SMC Women’s Track & Field Opens 2025-26 Season With Two School Records, Seven AAC Qualifiers

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Spartanburg Methodist College women's track and field team opened the 2025–26 indoor campaign in impressive fashion at the JDL Early Bird Invitational, breaking two school records and earning seven qualifying marks for the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships.

"It was a great meet and a strong first experience inside the newly renovated JDL," said SMC head track and field coach Jannai Maxwell. "I'm proud of how hard our athletes competed, and we look forward to building on what we accomplished today."

Freshman Carson Byrd wasted no time rewriting the record book in the 60-meter dash, running 8.05 to surpass the decade-old mark of 8.10, set by Brianna Pressley in 2015. Byrd was joined by standout freshmen De'Nasia Robinson and Makhia Williams, whose times of 8.24 and 8.37 now rank No. 5 and No. 6 all-time in SMC history. All three sprinters qualified for the AAC Indoor Championships.

The second record of the day came in the field events, where freshman Mckensley Parks launched the shot put 33-2.50 (10.12m), establishing a new SMC standard and securing her spot at the AAC Championships.

The team's momentum continued on the track as two Pioneers posted top-three all-time performances in their events. Freshman Eva Sapp, making her collegiate debut, ran 1:03.80 in the 400m dash—No. 2 in program history. After a standout cross country season, junior Polly Addington recorded the No. 3 all-time SMC performance in the 800m, finishing in 2:35.27.

Rounding out the qualifying marks, Robinson also clocked 27.90 in the 200m—good for No. 4 in SMC history and earning her a second AAC Championship event.