Mercer Logs School Record, Seven Top-10 Finishes At Charlotte 49er Classic

Thursday, March 19

Charlotte, N.C.

All Day

Mercer University

(2) 49er Invitational

Mercer Logs School Record, Seven Top-10 Finishes At Charlotte 49er Classic

3/21/2026 8:35:00 PM | Track & Field

Results

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Emma James posted top-10 performances in both the 800m and 1500m Runs, while fellow senior Iris Porter finished runner-up in the grueling 10000m Run with a school-record time of 36:07.27, to highlight action for the Mercer track & field team at the Charlotte 49er Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

James (5^th) crossed the finish line ahead of 74 other competitors in the 800m Run, and doubled down with a sixth-place showing in the 1500m Run where her time was better than 80 other runners in the discipline. Porter and senior Chiara Belfico tallied a 2-3 finish in the 10000m Run. Porter's time of 36:07.27 in the 10000m Run was more than 24 seconds faster than the previous school record held by Annette Rodriguez-Olvera.

Sophomore Mackenzie Crowe (5^th, 3000m Run) and freshman Ava Ryan (7^th, 5000m Run) also registered top-10 finishes at the Irwin Belk Track & Field Center.

Mercer will be back in action next weekend when they split their squad again and head to Atlanta (distance) for the Emory Thrills In The Hills and Starkville, Miss. (sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers) for the Mississippi State-hosted Alumni Bulldog Relays.

CHARLOTTE 49ER INVITATIONAL (MARCH 20-21)
800m Run
5	Emma James	2:14.83

1500m Run
6	Emma James	4:33.79
72	Courtney Calhoun	5:13.87

5000m Run Open
7	Ava Ryan	18:36.77

10000m Run
2	Iris Porter	$! 36:07.27
3	Chiara Belfico	36:08.72

3000m Run
3	Paula Sandoval	10:12.92
5	Mackenzie Crowe	! 10:36.91
12	Emily Ireland	11:31.34
13	Abigail Winford	11:35.59

5000m Run Invite
12	Abbie Kallbreier	! 17:45.50
19	Olivia Jones	18:08.89

$ - School Record ! - Personal Best Time/Mark