Knoxville, TN - The North Carolina Wesleyan track and field team continued to make its presence felt on the national stage this weekend, competing in its second Southeastern Conference (SEC) meet of the season at the University of Tennessee's high-profile invitational. The Bishops held its own among elite Division I programs, posting several record-setting performances that now rank among the best in NCAA Division III.
Leading the charge was standout sophomore Kamiyah Wooten, who turned in a sensational showing across three events. Wooten clocked an 11.80 in the 100m dash—good for a new DIII-leading time for the 2025 season. She followed that up with a 23.74 in the 200m, which also stands as the top mark in DIII this year. She added an 11th-place finish in the 400m (58.12), now ranking 37th nationally.
Joining Wooten in the 100m was fellow sophomore Ti'asia Bryant, who ran a season-best 11.90 to move up to No. 4 in the DIII rankings. Freshman T'Miya Bryant also competed in the event, gaining valuable experience on a big stage. Ti'asia Bryant later added a 25.17 mark in the 200m, ranking 31st in DIII.
In field events, freshman KeSondra Pickett continued her strong rookie campaign with a 4.79m mark in the long jump and a 10.75m leap in the triple jump. On the track, she also posted a 1:05.25 in the 400m.
In the men's mid-distance events, freshmen Juan Abascal and Omar Rodriguez battled tough fields in the 800m, finishing in 2:00.89 and 2:00.98, respectively, with Rodriguez setting a new personal record. Abascal also competed in the 1500m with a time of 4:23.09.
The Bishop women's relays added to the momentum. The 4x100m squad (T. Bryant, T. Bryant, Pickett, Wooten) finished 11th with a time of 50.31, currently 75th in DIII. The 4x400m relay team placed 14th in 4:22.55.
"We're incredibly proud of how our athletes performed on such a big stage," said head coach Bill Dunn. "For us to go into an SEC environment and walk away with multiple DIII top marks speaks volumes about the work our team is putting in. Kamiyah and Ti'asia are really setting the tone, and our younger athletes are stepping up with confidence. This was a great step forward for the program."
