Cullowhee, N.C. – Fresh off a second-place finish at the 2025 Southern Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, head coach Jesse Norman announced the addition of 13 newcomers to the Western Carolina women’s track and field and cross country teams. The Catamount women enter 2025-26 after recording their highest finish at the conference championship meet since 2018.

The 13 newcomers to the women’s squad, including 10 freshmen and three transfer additions, add five new Catamounts to the sprint and hurdles group, and three to the jump squad. Norman is also bringing in a pair of multi-event athletes to support Kendal Hudson and a pair of distance runners before rounding out the incoming signees with a transfer addition in Gaby Reeve.

Norman described the group of 13 newcomers “a very exciting group of newcomers this year highlighted the quality and depth of our sprints group.”

“This group of recruits represents a big push from the coaching staff in identifying top-end student-athletes that can help us close the gap on our competition,” said Norman. “The quality of our sprints group, paired with the continued depth building of the rest of the group, we feel will help us make some significant jumps in our competitiveness this upcoming year.”

WCU opens the year with cross country season in the fall of 2025, with the indoor season spanning the end of the fall and beginning of the spring semesters. The year culminates with the outdoor season in the spring of 2026.

Women’s Cross Country / Track & Field 2025=26 Signees

Sprint/Hurdle Group:

Jada Erwin (Charlotte Country Day School – Charlotte, N.C.)

PR’s: 60m – 7.85, 100m – 12.00, 200m – 24.90, 400m – 56.50

Coach Notes: A solid all-around sprinter, Jada gives us a sprinter with a ton of versatility. While she’ll probably mainly focus on the longer sprints, we’re excited about the range that she brings to the WCU sprint squad and her future ability to run a range of events.

Emma Goins (Little Miami HS – Maineville, Ohio)

PR’s: 60m – 7.84, 100m – 11.74, 200m – 24.27

Coach Notes: An exciting addition from Ohio, Emma brings an immediate, up-front impact to the women’s sprint squad here at WCU. As she continues to develop, she will be looked at to help lead the women’s sprint squad to the forefront of the Southern Conference.

Gabrielle Harris (Columbus HS – Columbus, Ga.)

PR’s: 100m – 12.25, 200m – 24.57, 400m – 58.16

Coach Notes: Gabby is an exciting addition as her potential in both the 100m and 400m should be high based on her current 200m personal best. If she can develop in one of those two events to better match her 200m performance, she will be a high point scorer within the Southern Conference.

Grace Nwaeme (Tokyo, Japan)

PR’s: 100m – 12.09, 200m – 24.49, 400m – 56.40

Coach Notes: An international addition from overseas, Grace has the potential to bring some high-level performances to the Southern Conference. She has some high goals for herself. Part of her goal is to return to her PR levels this next year.

Shania Shirley (William Hough HS – Hunterville, N.C.)

PR’s: 60m – 7.92, 100m – 11.97, 200m – 24.55

Coach Notes: Another exciting addition to the women’s sprint squad, Shania is someone who will bolster our short sprints program and provide some healthy competition for Emma (Goins) and our returning ladies. 

Jumps Group:

Gisele Dulnuan-Kersey (Queens University / Franklinton HS – Youngsville, N.C.)

PR’s: Long Jump – 18-2.5, Triple Jump – 37-0.5

Coach Notes: A transfer from Queens University in Charlotte, Gisele will be a depth piece in our horizontal jumps group. We’ll need to get her back to and even beyond her high school marks, but she is extremely excited about joining our strong horizontal jumps group this next year.

Morgan Edwards (Cuthbertson HS – Waxhaw, N.C.)

PR’s: Pole Vault – 12-0

Coach Notes: Morgan is someone who, from the beginning, was incredibly excited about jumping here at WCU. Her development this past spring puts her in a position to be a strong contender within the Southern Conference this year in the pole vault.

Gracie Sutton (Swain County HS – Bryson City, N.C.)

PR’s: High Jump – 5-4

Coach Notes: A local product, Gracie comes to WCU from right down the road here in Western North Carolina. She was someone who even other local high school coaches told us about. We’re excited to see how she develops this year in the high jump.

Multi’s Group:

McCarey Beaty (McMinn Central HS – Englewood, Tenn.)

PR’s: 60H – 9.73, Long Jump – 17-8.5, Shot Put – 32-9.75

Coach Notes: One of our early commitments, McCarey, is an exciting addition to our women’s multi’s group. She is a great all-around athlete and will team up well with our current group to continue helping us develop more depth and quality in this event group.

Celia Gully (Seneca HS – Seneca, S.C.)

PR’s: 100H – 15.10, Long Jump – 5.51m, Triple Jump – 11.46m

Coach Notes: Celia is another great all-around student-athlete, with her stronger areas being in the horizontal jumps. She helps us continue building out our multi’s group and gives us some flexibility with her open events.

Throws Group:

Gaby Reeve (Muskegon Community College – Newaygo, Mich.)

PR’s: Discus – 39.85m, Hammer Throw – 37.46m

Coach Notes: A solid addition to our throws group, Gaby will be looked at to help push the upper group of our current women throwers as we continue to build out the depth and quality of this group. She brings immediate college experience to the group this next year.

Distance Group:

Madeline Hladik (Pfeiffer University – Harrisburg, N.C.)

PR’s: 3K Steeplechase – 11:48, 5k – 18:17

Coach Notes: A transfer from Pfeiffer, Madeline will pair well with our steeplechase group this next year. She’ll need to develop a bit more to help our cross country lineup, but she is excited about training with the group of ladies that we currently have this next year.

Ashlyn Watkins (Bishop Moore HS – Orlando, Fla.)

PR’s: 800m – 2:16, 1600m – 5:26, 5k – 18:48

Coach Notes: An exciting addition from the Sunshine state, Ashlyn focused this spring mainly on the 800m, experiencing some great breakthroughs. We’ll continue that progression while also working on further developing her in other events this upcoming year.