Pirates Show Out at American Conference Championships

Friday, February 27

Birmingham, AL

East Carolina University

American Conference Championship

Photo by: The American Conference

March 01, 2026 | Track & Field

Results (Web)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The East Carolina track & field program delivered a determined performance at the American Conference Indoor Championships in Birmingham, turning in eight All-Conference finishes.

Sophomore sprinter Kelly Ufodiama was the star of the weekend again. For the third time in as many conference meets across indoor and outdoor track & field, the Round Rock, Texas native earned Most Valuable Performer honors. She remains undefeated in individual events at American Conference Championships as she defended her titles in both the 60m and 200m with final times of 7.30 and 23.14 seconds. In the prelims of the 200m, she broke her own meet record in a time of 22.89 seconds, an indoor PR.

The sophomore has now won six conference titles, tied for the women's program record with Tynita Butts and Aiesha Goggins who both won six CUSA crowns. She is the first female athlete to repeat MVP honors since the American began giving the award in 2018. Ufodiama was also on the women's 4x400m team which finished fourth place in a time of 3:40.91 for another five points for the team.

Brianna Clayton earned All-Conference accolades as well in the women's 200m, finishing second behind Ufodiama with a time of 23.75.

The Texan was not the only conference champ for the Pirates this weekend as Faith Spencer proved that her success of a season ago was far from a flash in the pan, finally finishing atop the podium in the women's triple jump after a pair of top-five finishes last year. Her leap of 12.85m (42-2) was not a personal best, but it didn't need to be on the day, besting second place by three centimeters for the win.

In the women's 60m hurdles, Kailey Elliott came up just shy of defending her title, finishing second overall with a time of 8.29 seconds.

On the men's side of the sprint events, Rashun Fountain got on the podium for the first time with a second-place finish in the 200m in a time of 20.93. That time ranks third in program history behind only LaShawn Merritt and Royal Burris.

In the longer distances, Abrielle Schweizter finished out the ECU All-Conference honorees with her third-place finish in the mile with a time of 4:50.75.

On the men's side, Alex Sawyer came up short of defending his title in the event but ran a PR on his way to an eighth-place finish, breaking his own program record in 4:05.10. The event required a meet record to even finish on the podium.

2026 American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships

Men's Team Scores

1. South Florida – 134.5

2. Wichita State – 132

3. Charlotte – 104

4. Tulsa – 93

5. North Texas – 66.5

6. Rice – 46

7. UTSA – 41

8. East Carolina – 26

9. Memphis - 20

Women's Team Scores

1. North Texas – 90

2. Charlotte – 82

3. Rice – 77

4. East Carolina – 69

5. Tulane – 63

6. UTSA – 59

7. Wichita State – 56

8. Tulsa – 51

9. South Florida – 50

10. Memphis – 26

11. Temple – 25

12. Florida Atlantic – 11

13. UAB – 3

Most Valuable Performer

Kelly Ufodiama, East Carolina (women)

Josh Parrish, Wichita State (men)

Freshman of the Year

Lilah Versluis, South Florida (women)

Alesandro Cardoso-Williams, South Florida (men)

Staff of the Year

Doug Marshall, North Texas (women)

Erik Jenkins, South Florida (men)

Friday, February 27

9:00 a.m. W-Pentathlon 60m Hurdles - Julia Johannesdottir, Rice - 8.22 *meet record*
9:45 a.m. W-Pentathlon High Jump - Edlin Laur, UTSA - 1.77m
11:30 a.m. W-Pentathlon Shot Put - Sofie Groeninger, Tulane - 14.05m
12:45 p.m. W-Pentathlon Long Jump - Sasha Gregory, Charlotte - 5.89m
2:00 p.m. W-Pentathlon 800m Run - Alice Taylor, Rice - 2:20.80

Men's Heptathlon

11:30 a.m. M-Heptathlon 60m Dash - Janre Jogi, UTSA - 7.02
12:15 p.m. M-Heptathlon Long Jump - Janre Jogi, UTSA - 7.44m
1:30 p.m. M-Heptathlon Shot Put - Rikard Throgen-Hedin, Wichita State - 14.16m
3:50 p.m. M-Heptathlon High Jump - Cole Smither, Wichita State - 2:08m

Field Events

12:00 p.m. Men's High Jump - Kaleb Tesmer, Wichita State - 2.08m
12:30 p.m. Men's Pole Vault - Nokodem Pochopien, South Florida - 5.30m
2:00 p.m. Women's Long Jump - Ida Breigan, UTSA - 6.52m
2:15 p.m. Men's Weight Throw - Cal Abdulky, Rice - 21.96m
3:30 p.m. Women's Pole Vault - Emelie Beckman, Temple - 4.17m
4:00 p.m. Men's Long Jump - Alesandro Cardoso-Williams, South Florida - 7.50m
4:15 p.. Women's Weight Throw - Fabrienne Foster, North Texas - 19.57m

