The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) track and field teams competed at the 2026 Big South-SoCon Challenge hosted by UNC Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina, on March 21. The event brought together teams from the Southern Conference and the Big South Conference for an early-season outdoor meet.
The competition provided an opportunity for VMI athletes to test themselves against conference rivals and former competitors. The event also marked the start of the outdoor season for many participants.
Cameron Thomas set a new school record in the pole vault with a first-place height of 5.11 meters, surpassing his previous best set in 2025. Freshman Deonte Harris finished second in the triple jump with a distance of 14.55 meters and placed third in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.97 seconds. Zachary Denton earned third place in the long jump with a mark of 7.00 meters.
Other notable performances included Rye Jackson finishing fourth in the 400 meters, Halim Hardnett placing fourth in the high jump and ninth in the 100-meter dash, Colin Crenshaw coming fourth in the steeplechase, Elisha Williams finishing seventh in shot put just ahead of Tazewell Rae’s ninth-place finish, and Isaiah Blount securing eighth place in discus.
In team scoring, Western Carolina led with 208 points followed by UNC Asheville with 162 points. VMI finished fifth overall with a total of 54 points.
Zack Scott, VMI Director of Track and Field, said: “The outdoor season opened in impressive fashion as we competed against Southern Conference rivals Wofford College and Western Carolina University and our former friends from the Big South. Our team delivered a standout performance across the board, showing depth, determination and early-season form.
“By the end of the meet, our efforts paid off—the SoCon captured the women’s team championship. It was a great result to kick off the season and set the tone for what’s ahead!”
