CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Anderson University Women's Track & Field opened the 2026 Outdoor campaign breaking two program records and recording seven top 10 finishes at the Charlotte 49er Classic hosted by UNC Charlotte March 19-21.
 
The competition field featured top Div. I programs including Charlotte, Pittsburgh, N.C. State and Appalachian State, along with fellow SAC opponents Catawba and Wingate.
 
Junior Maggie Long (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) opened the season with an 11-inch personal best in the women's long jump to break Anderson's program record. Her distance of 5.76m placed her fourth out of 45 jumpers in the field.
 
Freshman Claire Gilliam (Simpsonville, S.C.) also notched a new program record in the women's high jump during her first collegiate outdoor competition. She cleared the 2.63m bar to set the record and finish sixth out of 17 jumpers.
 
The women's pole vault had a few incredible performances in the field with sophomore Avery Marshall (York, S.C.) clearing the 3.45m bar to finish fifth out of 14 vaulters. Shortly behind Marshall was junior Rylie Jenkins (Loranger, LA) with a height of 3.30m to finish ninth. Junior Jorja Fox (Easley, S.C.) finished second in the second group of vaulters with a height of 3.15m.
 
On the track, four Trojans posted new career bests during the opener. Junior Abby Kwasny (Winston-Salem, N.C.) ran an impressive 1:05.55 in the 400m hurdles to finish 10th out of 33 finishers while sophomore Hope Edmunds (Sandy, Utah) crossed the line for a time of 4:50.42 in the 1500m. In the women's 5k, freshman Emory Dargan (Columbia, S.C.) finished eighth out of 40, crossing the line for a time of 18:38.97 with sophomore Molly Hanlon (Cumming, Ga.) following closely behind in 15th, posting a time of 18:55.37.
 
A select group of Trojans will take the trip to Raleigh, N.C. for three days to compete in the Raleigh Relays hosted by NC State Thursday, March 26-Saturday, March 28. Live results can be found at AUTrojans.com.