Winston-Salem State women repeat, Virginia Union claims men’s 2026 CIAA Outdoor track title
PETERSBURG, VA (May 2, 2026) — The 2026 CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship wrapped up Saturday at Rogers Stadium on the campus of Virginia State University, with Winston-Salem State and Virginia Union crowned the overall champions on the women’s and men’s sides, respectively.
Winston-Salem State claimed the women’s team championship for the second consecutive season, finishing with 130 points after holding off Claflin (125.42) and Fayetteville State (102.26). On the men’s side, Virginia Union captured the CIAA crown with a commanding 156 points, followed by Johnson C. Smith (109) and Lincoln (Pa.) (93).
Winston-Salem State head coach Antonio Wells was named Women’s Coach of the Year after guiding the Rams to back-to-back titles. Frank Charles of Virginia Union earned Men’s Coach of the Year honors following the Panthers’ dominant championship performance.
Top individual accolades highlighted standout seasons across the conference. Jhnyia Knuckles of Claflin was named Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, while Morgan Coverson-Springs of Claflin earned Women’s Track Athlete of the Year honors. On the men’s side, Zachary Jones of Virginia Union captured Men’s Field Athlete of the Year, and Leonie Bentley of Virginia State was recognized as Men’s Track Athlete of the Year.
MVP performances were on full display throughout the meet. Latrice Brown of Claflin claimed Women’s Track MVP honors with 24 points after winning the 100 meters (11.88), 200 meters (23.92), contributing to the championship-winning 4×100 relay, and scoring in the 4×400 relay. Ja’myiah Walker of Bluefield State earned Women’s Field MVP honors with 18 points, highlighted by a victory in the shot put (13.50m) and a runner-up finish in the javelin.
On the men’s side, Miles Artis-Ablack of Virginia State was named Men’s Track MVP after scoring 18 points across the sprints and relays, while Jones of Virginia Union secured Men’s Field MVP honors with 23 points after winning the discus and posting top-four finishes in the shot put and javelin.
Before Saturday’s finals began, the CIAA recognized graduating seniors from each of the institutions. Later, the CIAA also recognized its academic standouts. The Shaw women’s track and field team earned the highest team GPA award, while the Claflin men’s team received the highest GPA honor.
Saturday’s competition featured decisive moments across both disciplines. In the field events, Sabrena Hogan of Livingstone won the women’s triple jump with a mark of 11.75 meters, while Divine Gee of Johnson C. Smith captured the men’s triple jump at 14.78 meters.
On the women’s track, Claflin captured the 4×100 relay in 45.42, while Johnson C. Smith closed strong to win the 4×400 relay in 3:46.85. Individually, Brown continued her standout weekend by sweeping the women’s 100 and 200 meters, teammate Obiageli Akubude won the 100-meter hurdles in 13.99, and Brea Childs of Claflin took the 400 meters in 55.14. Janya Barnes of Johnson C. Smith claimed the 400-meter hurdles in 1:01.87, Rainn Sheppard of Winston-Salem State delivered a pivotal win in the 800 meters in 2:09.75, and Faith Kiplimo of Fayetteville State closed the meet with a victory in the 5,000 meters in 18:11.60.
The men’s sprint events belonged to Bowie State, which won the 4×100 relay in 40.69, while Dareon Faircloth captured the 100 meters in 10.44 and Marlin Newsome Jr. won the 200 meters in 21.03. Lincoln (Pa.) captured the 4×400 relay in 3:11.08 and saw Carlo Johnson claim the 400 meters in 47.18. Jakarriez Sanders of Claflin won the 800 meters in 1:55.38, Antonio Smith of Virginia Union captured the 110-meter hurdles in 14.20, and Princewell Martin of Johnson C. Smith took the 400-meter hurdles in 52.74. The men’s 5,000 meters title went to Emmanuel Kipchirchir of Virginia State, who crossed the line in 15:39.95.
Edward Waters captures 2026 SIAC Baseball title with thrilling 6-4 victory over Spring Hill
MACON, Ga. — The Edward Waters baseball team etched its name in the record books once again, capturing the 2026 SIAC Baseball Tournament Championship with a hard-fought 6-4 victory over Spring Hill in the title game.
The championship marks the Tigers’ second SIAC crown in the last three seasons and caps off a historic run fueled by momentum, resilience, and championship-level execution. Edward Waters closed the season on an 11-game winning streak, going a perfect 4-0 in tournament play.
