CLINTON, Miss. – Mississippi College track & field opened the 2026 outdoor season with several standout performances at the MC Spring Classic, highlighted by a school record, NCAA provisional marks and multiple event victories at Robinson-Hale Stadium.
One of the top performances of the meet came in the men's 100 meters, where freshman Brodie Roberts ran a personal-best 10.29 seconds to finish second overall. The mark meets the NCAA provisional standard, ranks No. 1 in NCAA Division II this season and sits third all-time in Mississippi College history.
In the distance events, Taylor Benoit broke the Mississippi College school record in the women's 5,000 meters, running 16:58.56 to record a personal best.
In the field events, Matthew Coleman delivered an NCAA provisional mark in the men's javelin with a throw of 62.35 meters (204 feet, 7 inches), currently ranking ninth in Division II.
The Choctaws also set a school record in the women's 4x100-meter relay, as Elyse Dorris, Emily Taylor, Haylei Mason and Alana Green combined to run 46.76 seconds.
Mississippi College claimed several event victories during the meet. Ethan Belcher won the men's pole vault with a personal-best clearance of 4.40 meters (14 feet, 5¼ inches), while Mallory Dial captured the women's high jump at 1.61 meters (5 feet, 3¼ inches).
On the track, Gabe Hodson won the men's 800 meters in 1:53.02, Matias Vasquez took the men's 400-meter hurdles in 55.00 seconds, and Christian Balcer claimed the men's 5,000 meters in 15:04.13.
The Choctaw women also saw strong performances from Lauren Wallace, who won the 1500 meters in 4:41.89, and Alana Green, who swept the sprint events with victories in the 100 meters (11.78) and 200 meters (24.24). Green's 100-meter performance ranks second all-time at Mississippi College.
Mississippi College also recorded several podium finishes across the meet. Bre Bell placed second in the women's 5,000 meters with a personal-best 17:15.93, ranking third all-time at MC, while Braedon Methvin and Baxter Friedman finished second and third in the men's 5,000 meters.
In the throws, Bryan Puckett placed third in the shot put with 15.62 meters (51 feet, 3 inches), while Kennedy Thompson placed second in the discus and also finished runner-up in the hammer throw with a personal-best 46.37 meters (152 feet, 1 inch), ranking second in program history.
Several Choctaws also posted personal-best performances during the outdoor opener, including Haylei Mason, whose 57.48 in the 400 meters ranks seventh all-time at Mississippi College, and Elyse Dorris, who ran 11.94 in the 100 meters to move to fourth on the MC all-time list.
In addition to the on-track performances, Mississippi College also recognized the 2025 Choctaw women's cross country team during the meet with a championship ring ceremony. The team was honored for capturing the first Gulf South Conference Cross Country Championship in program history this past October. Members of the championship squad received their rings during a special presentation at Robinson-Hale Stadium as part of the MC Spring Classic festivities.
Mississippi College will continue its outdoor season on March 21st as the Choctaws travel for their next round of competition at the Belhaven InvitationalÂ
