HICKORY, N.C. - Following a successful indoor track & field season, Director of Track & Field Bob Braman and his squads have both been selected to finish fourth in their respective South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track & Field seasons.

Havyn Spain, Tobechukwu Nwokocha, and Antonyio Davis were selected as the men's Athletes to Watch while Jani Day, Sharonda Priester, and Mackenzie Pringle were the women's. 

The men's and women's squads had successful indoor seasons, with the women taking fourth and the men fifth at the SAC Indoor Championships. Four individuals and one relay won SAC Titles, all in SAC Championship record fashion.

The women's team saw Jani Day set the school 400 meter record and Mackenzie Pringle break the triple jump record. In addition to those records, the Bears made 23 new appearances in the Lenoir-Rhyne indoor top-ten. Havyn Spain, Lewis Budgen (x2), and Tobechukwu Nwokocha each broke program records on the men's side while there were a total of 19 new entries into the program's indoor record book throughout the season. 

2026 SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE MEN'S OUTDOOR T&F PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Wingate - 132 points (11 first-place votes)
2. Catawba - 110 points 
3. Carson-Newman - 109 points (1 first-place vote)
4. Lenoir-Rhyne - 104 points
5. Anderson - 103 points
6. Mars Hill - 72 points
7. Newberry - 71 points
8. Lincoln Memorial - 65 points
9. Tusculum - 54 points
10. UVA Wise - 43 points
11. Coker - 35 points
12. Emory & Henry - 27 points

2026 SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE WOMEN'S OUTDOOR T&F PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Wingate - 132 points (11 first-place votes)
2. Catawba - 111 points
3. Tusculum - 106 points (1 first-place vote)
4. Lenoir-Rhyne - 99 points
5. Anderson - 94 points
6. Carson-Newman - 91 points
7. Lincoln Memorial - 77 points
8. Mars Hill - 61 points
9. UVA Wise - 49 points
10. Newberry - 40 points
11. Coker - 37 points
12. Emory & Henry - 27 points