University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Asheville Track & Field: Big South Announces 2025 Outdoor Preseason Poll
03.13.2025 | Track and Field
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference released the 2025 Outdoor Track and Field Preseason Poll on Thursday (March 13), and the UNC Asheville men's team is predicted to finish fourth, while the women's team is predicted to finish sixth.
2025 BIG SOUTH WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD PRESEASON POLL
| Rk - School (first-place votes) | Points |
| 1 - High Point (8) | 64 |
| 2 - Charleston Southern | 56 |
| 3 - Gardner-Webb | 46 |
| 4 - Radford | 42 |
| 5 - USC Upstate | 28 |
| 6 - UNC Asheville | 26 |
| 7 - Winthrop | 16 |
| 8 - Longwood | 11 |
2025 BIG SOUTH MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD PRESEASON POLL
| Rk - School (first-place votes) | Points |
| 1 - High Point (7) | 49 |
| 2 - Charleston Southern | 41 |
| 3 - USC Upstate | 32 |
| 4 - UNC Asheville | 29 |
| 5 - Gardner-Webb | 21 |
| 6 - Winthrop | 16 |
| 7 - Longwood | 8 |
INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS RECAP
The Bulldogs wrapped up the 2025 Big South Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships with six podium finishes. Shemarr Session led Asheville by winning the men's 200m, where he set a new school record and Big South Championship meet record of 20.82. In a 60m hurdle final, decided by one thousandth of a second, Session took silver with his personal best time of 8.05. Session wrapped up his weekend by helping the 4x4 relay team to silver and earning a school record finish of 3:14.62. The relay squad consisted of Session, Jalen Anderson, Joseph Oliver, and Christopher Owens.
Session's efforts earned him the esteemed title of male Freshman Indoor Athlete of the Year, the first time a Bulldog has received the award since Bryson Riddick in 2020.
Jalen Anderson had two podium finishes: He earned bronze in the 60m and tied the school record at 6.83, and he took bronze in the men's 200m final with a season's best of 21.10.
The final podium finish for Asheville came from Paul Kiprotich, who earned silver in the men's 3000m to set a new school record at 8:11.34.
On the women's side, Isabel Richardson broke her school record time in the mile with a new time of 4:56.94. Nikole Baikova earned fourth place in the 800m with a personal best time of 2:13.36. Chaniya Owens had the highest finish of the women who competed in the field events, as she finished fourth in the women's triple jump at 11.54m, placing her fifth in program history.
OUTDOOR TEAM LEADING RETURNERS
DaMarr Harvey returns as one of the top performers from last year's outdoor season. Harvey wom the 200m Big South Championship with a school record time of 20.71. He also earned bronze in the 100m, set a new school record with a time of 10.33, and helped the 4x100 relay team secure silver with a school record finish of 40.48. Harvey represented Asheville at the NCAA East Prelims, the fifth individual in program history to represent Asheville on the NCAA Championship stage.
Anderson and Braelin June joined Harvey on the 4x100 relay team. Anderson holds the second-fastest times in program history in the 100m and 200m. Jan Málek returns as the second-fastest individual in program history in the steeplechase, earning silver at the outdoor championships last season at 9:13.81.
The 4x400 relay team of Harvey, Anderson, June, and Christopher Owens finished the 2024 season with the fifth fastest time in program history. Gabriel Matthews finished the 2024 season as No. 3 in program history in the triple jump.
On the women's side, Alison Graf returns as No. 2 in the 800m, Isabel Richardson holds the school record in the 1500m with a time of 4:32.21.
In field events, Chaniya Owens is No. 4 in the triple jump at 11.82m, Jaelyn Arnold is No. 5 in the hammer throw at 42.00m and Christina Jones is No. 5 in the javelin at 37.05m.
The Bulldogs will open their outdoor season at the 49er Classic, hosted by Charlotte March 21-22.
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Players Mentioned
