BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. — The Montreat College women's track & field team hosted the 2026 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships from Thursday through Saturday at Pulliam Stadium in Black Mountain, N.C. Behind five event titles, nine All-Conference efforts and 23 scoring performances, the Cavaliers tallied 123 points in the team standings, good for fourth out of 13 scoring squads.
 
Overall, the Cavs notched 11.5 fewer points than Brenau University and 46 more points than Columbia International University. Milligan University won the league crown with 155.5 points.
 
After a scoreless initial day of action on Thursday, Montreat stormed back with 72 points during Friday's slate. The Cavaliers accumulated three titles, six All-Conference performances and 12 scoring efforts on day two.
 
Opening Friday with the 10k, the Cavs seized the top two spots in the long-distance race. Carlyn Bobo claimed the AAC event title and All-Conference honors with her personal-best time of 38:15.45, which happened to be just 0.02 seconds faster than her teammate, Heather Murphy. The Portarlington, Ireland native also grabbed an All-AAC nod with her 10k runner-up finish.
 
Emma Barnes then stole the spotlight with a pair of school records and wins. In the morning window, Barnes topped her shot put school record by 0.04m, reaching a distance of 12.92m. The toss captured the event title and All-Conference recognition. The senior raised the stakes during the afternoon slate, breaking her javelin school record, along with the previous conference meet record, via an NAIA 'A' standard showing of 43.01m. That effort ranked seventh-best in the NAIA entering the weekend. Not only did it result in a league crown and All-AAC status, but it also helped Barnes leave the meet with another trophy: AAC Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.
 
Montreat hauled in All-Conference honors in two additional track events on Friday. The Cavaliers delivered top-three finishes in the 1500m and the 4x800m relay. In the former event, Macy Parks utilized her 4:46.87 performance to conclude second. Meanwhile, the relay unit of Anna Baugh, Jasmine Hernandez, Natalia Nieto and Kaylene Manternach ended third with a 9:42.16 time in the latter race.
 
Saturday featured two more titles, three additional All-AAC selections and 11 scoring efforts worth 51 points for the Cavs. Picking up right where she left off, Barnes highlighted Montreat's final day of hosting the conference championships with her third event title and All-League award. The Waxhaw, N.C. native shaved 0.27 seconds off her 100m hurdles school record, crossing the finish line in 14.35 seconds to beat out 13 other competitors.
 
After placing runner-up in the 10k on Friday, Murphy earned the right to stand on the center podium with her 5000m win during day three. Murphy marched her way to an individual title and All-Conference status with a 17:07.68 showing.
 
In its typical spot as the final event of the meet, the Cavaliers closed out their busy weekend with one last All-AAC performance in the 4x400m relay. Barnes started the dash, and she was followed by Manternach, Hernandez and Nieto. Montreat's 'A' relay squad needed merely 4:03.54 to finish the competition, good for third out of 11 teams.
 
For a look at results from the 2026 AAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, click here.
 
The Montreat College women's track & field team now shifts its focus to preparing for the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. That process includes making a trip to Cleveland, Tenn. on Saturday, May 9 for the Lee University Last Chance meet.