Reinhardt Posts Strong AAC Finishes Behind Event Titles from White and Rice

Reinhardt Posts Strong AAC Finishes Behind Event Titles from White and Rice
April 27, 2026

Blackrock, NC - Reinhardt University closed the 2026 Appalachian Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships with a fourth-place finish on the men's side and a record-setting result from the women's team in Blackrock, North Carolina. The Eagles' men scored 102.5 points over the April 23-25 meet, while the women placed sixth with 64 points, the highest women's conference finish and largest point total in program history at an AAC championship meet.

The top individual titles came from Marquia White and Ethan Rice. White won the women's discus at 42.75 meters and added a third-place finish in the hammer at 46.54 meters, a personal record, along with a fourth-place mark of 11.64 meters in the shot put. Rice captured the men's javelin crown with a winning throw of 58.84 meters, giving Reinhardt another conference champion in a meet that featured several podium finishes across the roster.

Reinhardt also got a runner-up finish from Ben Pearce in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase. Pearce crossed in 9:53.94, a personal record and one of the key scoring efforts for the men. Bryan McClendon added a second-place finish in the high jump by clearing 2.02 meters. In the decathlon, Duane Cure totaled 4,414 points for another personal record, contributing to the men's fourth-place team result.

On the women's side, Abigail Cruz delivered one of the meet's standout marks with a throw of 40.00 meters in the javelin, good for second place and a school record. Kenadi Aker also set a school record in the 400 meters, finishing in 1:00.22. Lilly Savage posted strong hurdle performances with a 16.23 in the 100-meter hurdles and a 1:08.90 in the 400-meter hurdles, adding to a weekend in which Reinhardt athletes produced multiple personal and school-best marks.

The Eagles also turned in a solid relay result in the women's 4x100-meter relay, where Makenzie Cumbee, Kenadi Aker, Lydiana Styles and Abigail Bell finished fourth in 48.67 seconds. The combination of event victories, runner-up finishes and record-setting performances helped define one of the strongest conference meets in recent program history, particularly for the women's team.

The AAC championships concluded the regular season, but the year is not over for athletes still chasing qualifying standards. Reinhardt competitors will have additional early-May opportunities to post marks for the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships, scheduled for May 20-22 in Asheville, North Carolina.

 

Below is the complete list of the results:

Team Results:

  • Men's: 4th Place- 102.5 Points
  • Women's 6th Place- 64 Points (Highest Placing in School History and Most Points Scored at a Conference Meet)

Meet Placers:

  • Marquia White - 1st place, Women's Discus, 42.75 meters
  • Ethan Rice - 1st place, Men's Javelin, 58.84 meters
  • Ben Pearce - 2nd place, Men's 3k Steeple Chase, 9:53.94
  • Bryan McClendon, 2nd place, Men's High Jump, 2.02m
  • Abbi Cruz, 2nd place, Women's Javelin, 40.00m
  • Michael Dyess, 2nd place, Men's Javelin, 53.72m
  • Jace Anderson, 2nd place, Men's 400m Hurdles, 54.81
  • Marquel Savage, Sean Weeks, Wes Fow, Anthony Garcia, 2nd place, Men's 4x800m Relay, 8:10
  • Christopher James, 3rd place, Men's 110m Hurdles, 15.55
  • Ebuka Ezeobi, 3rd place, Men's High Jump, 2.02m
  • Marquia White, 3rd place, Women's Hammer, 46.54m
  • Noah Jones, 4th Place, Men's 3k Steeple Chase, 10:08.09
  • Lily Savage, 4th place, Women's High Jump, 1.53m
  • Marquia White, 4th place, Women's Shot Put, 11.64m
  • Chase Malloy, 4th place, Men's 400m, 49.53
  • Makenzie Cumbee, Kenadi Aker, Lydiana Styles, Abigail Bell, 4th place, Women's 4x100m Relay, 48.67

New School Records:

Meet Highlights and Personal Records:

  • Abigail Bell: 100m- 12.59
  • Makenzie Cumbee: 100m- 12.88, 200m- 26.44 (PR)
  • Kenadi Aker: 400m- 1:00.22 (PR)
  • Lydiana Styles: 400m- 1:00.33 (PR)
  • Rylee Fisher: 1500m- 5:06.69, 5k- 18:48.48
  • Lilly Savage: 100mH- 16.23 (PR), 400mH- 1:08.90 (PR), High Jump- 1.53m
  • June DeLauder: 100mH- 16.24 (PR), 400mH- 1:14.93 (PR)
  • Lily Tullock: 3k Steeple- 13:13.46
  • Sara James: 3k Steeple- 13:26.79 (PR)
  • Marquia White: Hammer Throw- 46.54m (PR), Javelin: 32.25m (PR), Discus- 42.75m, Shot Put- 11.64m
  • Kayla Morris: Shot Put- 10.95m (PR), Hammer Throw- 42.10m (PR)
  • Ramsey Chambers: Hammer Throw- 35.47m
  • Abigail Cruz: Javelin- 40.00m (PR)
  • Hayden Reyes: 100m- 10.70
  • Chase Malloy: 400m- 49.53 (PR)
  • Nikolaos Koveos: 400m- 51.36 (PR)
  • Braniff Mahoney: 800m- 1:57.41, 1500m- 4:06.14
  • Uriel Guzmán: 800m- 1:58.46 (PR), 1500m- 4:06.85 (PR)
  • Will Ort: 10k- 34:00.62 (PR), 5k- 15:41.21 (PR)
  • Chris James: 110mH- 15.55 (PR), 400mH- 59.16 (PR)
  • Jace Anderson: 110m- 16.41, 400mH- 54.81
  • Lane Woodward: 400mH- 55.82 (PR)
  • Zy'marion Boswell: 110mH- 16.74, 400mH- 1:00.17 (PR)
  • Bryan McClendon: High Jump- 2.02m
  • Ebuka Ezeobi: High Jump- 2.02m
  • Dwayne Gary: Triple Jump- 13.46m (PR)
  • Ben Abernathy: Triple Jump- 13.13m (PR)
  • Chase Story: Discus- 45.14m 
  • Liam Gerdis: Discus- 40.28m (PR)
  • Caleb Hamilton: Hammer Throw- 48.27m
  • Mason Coley: Hammer Throw- 46.18m (PR)
  • Ethan Rice: Javelin- 58.84m 
  • Mike Dyess: Javelin- 53.72m
  • Duane Cure: Decathlon- 4414 Points (PR)
  • Ben Pearce: 3k Steeple- 9:53.94 (PR)
  • Noah Jones: 3k Steeple- 10:08.09 (PR)