Baton Rouge, LA — The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) men's and women's track and field teams put on a remarkable display of talent and determination at the 2025 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held at A.W. Mumford Stadium on the campus of Southern University. Under the leadership of Head Coach Christopher McCoy, the Golden Lions delivered standout performances, highlighted by record-breaking runs, podium finishes, and relentless competitiveness that left fans in awe.
The men's team captured a strong fourth-place finish, scoring 88 total points in a highly competitive field. This marks the second consecutive year the program has placed in the top four. Senior Che Rochford led the way with a dominant showing in the decathlon, breaking the SWAC record with 6,985 points. Senior Dwight Henry continued his stellar season with a first-place finish in the 110m hurdles (13.83), while freshman Navan McCoy made his outdoor championship debut with an eighth-place finish (14.37). In the sprints, juniors Jared Sylvester and Ross Walrond placed fourth and sixth in the 200m dash, clocking 20.56 and 20.84 respectively—both personal bests. Sophomore Jordan Pierre earned a runner-up finish in the 400m with a personal-best 45.54, while Sylvester followed in fifth (46.06). Junior Genesis Joseph contributed with a fourth-place finish in the 800m (1:51.49). In the distance races, senior Terrance Johnson ran a season-best 16:27.57 to place seventh in the 5000m, and sophomore Inertia Mugethi posted a personal-best 33:11.54 to take fifth in the 10,000m.
The Golden Lions made history in the relays, with the 4x100m team of Henry, Sylvester, Pierre, and Walrond breaking a 40-year-old SWAC record with a time of 39.17 seconds. That performance currently ranks 16th in the nation and sixth in the NCAA Division I West Region. In the 4x400m relay, Walrond, Mohamed Soumare, Sylvester, and Pierre posted a season-best 3:06.01—good for the second-fastest time in school history, behind only UAPB's legendary 3:05.4 performance in 1967.
In the field events, sophomore Pierre Brownlee-Ford claimed second place in the long jump with a mark of 7.50m, while senior Anthony Fuqua placed seventh in the triple jump (14.83m), rounding out a well-balanced team effort.
On the women's side, UAPB battled hard and earned a seventh-place team finish with 46 points. Junior Arryona Simmons led the charge on the track with a third-place finish in the 100m hurdles (13.93). Freshman Cadese Higgins added a seventh-place finish in the 400m (56.43), and junior Akili Pleas-Carnie placed sixth in the 400m hurdles (1:02.83). The Golden Lions women's relay teams also impressed, with the 4x100m squad of Leyone Smith, Simmons, Kalani Vreen, and Higgins placing third in a season-best 45.79. The 4x400m team of Ashley Robinson, Smith, Kaiel Kimble, and Higgins followed with another third-place finish and a season-best of 3:44.30.
In the field, UAPB dominated the hammer throw. Senior Lyric Love captured first place with a mark of 55.58m, which currently ranks second among all HBCU competitors. Seniors Ariyonna Edmond and Cornelia Watts followed with fifth (49.83m) and sixth-place (49.64m) finishes, respectively. Watts also scored in the shot put, placing third with a throw of 13.91m.
Following the championship, Head Coach Christopher McCoy expressed pride in both squads. "I'm proud of how both programs performed—competing with heart and giving it everything they had," said McCoy. "We've got some very talented runners on both sides, and I'm excited to see what the future holds for UAPB Track & Field. As we gear up for the NCAA West Regionals, it's back to the grind and recruiting even more strong talent to Pine Bluff."
