Asheville Earns Five Wins at Home in Big South vs SoCon Challenge

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville track & field team hosted the Big South vs. SoCon Challenge this weekend (March 20–21) at the Karl Straus Track. The Big South claimed the men's competition with 363 points to the SoCon's 332, while the SoCon edged the Big South on the women's side, 338–296. Asheville recorded five event victories to highlight its home performance.

VICTORIES AT HOME

Jan Málek opened the meet with a win in the men's 5,000m on Friday, crossing the line in 14:49.26. Lance Surles placed third (15:24.37), Quinn Jacquez finished fourth (15:30.37), and Tadiyos Sloan-Westmoreland ran a personal best of 15:33.07 to take seventh.

Shemarr Session claimed the men's 110m hurdles title in 14.52, opening his outdoor season .58 seconds faster than his mark at last year's 49er Classic. Blake Hawks placed eighth (17.56).

Session added a second victory on Saturday, winning the men's 200m in 21.12. Ty'vell Foskey placed third in 21.86.

Madison Hannah secured a win in the women's discus with a throw of 41.42 meters. She also placed fourth in the shot put (11.80m) and seventh in the hammer throw (41.59m). Jaelyn Arnold added a seventh-place finish in the shot put (10.70m).

Jonas Roach led wire-to-wire in the men's 2,000m steeplechase, winning in 6:26.37. He currently ranks No. 12 on the NCAA Division I top-100 list for 2026.

ON THE TRACK

Aneta Kucerová surged late to take second in the women's 800m, setting a personal best of 2:15.76. Nikole Baikova placed sixth (2:18.34).

In the men's 800m, Jaheem O'Hara finished second in a personal-best 1:53.30, just ahead of Bennett Moreno, who placed third in 1:53.52—only .06 off his personal best. Hank Neal finished eighth (2:06.76).

The men's 4x100m relay team of Demorris Jordan, Ty'vell Foskey, Gabriel Buie, and Nkosi Jeju placed second in 40.94.

Jordan also took second in the men's 100m with a personal-best 10.59, while Aaron Higgins finished fifth (10.74).

The women's 4x100m relay team of Kieayla Williams, Francesca Cergol, Alexis Vaughan, and Kamryn Peeples placed third in 46.91. The men's 4x400m relay team of Jalice Payton, Braelin June, Bennett Moreno, and Jaheem O'Hara also finished third (3:20.03).

Williams placed fourth in the women's 100m (12.22), edging the field by .003 seconds. Peeples recorded a personal best of 12.34 to finish ninth. Williams also set a personal best in the 200m, placing fifth (24.90).

Marika Dickel and Ella Warren placed fifth (4:50.78) and seventh (4:53.72), respectively, in the women's 1,500m, while Ashley Keazer posted a personal best of 5:11.45 (11th).

Preston Core recorded a personal best of 4:04.95 to finish fourth in the men's 1,500m. Asher Roach placed seventh (4:11.22) in his collegiate debut.

In the men's 400m hurdles, Jalice Payton placed fifth (56.45), and Noah Henthorn took sixth (59.55).

Braelin June placed seventh in the men's 400m (49.93), while Francesca Cergol finished eighth in the women's race (58.46).

ON THE FIELD

Nkosi Jeju opened his outdoor season with a second-place finish in the long jump (7.25m), while Elijah Able placed fifth (6.95m).

Dylan Metcalf finished fourth in the pole vault (3.57m), and Morgan Brown placed fifth in the triple jump (11.12m).

Preston Reed led Asheville in the men's discus with a fifth-place throw of 44.23m, followed by Will Wilkerson in seventh (43.87m).

Wilkerson also placed fifth in the shot put (14.36m), with Greg Schell finishing sixth (14.33m). Schell later took seventh in the hammer throw (42.23m), while Wilkerson placed eighth (40.45m).

Christina Jones finished sixth in the women's javelin (32.62m). Noah Henthorn placed seventh in the men's javelin (41.29m), and Steven Pryor cleared 1.86m to take sixth in the high jump.

Max Smydra led the Bulldogs in the triple jump with a sixth-place finish (13.91m), followed by Blake Hawks (seventh, 13.80m) and Elijah Able (eighth, 13.73m).

NEXT TIME OUT

Asheville will split up with a group going to Raleigh, N.C. for the Raleigh Relays (March 26-28) and another group going to Davidson, N.C., for the Davidson Relays (March 27–28).

For a complete look at today's results, click here.

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