ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The Montreat College men's and women's track & field teams closed out the 2026 NAIA Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday in Asheville, N.C. In a near-identical effort to Thursday, the Cavaliers added another record-setting national title and a runner-up performance on the final day of competition.
 
When the meet's 23 events were tallied up, the Cavs walked away with a pair of top-20 team finishes. On the women's side, Montreat tied for 14^th out of 75 scoring squads with 20 points. The Cavaliers tied for 16^th out of 73 scoring programs on the men's side thanks to a 16-point showing.
 
Friday's slate started with both Hugo Petat-Hemono and Brock Lauer competing in the men's 3000m steeplechase final. Running against a competitive field, the Montreat duo crossed the finish line in back-to-back placements. Petat-Hemono ended his race first, concluding 12^th with a time of 9:29.10. Meanwhile, Lauer wrapped up his effort in 9:36.49, good for 13^th.
 
Nathan Cremin contributed eight points to the team score behind a runner-up effort in the men's 800m final. The Limerick, Ireland native sprinted to a second-place finish and NAIA All-American recognition with his 1:49.80 time. Cremin wrapped up his initial lap in just 50.63 seconds, setting himself up for a spot on the podium.
 
"I'm extremely proud of myself for coming to Montreat and dropping four seconds off my PR last year," Cremin noted. "I would've dreamed of running sub-1:50.00 then, and now that's the bare minimum."
 
Picking up where she left off, Heather Murphy dominated the women's 5000m final on Friday afternoon. The long-distance star shined brightly during another cloudy, damp day by winning the title in an impressive 16:37.41. Murphy crushed the competition, crossing the finish line nearly 40 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Less than 24 hours after becoming Montreat's first NAIA women's national champion, Murphy became the school's first two-time NAIA national champion, male or female.
 
"When I woke up, my legs weren't feeling great, but I just stretched more and they were fine," Murphy shared. "Once I got going in the race, after 200 [meters], I said 'okay, they actually feel great.' After that, I was like 'I want to go and win this race.' That was my plan, and I executed it well."
 
Ryan Stade concluded the Cavs' time on the track with the men's 5000m final. Battling the conditions and a quick turnaround, the Marysville, Kan. native closed out his race in 15:15.34, 16^th-quickest among the 20 qualifiers.
 
Montreat's final event of the week occurred in the field. Emma Barnes narrowly missed out on the women's javelin finals with a top distance of 40.86m. Her mark ultimately garnered 10^th place out of 38 throwers.
 
For a look at results from the 2026 NAIA Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships, click here.
 
The Montreat College men's and women's track & field teams now enter the offseason. With their team scores, the Cavaliers finished the year at No. 14 and No. 16 in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NAIA Women's and Men's Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index (TFRI), respectively.