SPOKANE, Wash. — Tarleton State Women’s Track and Field won their first ever Track and Field WAC Championship in program history on Saturday evening at The Podium.
The Texans posted a school-best 180.5 points to claim the 2026 WAC Indoor Track and field Championship, their first indoor or outdoor since joining the WAC ahead of the 2020-21 season. The title is the first conference title by the men or women in indoor or outdoor in the Texans’ NCAA history. Tarleton State never won a Lone Star Conference indoor or outdoor title during their years in Division II.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” said head coach Bobby Carter. “We had great performances on both the men’s and women’s side. To win a Division I conference championship takes toughness, depth, and belief and our team showed all three today. What stands out most isn’t just the points we scored, it’s how we competed. We stayed composed, we trusted each other, and we stepped up in the biggest moments. That’s what champions do. We’re excited, grateful, and humble enough to know this is earned not given. We’ll celebrate tonight, and then we’ll get back to work!”
On the men’s side, the Texans posted their best finish in program history, claiming runner-up status. The squad scored 157 points, the most in school history. The Texans were just 23 points behind the WAC Champion, Utah Valley Wolverines.
In total across the two days, the Texans won 17 gold medals, eight silver medals and nine bronze medals. In addition, 11 school records were broken, and 35 new program top 10 personal bests were set.
Tayler Wessely was named the WAC Female Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet. Wessely won the gold in the weight throw on Friday and earned bronze in the shot put on Saturday. She becomes the second-consecutive Texan woman to earn the honor joining Sofia DeGroot who received the honor least season. The award goes to the athlete who scored the most points for their team at the meet and Wessely tied for the most with 16.
On the men’s side, Jalen Cadet and Sir Jonathan Sims were named WAC Men’s Co-Most Outstanding Field Performers of the meet. Cadet earned a gold on Friday in the long jump and added a bronze on Saturday in the high jump. Sims earned a gold on Saturday in the long jump after winning bronze in the long jump on the first day. The duo was awarded the award as they both had earned 16 points in field events. Cadet scored the most points on the men’s side totaling 21 after counting his fourth-place finish in the 200 meters.
The Purple and White had a very big showing on the first day of the two-day WAC Championships, positioning themselves for a chance at a team championship in both genders. On Day 1, the Texans notched five individual WAC Champions, set seven school records, two all-time WAC records, two meet records, a facility record, and a national record. The Purple and White also had a pair of athletes post top 25 performances in the world this year. The Texans closed the WAC Championships with six school records, 12 gold medals, one meet record and another national record on the final day.
Victoria Cameron tied for the fastest time in the NCAA in the 60 meters in the prelims and she one-upped herself in the finals. Cameron now holds the top time in the NCAA this season and has the 13th fastest time in the world this year and the second fastest time by an American. Cameron clocked in at a blazing 7.08 seconds to break her school, WAC Championship meet and all-time WAC record for the second-consecutive day. Cameron earned back-to-back titles in the 60 meters in her first two years competing.
The Texans swept the top of the podium with Lauren Roy earning silver crossing in 7.25 seconds and Prestina Ochonogor finishing in 7.32 seconds. Nellie Wartanian placed fifth overall in 7.47 seconds and Amandine Estival registered a sixth-place finish crossing in 7.50 seconds. Estival improved her sixth best time in program history by 0.04 seconds.
The Texans swept the top of the podium in the men’s high jump. The three Texans were the only three in the competition to clear the two-meter bar. Davi Torres took home the gold as the only to clear 2.05 meters. He cleared three bars with two coming on the first attempt. Colton Andress earned runner-up with a best clearance of 2.00 meters. He cleared his first bar on his first attempt and his second on his second attempt. Cadet placed third in his Texan high jump debut with a 2.00-meter clearance as well. He cleared three bars with one coming on his first attempt.
The Texans posted the top two in the men’s triple jump. Sims earned his first gold of the weekend with a best leap of 15.75 meters. All five of his counted jumps were farther than 15.50 meters, with a pair further than 15.70 meters. Jonathon Rodgers claimed second with a best leap of 15.57 meters coming on his first jump of the event. Rodgers now owns the third best personal best in program history. Torres placed fifth overall with a 14.49-meter leap on his final jump of the night. Torres improved his sixth-best mark in program history by a hundredth of a meter. Justin Temple Jr. rounded out the Texans in the finals placing seventh with a best jump of 13.90 meters.
After posting the fifth fastest time in the NCAA in the prelims of the men’s 60 meters on Friday, JayBrion Jones followed it up with winning the WAC title on Saturday. He was just shy of the record he set on Friday winning the title in 6.59 seconds. Jones was followed behind tightly by David Mvundura who set a new personal best and improved his third-best time in program history to 6.66 seconds. Less than 20 minutes after his title in the 60-meter hurdles, Ca’terrin Cox placed sixth in the 60 in 6.84 meters.