Track Events

1:05 p.m. Mile Run - Women's Trials - London Maxwell, North Texas - 4:50.84 *top qualifier*
1:20 p.m. Mile Run - Men's Trials - Maddon Muhammad, Charlotte - 4:05.59 *top qualifier*
1:35 p.m. 400m Dash - Women's Trials - Aariyana Williams, North Texas - 53.98 *top qualifier*
1:50 p.m. 400m Dash - Men's Trials - Alexavier Monfries, South FLorida - 46.84 *top qualifier*
2:15 p.m. 60m Hurdles - Women's Trials - Kailey Elliott, East Carolina - 8.25 *top qualifier*
2:25 p.m. 60m Hurdles - Men's Trials - Josh Parrish, Wichita State - 7.70 *top qualifer* *meet record*
2:35 p.m. 60m Dash - Women's Trials - Kelly Ufodiama, East Carolina - 7.27 *top qualifier*
2:45 p.m. 60m Dash - Men's Trials - Jaleel Croal, South Florida - 6.64 *top qualifier*
3:00 p.m. 800m Dash - Women's Trials - Billie Rouse, Tulsa - 2:09.55 *top qualifier*
3:15 p.m. 800m Dash - Men's Trials - Andrew Lutkenhaus, Tulsa - 1:50.30 *top qualifier*
3:30 p.m. 200m Dash - Women's Trials - Kelly Ufodiama, East Carolina *22.89* *meet record*
3:45 p.m. 200m Dash - Men's Trials - Jaleel Croal, South Florida - 20.91 *top qualifier*
4:45 p.m. 5,000m Run Seeded - Women's FINAL - Blezzin Kimutai, Tulane - 15:59.69 *meet record*
5:10 p.m. 5,000m Run Seeded - Men's FINAL - Elkana Kipruto, Wichita State - 13:50.72
5:30 p.m. Women's Distance Medley Relay - Wichita State - 11:32.25
5:50 p.m. Men's Distance Medley Relay – Charlotte – 9:45.76

Saturday, February 28

Men's Heptathlon - Janre Jogi, UTSA - 5,535 points

9:15 a.m. M-Heptathlon 60m Hurdles - Janre Jogi, UTSA - 8.19
10:15 a.m. M-Heptathlon Pole Vault - Rikard Throgen-Hedin, Wichita State - 4.85m
1:50 p.m. M-Heptathlon 1000m Run - Reeve Tarter, Rice - 2:39.69

Field Events

10:30 a.m. Women's High Jump - Edlin Laur, UTSA - 1.84m
10:45 a.m. Men's Shot Put - Olu Williams, North Texas - 18.49m
11:00 a.m. Women's Triple Jump - Faith Spencer, East Carolina - 12.85m
1:00 p.m. Men's Triple Jump - Jemuel Miller, UTSA - 15:85m
1:15 p.m. Women's Shot Put - Jazmyn James, Memphis - 16.34m

Track Events

12:05 p.m. Mile Run - Women's FINAL - London Maxerll - 4:48.60
12:15 p.m. Mile Run - Men's FINAL - Sean Korsmo, Tulsa - 4:02.99 *meet record*
12:25 p.m. 400m Dash - Women's - Barbora Malikova, Rice - 51.97 *meet record*
12:35 p.m. 400m Dash - Men's - Alexavier Monfries, South Florida - 46.34
12:45 p.m. 60m Hurdles - Women's FINAL - Julia Johannesdottir, Rice - 8.18
12:55 p.m. 60m Hurdles - Men's FINAL - Hendrick Hundl, North Texas - 7.70 *meet record*
1:05 p.m. 60m Dash - Women's FINAL - Kelly Ufodiama, East Carolina - 7.30
1:15 p.m. 60m Dash - Men's FINAL - Jaleel Croal, South Florida - 6.66
1:25 p.m. 800m Run - Women's FINAL - Billie Rouse, Tulsa - 2:08.14
1:35 p.m. 800m Run - Men's FINAL - Chase Lehr, North Texas - 1:47.67
1:45 p.m. 200m Dash - Women's - Kelly Ufodiama, East Carolina - 23.14
1:55 p.m. 200m Dash - Men's - Jaleel Croal, South Florida - 20.89
2:50 p.m. 3,000m Run Seeded - Women's FINAL - Sara Morefield, Tulsa - 9:23.93
3:05 p.m. 3,000m Run Seeded - Men's FINAL - Levi Rowan, Tulsa - 8:03.23
3:15 p.m. 4x400m Relay - Women's FINAL - Rice - 3:36.78
3:25 p.m. 4x400 Relay - Men's FINAL - Charlotte - 3:07.74