New Concord, Ohio — The West Virginia Wesleyan College men's and women's track & field teams opened the 2026 indoor season Friday at the Muskie #1 Meet, hosted by Muskingum University. Competing against a deep regional field, the Bobcats delivered multiple top-eight finishes, event victories, and early qualifying marks across sprints, distance, jumps, throws, and pole vault. Women's Standouts
The Bobcat women were led by a championship performance in the 5000-meter run, where sophomore Taylor Hess captured first place overall, crossing the line in 19:02.27 to earn maximum team points in the season opener.

In middle-distance action, senior Marimo Akita placed fifth in the 800 meters (2:28.77), while sophomore Reyna Headley followed close behind in sixth place (2:29.45), giving Wesleyan two scoring performances in the event.

Distance depth was also on display in the mile run, where sophomore Lindsey Dillon earned second place with a time of 5:12.95, while junior Mariam Al-Zoubi finished fourth in 5:23.82.

In the sprints, freshman Darianne Christian advanced to the finals in the 60-meter dash, clocking 8.05 seconds in preliminaries, while freshman Destiney Barnette posted 8.36 seconds in her collegiate debut.

Over the hurdles, freshman Maylie Bland qualified for the 60-meter hurdle finals with a time of 10.36 seconds, and sophomore Skylar Womack recorded 11.49 seconds in the same event.

In field events, sophomore Shaelyn Capicola scored points with an eighth-place finish in the triple jump (8.90m), while in the pole vault, sophomore Clover Stamat placed fourth clearing 2.94m, and freshman Maylie Bland tied for sixth at 2.79m.

West Virginia Wesleyan claimed a major field event victory in the women's high jump, as junior Jessica Williams delivered a standout performance to win the event outright. Williams cleared 1.60 meters (5-03.00) to take first place overall, providing a big early-season championship mark and maximum team points for the Bobcats.

Teammate Skylar Womack also represented Wesleyan in the event, clearing 1.35 meters (4-05.00) as she added depth to the Bobcats' jumping group
 
The Bobcat women also saw solid early-season marks in the shot put, with Jacqualin Leaman and Mary Genes both competing for Wesleyan. Men's Highlights
On the men's side, senior Kent Niland delivered a strong season opener in the 3000-meter run, finishing fourth overall in 9:04.22, establishing an early benchmark in the distance group.
In the sprint events, junior Lucas Anderson qualified for the 60-meter dash finals with a blazing 6.88-second preliminary — the top qualifying time in the field. Teammates Jarren Rutherford, Carson Moore, and Jourdan Demoss also gained valuable early-season competition experience in the event.

Over the hurdles, sophomore Connor Casto recorded 9.65 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.

The Bobcat men produced one of the meet's most dominant field performances in the triple jump, where junior Michael Hansford claimed first place overall, winning the event with a leap of 14.27 meters (46-10.00).

In the long jump, junior Royell Salmon captured first place for Wesleyan with a mark of 7.17 meters, giving the Bobcats another event victory.

The throws group opened the season with multiple scoring efforts. Junior Quinton Payton placed fifth in the weight throw with a top mark of 15.53 meters, while junior Addison Kell added eighth place at 14.57 meters. Sophomore Phil Phillips and sophomore Caleb Conley also represented Wesleyan in the event. Muskie #1 Meet Takeaway
With event victories in the women's 5000 meters, women's high jump, men's long jump, and men's triple jump, along with multiple podium finishes on the track, the Bobcats opened the 2026 indoor season with momentum across every discipline group. Several freshmen made strong collegiate debuts, while veteran athletes immediately established themselves among the region's early leaders.

West Virginia Wesleyan will continue its indoor season January 30^th at Youngstown State University competing in the YSU Mid Major as the Bobcats build toward conference championship competition.