Bears Match Program-Best Finish At SoCon Championships

Monday, May 11

Cullowhee, N.C.

All Day

Mercer University

Southern Conference Championships

Bears Match Program-Best Finish At SoCon Championships

5/12/2026 4:30:00 PM | Track & Field

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Sophomore Arielle Livingston matched a 5-year-old school record on the way to a third-place finish in the 100m Hurdles, while senior Emma James shattered a 2-month-old school record in the 10000m Run, to help the Mercer track & field team match a program-best finish at the Southern Conference Championships at Western Carolina's Catamount Athletic Complex.

The Bears finished the league's postseason gala with 46 points – the most for the program in five years – while also matching their 2018, 2019 and 2021 counterparts with a program-best sixth-place finish at the event.

Sophomore Jayla Simmons walked away with a pair of all-conference awards after finishing third in the Long Jump, while also running the third leg of the 4x100m Relay squad's third-place performance as well. Livingston, likewise, exited Cullowhee with a pair of medals thanks to her showing in the 100m Hurdles, as well as her final-leg performance as part of the 4x100m Relay team.

The Orange & Black finished with a trio of point-scorers in two events across the two days in western North Carolina. James (4^th), Iris Porter (5^th) and Chiara Belfico (8^th) logged a combined 10 points with their performances in the 10000m Run, while Simmons (5^th), Akira Brown (6^th) and TaLaya Broaders (8^th) tacked up eight combined points with their showings in the 100m Dash.

Simmons (3^rd) and Naomi Pierce (6^th) collected nine points in the Long Jump for the Bears as well.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS (MAY 11-12)
100m Dash (Prelims)
5	Jayla Simmons	! 11.96 (11.954)
6	Akira Brown	! 11.96 (11.956)
7	TaLaya Broaders	! 12.00
9	Melissa Ubani	! 12.14

100m Dash
5	Jayla Simmons	11.97
6	Akira Brown	12.05
8	TaLaya Broaders	12.14

100m Hurdles (Prelims)
5	Arielle Livingston	14.22

100m Hurdles
3	Arielle Livingston	$! 13.92

200m Dash (Prelims)
6	Charity Obazughanmwen	! 24.51
11	Akira Brown	! 25.08
14	Jayla Simmons	25.58
18	Shanise Newton	25.89
19	TaLaya Broaders	25.93

200m Dash
8	Charity Obazughanmwen	24.95

400m Dash (Prelims)
10	Carmen Pollard	! 57.97

1500m Run
12	Ava Ryan	4:56.76
14	Mackenzie Crowe	4:59.26

3000m Steeplechase
9	Olivia Jones	11:38.29
10	Abbie Kallbreier	11:57.07

10000m Run
4	Emma James	$ 35:52.97
5	Iris Porter	! 35:59.56
10	Chiara Belfico	36:42.21

Long Jump
3	Jayla Simmons	! 5.85m
6	Naomi Pierce	5.65m

Triple Jump
6	Naomi Pierce	! 11.40m
9	Lauryn McDougald	11.00m

5000m Run
8	Emma James	17:44.71
10	Iris Porter	17:46.98
16	Paula Sandoval	18:17.73
19	Abbie Kallbreier	18:24.80
21	Olivia Jones	18:37.46

4x100m Relay
3	Mercer - Melissa Ubani, Akira Brown, Jayla Simmons, Arielle Livingston	46.80

4x400m Relay
7	Mercer - Shanise Newton, Charity Obazughanmwen, Carmen Pollard, Arielle Livingston	3:56.54

! = Personal Best $ = School Record