quality to an already strong group that should help continue the past year's success.
Jumps Group:
Kendall Hampton (Willow Springs HS – Raleigh, N.C.)
PR's: High Jump: 5-6, Long Jump: 17-2, Triple Jump: 37-9
Coach Notes: A multi-threat jumper, Kendall will be a great addition to our women's jumps group. Her ability to compete in all three jumps will be a huge asset for the program moving forward. She'll develop further within the long jump to become a great all-around jumper within the conference.
Distance Group:
Eva Rinker (University of West Virginia – Waynesville, N.C.)
PR's: 800m – 2:15, Mile – 4:55, 3K – 10:27, 5K (XC) – 17:35
Coach Notes: A local from nearby Waynesville, Eva is coming back home to attend WCU as a grad student. Her ability to run the middle-distance events will be an exciting addition to the distance program, helping to balance out our longer-distance athletes.
