PETERSBURG, VA (May 2, 2026) — The 2026 CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship wrapped up Saturday at Rogers Stadium on the campus of Virginia State University, with Winston-Salem State and Virginia Union crowned the overall champions on the women’s and men’s sides, respectively.
Winston-Salem State claimed the women’s team championship for the second consecutive season, finishing with 130 points after holding off Claflin (125.42) and Fayetteville State (102.26). On the men’s side, Virginia Union captured the CIAA crown with a commanding 156 points, followed by Johnson C. Smith (109) and Lincoln (Pa.) (93).
Winston-Salem State head coach Antonio Wells was named Women’s Coach of the Year after guiding the Rams to back-to-back titles. Frank Charles of Virginia Union earned Men’s Coach of the Year honors following the Panthers’ dominant championship performance.
Top individual accolades highlighted standout seasons across the conference. Jhnyia Knuckles of Claflin University was named Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, while Morgan Coverson-Springs of Claflin earned Women’s Track Athlete of the Year honors. On the men’s side, Zachary Jones of Virginia Union captured Men’s Field Athlete of the Year, and Leonie Bentley of Virginia State was recognized as Men’s Track Athlete of the Year.
MVP performances were on full display throughout the meet. Latrice Brown of Claflin claimed Women’s Track MVP honors with 24 points after winning the 100 meters (11.88), 200 meters (23.92), contributing to the championship-winning 4x100 relay, and scoring in the 4x400 relay. Ja’myiah Walker of Bluefield State earned Women’s Field MVP honors with 18 points, highlighted by a victory in the shot put (13.50m) and a runner-up finish in the javelin.
On the men’s side, Miles Artis-Ablack of Virginia State was named Men’s Track MVP after scoring 18 points across the sprints and relays, while Zachary Jones of Virginia Union secured Men’s Field MVP honors with 23 points after winning the discus and posting top-four finishes in the shot put and javelin.
Before Saturday’s finals began, the CIAA recognized graduating seniors from each of the institutions. Later, the CIAA also recognized its academic standouts. The Shaw women’s track and field team earned the highest team GPA award on the women’s side, while the Claflin men’s team received the highest GPA honor for the men, underscoring the conference’s commitment to excellence both on the track and in the classroom.
Saturday’s competition featured decisive moments across both disciplines. In the field events, Sabrena Hogan of Livingstone won the women’s triple jump with a mark of 11.75 meters, while Divine Gee of Johnson C. Smith captured the men’s triple jump at 14.78 meters.
On the women’s track, Claflin captured the 4x100 relay in 45.42, while Johnson C. Smith closed strong to win the 4x400 relay in 3:46.85. Individually, Latrice Brown continued her standout weekend by sweeping the women’s 100 and 200 meters, teammate Obiageli Akubude won the 100-meter hurdles in 13.99, and Brea Childs of Claflin took the 400 meters in 55.14. Janya Barnes of Johnson C. Smith claimed the 400-meter hurdles in 1:01.87, Rainn Sheppard of Winston-Salem State delivered a pivotal win in the 800 meters in 2:09.75, and Faith Kiplimo of Fayetteville State closed the meet with a victory in the 5,000 meters in 18:11.60.
The men’s sprint events belonged to Bowie State, which won the 4x100 relay in 40.69, while Dareon Faircloth captured the 100 meters in 10.44 and Marlin Newsome Jr. won the 200 meters in 21.03. Lincoln (Pa.) captured the men’s 4x400 relay in 3:11.08 and saw Carlo Johnson claim the 400 meters in 47.18. Jakarriez Sanders of Claflin won the 800 meters in 1:55.38, Antonio Smith of Virginia Union captured the 110-meter hurdles in 14.20, and Princewell Martin of Johnson C. Smith took the 400-meter hurdles in 52.74. The men’s 5,000 meters title went to Emmanuel Kipchirchir of Virginia State, who crossed the line in 15:39.95.
Media Contact:
Anna M. Butzlaff | abutzlaff@theciaa.com
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.
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