The Texans posted the top two times in the women’s 200 with Roy winning the individual crown. Roy would have set the new facility and meet record if she hadn’t broken it yesterday winning the title in 23.05 seconds. Emma Holmes added to her hardware collection with a silver in 23.89 seconds. She jumped up to the fourth fastest in school history with her first time under 24 seconds as a Texan. Nellie Wartanian placed fifth in 24.03 seconds. She improved her sixth-best time in program history by 0.03 seconds from the prelims on the first day. Estival recorded a seventh-place finish in 24.29 seconds.
Sofia DeGroot claimed gold in the women’s triple jump. DeGroot’s best leap of 12.51 meters came on both her third and sixth attempts. She notched four jumps over 12.30 meters, the only one in the competition to have more than two. Freshman Jayana Phillips picked up her first medal of the weekend with a third-place finish. She boasted a 12.16-meter leap on her first leap and held third for the remainder of the competition. She improved her third best leap in program history. Daj’Eauna Williams picked up seventh with a best leap of 11.59 meters. Williams now ranks sixth in school history. Ashonti Idlebird placed eighth with her only counting jump of the competition coming in at 11.42 meters to up her eighth best mark in Texan history.
Ca’terrin Cox started the Texan track events out hot winning the WAC individual title. Cox broke his school record for the second time this weekend to win the 60-meter hurdles in 7.73 seconds. He won by over two tenths of a second. Nathan Franco claimed seventh place in the finals clocking in at 8.24 seconds.
Malak Rashwan took home the title in the women’s 60-meter hurdles obliterating her personal best and school record. Rashwan crossed in 8.29 seconds, almost two whole tenths faster than her previous best. With that mark, she set the new Texan program record as well as the Egyptian national record which she has broken multiple times this season. Jamiyah Hill earned Second Team All-WAC honors finishing in fifth place overall. Hill crossed in 8.88 seconds.
Emma Holmes won the women’s 400 meters crossing in 54.40 seconds. She had been the Texans’ most consistent 400-meter runner this season and holds the school record as the only Texan to break 54 seconds. Estival placed in sixth in 56.55 seconds to earn Second Team All-WAC.
David Mvundura took home the 200-meter individual crown in 20.86 seconds. He was just a tenth of a second shy of his personal best and school record he set in the prelims on the first day. Cadet secured fourth place clocking in at 21.32 seconds. Cadet just missed out on his third podium by 0.13 seconds.
The men’s 4×400 meter relay team consisting of Ray Ochoa, Christian Simmons, Evan Simmons and Camden Hawkins won the Texans final medal of the night. The quartet crossed in 3:13.38 in a sprint for the finish just 0.34 seconds ahead of Southern Utah. Christian Simmons turned in the fastest split in 47.47 seconds, while Ochoa recorded the fastest lap of 22.65 in the opening 200.
In the women’s shot put, it was a battle for the school record. On her first throw, Tayler Wessely broke the program record with a 14.12-meter toss. But on her second toss, Lucy George broke it again with a 14.36-meter toss. The two occupied the top two spots after the first three throws heading into finals. George was the only athlete with two throws over 14.20 meters with a 14.24-meter toss. But ACU’s Marianna Van Dyk tossed a 14.38-meter throw on her fifth attempt to take the title. George finished in second and Wessely earned her second medal in two days taking home bronze.
In the men’s shot put, Mason Hill earned the bronze medal. His best toss of 16.81 meters came on his third attempt. Hill broke the school record with a pair of tosses also throwing a 16.78-meter toss on his fourth throw. He broke the nine-year old record set in 2017 by Zach Pratt of 16.58 meters.
Christian Simmons broke a 10-year-old school record in the 800 meters. Simmons earned the bronze medal crossing in 1:50.18. He nearly broke the previous record set by Chase Rathke in 2015 by a whole second. Simmons was just 0.08 seconds behind second place and less than a second behind the event champion.
Kaitlyn Gale broke the 3000-meter school record , her second school record in as many days. Gale broke her own record from a season ago by four seconds crossing in 9:53.13. The sophomore just missed out on the podium placing 10th overall.
The men’s 400 meters was one of the most interesting races of the night. With the finals being separated into two heats, the second heat had he top four fastest runners from the prelims on Friday. Hawkins won his heat crossing in 48.32 seconds which would have won the title, but he was disqualified after the race for stepping on the lane lines too many times during the race. Tristan Galvan would have earned fifth place overall in 49.02, but he was also disqualified for the same reason. Ochoa placed third and won the bronze medal in 48.73 seconds. Ochoa climbed he program bests list up to eighth with his mark in the finals. Price Jr. placed fifth in 50.09 seconds.
Vanessa Rolan earned Second Team All-WAC in the women’s high jump. Rolan cleared each of her first two bars on the first attempt but was unable to clear the 1.66-meter height. She tied for fourth overall.
The Texans will wait to find out which athletes are heading to the NCAA Indoor National Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. on March 13-14. The top 16 individuals with the best single performance at any point during the season will qualify, with no conference individuals or team champions receiving automatic bids.
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