Mountaineer track and field start 2025-2026 season with  record time at the Winston-Salem College Kick-Off – The Appalachian

App States track and field started their 2025-26 indoor season at the Winston-Salem College Kick-Off Saturday. 

With the race starting for at the 60 meters, junior Kendall Johnson placed second with a 7.50 finish, just 1 second behind Converse University. Junior Nicole Wells finished 10th in the 60 meters with a time of 7.73. The 800 meter was led by senior Addison Ollendick-Smith who started her season with a fourth place finish with a time of 2:18.09.

The main event for the Mountaineers was the 4×400 meter relay, where they finished first with teammates Wells, senior Damyja Alejandro-Ortiz, senior Daye Talley and junior Jayla Adams, and had a record time of 3:45.76. 

In the pole vault, senior Ava Studney finished first clearing 3.95m and sophomore Abigail Goetz followed and finished fifth in the pole vault with a 3.50m. Freshman Alana Braxton won the long jump with 5.87m and freshman Kelly MacBride finished in the top 10 with 5.31m. The triple jump saw 3 of the women’s teammates finish in the top 6, with Braxton finishing first with 12.32m. freshman Ashlynn Wimberly finished second with 12.14m, and sophomore Jahaila Wright finished with 11.60m. 

In weight throwing, junior Dianna Boykin had a personal best of 14.70m to place eighth and sophomore Emily Edwards followed close behind with a top 10 finish in shotput, 12.17m and weight throw, 14.03m. In the 200 meter, both Adams and Talley finished top five with times of 24.39 and 24.77. 

For the Mountaineers next meet they will be in the UNC-Asheville Collegiate Opener on Jan. 10 at the Tryon International.