CLEVELAND, TN – The UVA Wise men's and women's track and field teams opened the outdoor season with a strong showing at the two-day Lee University Invitational, combining multiple school records with a wide range of top-10 performances across event groups.
 
WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS
- The Cavalier women opened the outdoor season with impact performances across sprints, distance, hurdles, and field events, highlighted by several school records and top-10 finishes.
- On the track, Madison Sutherland set a new school record in the 100 meters (12.52) while placing fifth and leading a strong sprint group that also saw Destiny Ansley-Cureton (9th) and Olivia McClintock (10th) finish inside the top 10.
- Haley Faulkner continued her momentum from indoor season, breaking the 400-meter school record (59.57) with a sixth-place finish.
- In the distance events, Lydia Slemp established two new program records in the 800 meters (2:26.12) and 1500 meters (4:54.03), finishing eighth in the 1500.
- The hurdles group was led by Jocie Aldrich, who set a school record in the 100-meter hurdles (16.35) and added another record in the 400-meter hurdles (1:11.36), placing eighth in the event.
- The women's 4x100-meter relay team of Sutherland, Ansley-Cureton, Faulkner, and McClintock delivered a standout performance, setting a school record (48.73) while finishing third overall.
- In the field events, Lexi Carter set a school record in the shot put (13.21m) with a fourth-place finish, while also adding a top-10 mark in the hammer throw. Nia Rogers contributed depth in both events, finishing sixth in the hammer and seventh in the shot put.
- In the jumps, Aldrich tied the school record in the triple jump (10.87m) with a sixth-place finish, while Kylie Brodt (9th) and Braelynn Strouth (10th) added additional top-10 performances. Fairyn Meares also placed eighth in the pole vault to round out a balanced women's performance.
 
MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS
- The Cavalier men matched that momentum with a series of school records and top-10 finishes, particularly in the middle distance, jumps, and throws.
- Jonah Adams led the way on the track, breaking the school record in the 800 meters (1:57.20) with a sixth-place finish, and adding a 10th-place finish in the 1500 meters.
- In the distance events, Caleb Ghammashi set a school record in the 10,000 meters (36:24.86), finishing 10th.
- The jumps group saw continued progression, as Henry McFarlin set a school record in the triple jump (12.73m) while placing sixth, and added a top-10 finish in the long jump. In the high jump, Bennett Estremera cleared 1.90m to place fifth.
- In the pole vault, freshman David Williams led the group with a fifth-place finish (4.00m), while Hunter Garrett (7th) also finished in the top 10.
- The throws unit delivered one of the strongest performances of the meet. Bobby Cline set a school record in the hammer throw (50.31m) while finishing third, and added a seventh-place finish in the javelin.
- Ronald Gray added a school record in the discus (45.92m) with a fourth-place finish, while Landon Steele (8th) also scored a top-10 finish in the event.
 
UP NEXT
UVA Wise will look to build on this early-season success next weekend as the team travels to Bristol, Tennessee, to compete in the King University Invitational on March 27–28.