MOUNT VERNON, IA - The Beloit College track and field teams delivered a series of standout performances on the opening day of the 2026 MWC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, highlighted by several first-place finishes and numerous personal bests. From the explosive sprints to the grueling 10,000-meter run, the Buccaneers made their presence felt across every discipline.
The Beloit men's team saw dominant performances in both the sprints and the throwing rings. Josh Yearby (Hollywood, FL) set the tone early in the 100 Meter Prelims, clinching the top spot with a blistering personal best of 10.57 seconds. Yearby continued his strong showing in the 200 Meter Prelims, finishing 6th with a time of 22.09 seconds to secure his spot in the next round.
In the distance events, Dylan Malmgren (Loves Park, Ill.) showcased remarkable endurance in the 10,000 Meter, taking 2nd place with a time of 31:45.73. Kembre Daniel (Chicago, Ill.) also performed well in the 1500 Meter, finishing 8th with a personal best of 4:02.81, followed by Anton Witzel (Erfurt, Germany) in 12th (4:10.03) and Leo Ramos in 19th (4:29.64).
Beloit's field athletes were equally impressive. Joshua Martinez (Beloit, Wis.) claimed 1st place in the Discus with a massive toss of 49.50 meters. He also placed 9th in the Hammer with a mark of 47.07 meters. In the jumps, John Deary II (Avondale, LA) took 6th in the Long Jump (6.49m), while Cooper Rathmann (Milwaukee, Wis.) cleared 3.20 meters to take 7th in the Pole Vault.
Nate Otis continued his dominance in the 400m disciplines. Otis claimed the top spot in the 400m Hurdle Prelims (55.42s) and 2nd in the 400m Prelims (50.18s).
The Buccaneer women were led by a stellar performance in the vertical jumps. Naomee Casey (Broken Arrow, Okla) captured 1st place in the Pole Vault, clearing 3.20 meters. She was supported by teammate Haley Carlin (Sarasota, Fla.), who took 2nd place with a vault of 2.50 meters. Carlin was one of the busiest athletes of the meet, also competing in the 100m Hurdles Prelims (11th, 20.39s), 400m Hurdles Prelims (16th, 1:30.22), and (24th, 3.71m).
On the track, Jaslyn Gama (Beloit, Wis.) and Allie Roberts proved to be a formidable duo in the 400 Meter Prelims, finishing 7th (1:01.10) and 8th (1:01.34) respectively to move forward. Gama also excelled in the 400 Meter Hurdles Prelims, taking 4th place with a personal best of 1:09.28.
In the distance category, Simone de Montigny (Neenah, Wis.) ground out a 9th-place finish in the 10,000 Meter Finals, clocking in at 41:53.34. In the 1500 Meter Finals, Addie Bogda (Collierville, TN) led the Beloit contingent with a 12th-place finish (5:15.70), followed by Sofia Jackson (17th, 5:53.03) and Meghan Koning (Mt. Prospect, Ill.) (20th, 6:08.45).
Else where in field events, Adelaide Schmitt took 5th in Javelin Finals (30.59m) and 16th in Shot Put Finals (9.92m).
With several athletes moving on from the preliminary rounds and multiple podium finishes already secured, Beloit College heads into tomorrow with significant momentum and a roster full of record-breaking talent.
