HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women's track and field team earning the programs sixth Big South Conference Outdoor Championship title after competing across the three-day event at Vert Stadium. The Panthers finished with 269 points while earning first-place in nine different events.
 
The event rounded out Head Coach Mike Esposito's final Big South Championship meet as he will retire at the end of the 2026 outdoor season.
 
"We knew for the women this was going to be the biggest challenge we've had. We had some hiccups during the season, and we had some hiccups today in particular. I think it gets lost in our sport a lot but there is a team concept, and you have role players, and I don't mean that as a negative but you have role players who really stepped up for us this week. They did things that contributed to the overall win. The senior women have never lost a championship, and the senior cross-country women have never lost a championship at all so it's pretty incredible for them to go four-for-four."
 
 
On the first day in the field events, Jill Stroup placed third in the hammer throw with a 51.89 meter throw followed by Ashlyn Giles in fourth place with a new personal best 50.18m throw.
 
In the long jump, High Point placed second through third led by Gianna Paul with a 6.05m mark. Zamesha Myle placed third with a 6.03m mark and Gabrielle Crane placed fourth with a personal best 5.99m mark.
 
In the lone finals running event on Monday night, Charli Montalvo and Danielle Jensen made the podium in the 10,000m in second and third place respectively. Montalvo recorded a 35:50.48 time and Jensen recorded a 36:05.90 time.
 
Tuesday the Panthers wrapped up the heptathlon and as Mya Hines and Linnea Safstrom placed second and third in the event. Hines registered 5.074 points while Safstrom registered 4,751 points. Both recorded personal bests in the javelin as Safstrom threw 34.84m and Hines threw 30.93m. They both also recorded season bests in the long jump as Hines jumped 5.55m and Safstrom jumped 5.44m. Hines went on to record a personal best in the final event, the 800m with a 2:23.82 time. Jhanelle Thomas placed fifth with a new personal best, 4,411 points in her first Big South heptathlon.
 
In the other field events, Myle jumped an impressive 13.24m in the triple jump to set the HPU program record. She placed second overall in the event to earn a spot on the podium.
 
In the pole vault, Emily Romano won the event with a season best 4.18m bar. Three other teammates placed second through fourth as Lily Houston cleared a personal best 4.13m, Kaitlin Richards 3.68m and Angie Davis with a personal best 3.68m.
 
Ashlyn Giles through a big throw in the shot put to be crowned the Big South Champion while breaking the program, facility and Big South Championship records with her 16.52m throw. Vanessa Kobialka placed seventh with a 13.53m throw.
 
In the only finals event on the track of the night, Montalvo made the podium in third place in the 3000m steeplechase are clocking an 11:00.91 time. Olivia Purdy placed in fourth with a personal best, 11:04.25 time. Charlotte Heaton also placed in the top 10 with a personal best, 11:21.28 time.
 
The field events on Wednesday, in the high jump, gianna Paul placed second with a 1.71m height. Ashari Pearson and Mya Hines placed fourth with a 1.58m bar.
 
Later in the discus throw, Kobialka won her first Big South title with a 52.89m throw for a new personal best and Big South championship meet record. Giles joined Kobialka on the podium in second place after throwing 51.17m.
 
In the final throwing event of the meet, Moriah Evans was crowned the javelin champion after launching the javelin 47.53m in the finals. Giles placed fourth with a 38.77m throw and Safstrom placed sixth with a personal best37.36m throw.
 
Kicking off the running events on Wednesday, the 4x100m relay team set the tone taking home gold with a 44.60 time, setting a new program record and meet record. The team consisted of Kendall Hicks, Myle, Crane and Quiana Williams.
 
In the 1500m, Brianna Malone took first-place with ease after recording a season best 4:23.51 time. Malone placed second in the 800m with a season best, 2:09.09 time before taking home another first-place title in the 5000m with a 17:01.01 time. Jensen placed fourth with a 17:19.16 time in the 5000m and Montalvo and Purdy placed within the top 10.
 
In the 100m hurdles Paul placed third with a 13.61 time.
 
Myle put on a show in two sprinting events, taking home gold in both the 100m dash and 200m dash. She set a new program record in each event recording an 11.46 time in the 100m and a 23.11 time in the 200m. The 100m record was previously held by teammate Williams with an 11.50 time at the Bob Davidson meet in 2025 while the 200m record was previously held by Myle earlier this season. In the 100m Williams placed fifth with an 11.75 time and in the 200m Hicks placed seventh with a 24.35 time.
 
Concluding the meet with the 4x400m relay, High Point placed third overall with a 3:50.59 time. The team included Pearson, Williams, Hines and Paul.
 
Following the final race of the night, High Point was given the championship trophy, Zamesha Myle was named the Big South Women's Newcomer of the Year and the coaching staff was named the Coaching Staff of the Year.
 
Athletes who qualified for the NCAA East First Rounds in Lexington, Kentucky will begin to prepare to compete on May 27 through May 30.