LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama men's and women's track and field teams are preparing for a loaded weekend of competition, splitting squads between the Ole Miss Classic in Oxford, Mississippi, on March 20-21 and the Belhaven Invitational in Jackson, Mississippi, on Saturday, March 21.
The Tigers open action Friday evening in Oxford at 4:30 p.m., as Sammie Jordan, Jaxson Lovelace, and Ethan Michael take the runway in men's javelin. Competition continues at 6:00 p.m. with the 200-meter dash, where UWA will carry strong representation on both the men's and women's sides. Saturday's slate picks back up at 11:30 a.m. with field events, headlined by Dedric Hicks in the men's shot put, before a full schedule of running events begins at 1:00 p.m. UWA will be active across sprints, middle-distance, hurdles, and relays, with key contributors J'Da Williams, Jocelyn Randle, Jamaya Dancy, Adria Burrell, Kilaya Lucien, and Tyrese Pitts are expected to play major roles in the 4x100 and 4x400 relay events while also competing individually throughout the afternoon.
Meanwhile, a separate group of Tigers will compete at the Belhaven Track and Field Complex on Saturday. Field events begin at 10:00 a.m., featuring Bailey Keef and Lovelace in the long jump and high jump, and Avery Peterson and Autumn Sansing in the shot put. Peterson competes in the men's hammer throw at 1:00 p.m., and Sansing wraps up field events in the women's javelin at 3:30 p.m.
On the track, Grace Gosline, Laurel Morse, and Abigail Vega will run the women's 1500 meters alongside Lorenzo Pelusi and Jonathan Phillips for the men. Additional competitors include Kacey Green in the women's 400-meter dash, Nicholas Nash in the men's 100-meter dash, Kiona Mcallister in the women's 400-meter hurdles, and Mercy Lomuria in the women's 800-meter run. A strong group in the men's 800 meters features Ray Englebert, Avante Mackey, Dylan Payne, Wilbur Valencia, and Evan Young, before Lovelace and Nash close out the meet in the men's 200-meter dash.
UWA enters the weekend looking to build on recent performances, while continuing to develop across all event groups. With competition beginning Friday evening in Oxford and continuing through a full day of events Saturday at both Ole Miss and Belhaven, the Tigers will look to maximize opportunities, build momentum, and evaluate depth across both the men's and women's squads.
