BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. — The Montreat College women's track & field team began its 2026 outdoor season at home on Friday and Saturday with the Montreat College Open in Black Mountain, N.C. Competing in 13 events with 33 total entries, the Cavaliers produced an impressive early showing, highlighted by four school records, 12 personal-best efforts and 23 top-10 finishes.
Emma Barnes led the way on day one, beginning her meet in the 100m hurdles. The Waxhaw, N.C., native secured the win while breaking her own school record, shaving 0.02 seconds off the previous mark with a time of 15.18. She later competed in the 200m, finishing fourth with a 26.31 in a 25-athlete field.
Natalia Nieto and Jasmine Hernandez impressed in the 400m, each registering new personal records. Nieto led the pair with a 1:03.48, nearly a second faster than her previous best, to place fifth among 17 competitors. Hernandez followed in sixth, lowering her time by more than three seconds to clock 1:04.20.
Heather Murphy carried her indoor success into the outdoor season with a strong outing in the 1500m, recording a personal-best 4:44.22 to take first in a field of 25. Four additional Cavaliers made their debuts in the event, paced by Anna Baugh's 5:27.73 for 17th. Ragan Speer finished 18th in 5:34.69, while Eliza Nelson (5:45.31) and Naomi Smith (5:57.64) placed 20th and 21st, respectively.
In the hammer throw, Isis Rain Giron delivered a record-setting performance to begin her outdoor campaign. She surpassed the previous school mark by more than three meters while improving her personal best by 5.54m. Giron earned a sixth-place finish in a field of 20. Izzi Ackerman also competed, posting a mark of 31.19m to place 15th.
Barnes added to her day with a victory in the javelin, recording a throw of 37.65m in a 15-athlete field. Giron followed with a mark of 27.15m to place fifth, while Ackerman registered 18.24m to conclude 13th.
Day two was highlighted by strong performances in the field events. Trinety Dajuste made an immediate impact in her Montreat debut, setting a new school record in the high jump with a clearance of 1.57m, 0.09m higher than the previous mark, to take first. Barnes followed by matching her personal-best of 1.47m to finish second.
In the shot put, Barnes continued her dominant weekend by breaking her own school record by nearly two meters with a mark of 12.88m. The showing secured another first-place result. Ackerman and Shelby Brown also posted personal bests, with Ackerman reaching 10.76m for third and Brown recording 10.70m to take fourth. Giron contributed a sixth-place finish with a throw of 9.87m.
Lydia Norman added another highlight in the triple jump, recording a personal-best 11.34m to finish second. Dajuste also competed in the event, reaching 9.92m to place fourth.
To see full results from the Montreat College Open, click here.
The Cavaliers will split their squad across three meets next week, beginning on March 26-28 at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C. Additional athletes will compete on March 27-28 at the King University Invitational in Bristol, Tenn., before the weekend wraps up at the Landon Bond Classic in Berea, Ky., on Saturday, March 28.
