CLEMSON, S.C. – The Anderson University women's track & field program opened their 2025-26 indoor campaign when they attended the Clemson Opener hosted by Clemson University on Friday.
"Overall, I thought today went well." said head coach
Caleb Stephenson. "We had some PRs and really good opening performances."
In pole vault, junior
Rylie Jenkins (Loranger, La.) was just shy of a program record vault after clearing the 3.49m bar for an eighth-place finish. Shortly behind Jenkins was senior
Kirsten Leonard (Hoover, Ala.) with a height of 3.34m.
On the track, senior
Emma Whitaker (Inman, S.C.) recorded a personal best 3k with a time of 10:24.04 crossing the line eighth with sophomore
Hope Edmunds (Sandy, Utah) just two spots behind, finishing with a time of 10:39.70 for two top-10 finishes.
Natalie States (Greensboro, N.C.),
Molly Hanlon (Cumming, Ga.),
Sarah Rudolph (Winter Springs, Fla.) and
Emory Dargan (Columbia, S.C.) led the only heat of the women's 5k, finishing with times of 18:43.22, 19:02.19, 19:20.23, and 1:48.04 respectively.
For jumps, freshman
Claire Gilliam (Simpsonville, S.C.) made her college debut sharing a seventh-place finish with three highly competitive jumpers who cleared the 1.56m bar. Junior
Maggie Long (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) finished 15
th in a field of 23 with a long jump personal record of 5.29m.
"We have a long way to go but it was good to see where we are at and continue to build on those things. I look forward to seeing our progress throughout the season." added Stephenson.
Four Trojans will compete at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener hosted by Boston University on Saturday before the holiday break. The Black and Gold bring in the new year when they travel to the Tryon Winter Classic for a two-day meet in Mill Spring, N.C. Jan. 16-17.
