CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- After winning three titles on Monday, Furman captured three additional titles Tuesday to conclude the 2026 Southern Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Western Carolina's Catamount Athletic Complex in Cullowhee, N.C. 

The Paladins won the women's 1,500m and 5,000m and claimed gold in the men's 5,000m.  Furman's women scored 110 points, the highest Paladin point total on the women's side since 2018, to finish fourth, while the Paladin men placed third with 109 points.  

Furman finished 1-2-4-6-8 in the women's 1,500m.  Sophomore Nysa Males took first in the event with a PR of 4:22.17, followed by senior Camryn Wennersten in second place at 4:23.35.  Sophomore Zoie Lamanna posted a personal best of 4:29.55 to finish fourth, while senior Claire Garrett placed sixth with a time of 4:43.19.  Freshman Kate Bannigan was named to the SoCon All-Freshman team after turning in an eighth-place finish at 4:46.15.

The Paladins also had the top two finishers in the women's 5,000m and placed all five of their runners in the event among the top nine.  Senior Sierra Bower won the event with a time of 17:22.54 followed by freshman Tessa Walter in second at 17:27.84.  Lamanna finished fifth at 17:36.69 followed by sophomore Nysa Males in sixth at 17:36.77.  Freshman Elly Velasquez placed ninth with a time of 17:46.29.  For their efforts, both Walter and Velasquez earned a SoCon All-Freshman Team citation.

In the 800m finals, sophomore Claire Cook placed second with a time of 2:07.26, and Wennersten finished fourth at 2:08.44.  Freshman Tara Watkins claimed seventh place with a time of 2:15.63 to join the SoCon All-Freshman Team. 

The Paladins placed three runners among the top four in the men's 1,500m.  Graduate Bryn Woodall won the event with a time of 3:42.91, marking Furman's third-straight title in the event, while junior Brayden Seymour placed second at 3:45.11.  Graduate student Albert Velikonja finished fourth with a time of 3:47.40.  

Furman runners finished in second through fifth place in the men's 5,000m.  Junior Owen Shifflett placed second at 14:42.62 followed by junior Trevor Coggin in third at 14:46.82.  Sophomore Rives Boltwood crossed the line in 14:49.92 for fourth place, and graduate student Evan Guzman was fifth with a time of 14:52.20.  Senior Colton Kempney turned in a ninth-place finish at 15:04.85. 

Freshman Leland Bishop posted a personal-best time of 48.98 to finish sixth in the 400m to join Jackson Sorbello on the SoCon All-Freshman team for the event, while Woodall turned in a time of 1:56.61 to finish seventh in the 800m.  The Paladin 4x100m relay team of Bishop, sophomore Owen Delaney, freshman Luke Milman, and sophomore Joe Womack placed fifth at 43.83, and the Furman 4x400m relay team of Bishop, Womack, freshman Jackson Sorbello, and junior Brayden Seymour was also fifth with a time of 3:22.05. 

Western Carolina won the women's meet with 182.5 points, while Samford's men claimed their sixth-straight league title after scoring 238.5 points.

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Men's results – Day 2
1. Samford 238.5 
2. Western Carolina 180.5 
3. Furman 109 
4. The Citadel 87.5 
5. Wofford 64 
6. VMI 50.5 
7. ETSU 47 
8. UNCG 36 

Women's results – Day 2
1. Western Carolina 182.5 
2. Samford 175.5 
3. Wofford 137 
4. Furman 110 
5. ETSU 80.5 
6. Mercer 46 
7. VMI 37 
8. Chattanooga 24.5 
9. The Citadel 10 
10. UNCG 6 

SoCon Championships - Day 2
Complete Furman Results
Men
400m Finals
6th Leland Bishop 48.98 - PR

800m Finals
7th Bryn Woodall 1:56.61

1,500m
1st Bryn Woodall 3:42.91
2nd Brayden Seymour 3:45.11
4th Albert Velikonja 3:47.40

5,000m
2nd Owen Shifflett 14:42.62
3rd Trevor Coggin 14:46.82
4th Rives Boltwood 14:49.92
5th Evan Guzman 14:52.20
9th Colton Kempney 15:04.85

4x100m
5th Bishop, Delaney, 43.83
Milman, Womack

4x400m
5th Bishop, Womack, 3:22.05
Sorbello, Seymour

Women
800m Finals
2nd Claire Cook 2:07.26
4th Camryn Wennersten 2:08.44
7th Tara Watkins 2:15.63

1,500m
1st Nysa Males 4:22.17 - PB
2nd Camryn Wennersten 4:23.35
4th Zoie Lamanna 4:29.55 - PB
6th Clair Garrett 4:43.19
8th Kate Bannigan 4:46.15

5,000m
1st Sierra Bower 17:22.54
2nd Tessa Walter 17:27.84
5th Zoie Lamanna 17:36.69
6th Nysa Males 17:36.77
9th Elly Velasquez 17:46.29

Men's SoCon All-Freshman Team – Day 2
400m
Leland Bishop, Furman 
Jackson Sorbello, Furman 

Women's SoCon All-Freshman Team – Day 2
1,500m
Kate Bannigan, Furman
 
800m
Tara Watkins, Furman

5,000m
Tessa Walter, Furman
Elly Velasquez, Furman