EWU’s postseason journey was nothing short of dramatic. The Tigers opened the tournament with a thrilling 12-11 victory over Benedict before edging Miles 8-7 in another nail-biter. Edward Waters then delivered back-to-back wins over top-ranked Spring Hill, including the decisive championship game, to secure the title.
In the championship matchup, the Tigers leaned on timely hitting and strong pitching performances to seal the win. Tournament MVP Andres Carracciolo led the way offensively, recording two hits, an RBI, and a stolen base. All-Tournament selection Bobby Torres delivered a clutch performance as well, tallying two hits, three RBIs, and a run scored.
On the mound, Tyler Pfirrmann set the tone with a solid start, pitching 4.1 innings while striking out six and allowing just two earned runs. Freshman standout Ty Mitzel, also an All-Tournament selection, earned the win (2-0) in relief after tossing 4.2 innings of two-hit baseball, surrendering only one earned run to shut the door on Spring Hill.
The championship run adds another milestone to an already historic season for the Tigers. Head Coach Reginald Johnson surpassed 400 career victories during the year, further cementing his legacy as one of the program’s most successful leaders.
Edward Waters also saw several players earn top conference honors. Daniel Donaldson-Fountain was named SIAC Player of the Year and earned First-Team All-SIAC recognition as an outfielder. Torres claimed SIAC Utility Player of the Year honors while also earning First-Team All-SIAC distinction. Pfirrmann was named First-Team All-SIAC Starting Pitcher, while Angelo Prieto and Jordan Smith received Second-Team All-SIAC Outfielder honors. Smith also added All-Tournament Team recognition for his postseason performance.
With the SIAC Championship secured, the Tigers now turn their attention to the next stage, awaiting a potential bid to the NCAA South Regional Tournament.
Spring Hill completes three-peat, rolls past Fort Valley State 10-4 to capture SIAC Softball title
COLUMBUS, Ga. — It was mission accomplished for the Spring Hill College softball team as the Badgers successfully defended their SIAC Softball Tournament Championship with a win over Fort Valley State in the winner-take-all final game. Spring Hill completed the three-peat by winning the rematch of last year’s SIAC Tournament final and became only the second school to win three SIAC Tournament Championships in a row, joining Tuskegee who did it in the mid-2010s.
Spring Hill’s bats were held in check by the Wildcats in the first game of the day as the Badgers had just one hit in the 4-1 defeat. But head coach Hannah Fillmore made a few adjustments, moving Meadow Villar to the leadoff spot, sliding Janci Aube into the two hole, and pushing Oscha Carter into a table-setting spot in the bottom third of the lineup to take advantage of her speed, just to name a few. The moves paid off as Spring Hill scored 10 runs, their most of any game in the tournament, on 14 hits and six walks.
Villar was 2-for-2 with three runs scored in the leadoff position and Aube, sitting behind her, was 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Jesslyn Gordon led the team with three RBI and Bethany Ahrens, hitting clean up, was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Destiny Pierce and Molly Pitts each had two hits and an RBI, Amanda Glowacki had an RBI walk, and Kayla Coley-Drayton had a pinch-hit home run in her lone plate appearance.
Emma Curry, who had pitched well to close out the first game of the day, earned the win, allowing four earned runs and striking out 5 in 5.1 innings pitched. She was dealing through the first five innings, but Fort Valley State tagged her for a couple of home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning that chased her from the game. Leighanna Turk came on in relief, worked out of the sixth inning and then closed the door in the seventh to pick up the save.
Ahrens was named the 2026 SIAC Softball Tournament Most Valuable Player after going 2-1 with a 1.56 ERA and 15 strikeouts across 18 innings pitched and batting 5-for-12 with 5 walks and 5 RBI. Her five RBI all came against FVSU, with her two-RBI single in the winner’s bracket final being the difference in that game and her two-RBI single in the championship final giving Spring Hill much needed insurance in the sixth inning.
Ahrens was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Aube, Pierce, Gordon, and Carter, all were at the top of their game in leading Spring Hill to their fourth overall SIAC Tournament Championship.
The Badgers have earned an automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Division II Softball Championship. They will find out their path during the selection show on Monday, May 11, at 10 a.m. ET.
