ASHEVILLE, N.C. – For the fifth straight time, the High Point University Women's Track and Field team was crowned the 2025 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Champions. The Panthers totaled 287.5 points after landing on the podium with 11 gold medals.
 
"We talk about our goal being to pursue excellence, not perfection," Head Coach Mike Esposito stated. "For people who know track and field, there was some excellence out there for three days, so not perfection, but oh boy, they were excellent. I have the best staff in America; It's not even close. We are very blessed at High Point with resources, but we have the best staff. We have the best work ethic in kids, and we've got a role in and it's a tribute to my staff, so the preparation didn't start this week. We are looking beyond this week and to North Florida here in two weeks to get some kids to Eugene for NCAA Nationals. We want to be a top 25 team in the country. It will and can happen at some point."
 
The first two days of the Big South Championships held the heptathlon, a mix of field event finals and the running event preliminaries. On Wednesday, the running event finals were completed along with another mix of field events. Following the three-day event, the Championship ceremony took place honoring various athletes of the year with the presentation of awards.
 
The first champion of the meet for the women was crowned on Monday afternoon. Gianna Paul won the women's long jump with a 5.91m jump, earning her first Big South outdoor title.
 
In the women's hammer throw, Jill Stroup placed fourth with a personal best 51.14m throw.
 
Closing out the night on day one, Chalri Montalvo won the women's 10,000m race with a 35:16.25 time. Montalvo paced alongside Charleston Southern's runner through 24 laps before stretching her lead in the final lap to claim the title. This was her first Big South individual champion title in her career.
 
On Tuesday, in the women's shot put, Elise Magaard recorded a new personal best with a 12.56m throw to place seventh.
 
The Panthers had two athletes to compete in the heptathlon over the first two days, Ava Bugenhagen and Kaitlyn Green. Green placed second overall with 4,139 points. She matched her personal best in the high jump clearing 1.53m and in the 800m she set a new personal best with a 2:33.53 time.
 
Rounding out day two on the track, High Point had two athletes compete in the women's 3,000m steeplechase. Shauna Skow placed fourth with an 11:33.74 time and Lauren Vossen placed sixth with an 11:50.30 time for a new personal best.
 
Opening the final day, High Point swept the podium in the women's pole vault. Rachel Vesper cleared a season-best 4.32m to earn her first Big South title since becoming a Panther. Sydney Horn placed second with a 4.32m clear and Auriane Viola placed third with a 4.12m clear. Lily Houston and Emily Romano each cleared 3.87m for fourth and fifth place.
 
"If you know the back story of Rachel, she was seventh in the country and a First Team All-American two years ago," Esposito added. "She's just — for whatever reason — run into some struggles. What she did today, 'Wow, it was a pretty tearful moment."
 
Paul and Ashari Pearson took home first and second place in the women's high jump each clearing 1.66m.
 
In the throwing events on Wednesday, the freshman, Addison Freeland was crowned the women's javelin champion after throwing 44.96m. Moriah Evans joined Freeland on the podium in second place with a 42.27m throw. Magaard threw in the women's discus and placed fifth with a 42.10m throw.
 
Kicking off the track events on the final day, the women's 4x100m relay team got things started with a first-place finish. The group consisting of Pearson, Paul, Dae'Nitra Hester and Quiana Williams clocked a 45.41 time.
 
High Point had two athletes land podium spots in the women's 1500m race as Brianna Malone was crowned the overall champion with a 4:19.78 meet record. Alyssa Hendrix placed second with a new personal best time of 4:27.08. Alice Jones placed fourth also clocking a personal best with a 4:30.26 time.
 
Paul and Ebba Ahman represented High Point in the women's 100m hurdles and placed fourth and fifth respectively. Paul registered a 13.89 time and Ahman registered a 14.10 time. Ahman later competed in the women's 400m hurdles and earned a spot on the podium in third place with a 59.75 time.
 
Hester ran in the women's 400m and 200m races and was crowned the individual champion in both events. In the 400m she recorded a 53.89 time and in the 200m she recorded a season best 23.86 time. Williams placed second in the women's 200m race, crossing tenths of a second behind Hester with a 23.99 time.
 
Williams took home gold in the women's 100m dash, taking a slight lead in the final steps to record an 11.58 time.
 
Malone earned her second Big South individual title of the week in the women's 800m event. Her 2:05.34 time was a program and meet record. Joining her on the podium, Nikki Frail placed second with a 2:07.70 time and Evie Wild placed third with a 2:09.52 time.
 
In the final distance event, Montalvo took second place in the women's 5,000m with a 17:17.08 time and Hendrix placed fourth with a 17:28.43 time.
 
The Panthers capped the championships with a podium performance in the women's 4x400m relay race. The team of Ahman, Frail, Williams and Hester registered a 3:41.40 time for second place.
 
Following the meet, the Big South announced the athlete of the year awards. Below is the list of High Point student-athlete honorees.
 
Women's Outstanding Performance
Rachel Vesper, High Point (based on event performance by TFFRs of 4.32m winning the pole vault)
 
Women's Newcomer of the Year
Alyssa Hendrix, High Point (based on highest accumulated Newcomer point total of 8 points)
 
Women's Coaching Staff of the Year
High Point
 
Women's Scholar Athlete of the Year
Brianna Malone, High Point (4.0 GPA, Actuarial Science)
 
 
UP NEXT:
This concludes the 2025 High Point track and field outdoor regular season. Athletes who qualified for the NCAA First Rounds in Jacksonville, Florida will prepare for the postseason.