University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vols Earn 11th-Place Finish at NCAA Outdoor Championships
June 14, 2026 | Track & Field
EUGENE, Ore. – Tennessee women's track & field wrapped up the 2026 collegiate outdoor season on Saturday, finishing 11th in the team standings at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. The Lady Vols recorded five scoring performances totaling 23 points at the national meet, including bronze-medal finishes in the 400-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay.
Combined with UT's third-place finish on the men's side, it marked Tennessee's best overall performance at the outdoor national championships since the Vols and Lady Vols placed fifth and ninth, respectively, at the 1995 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Duane Ross is the first Tennessee head coach since the men's and women's programs merged in 2010 to lead both teams to top-15 outdoor finishes on the national stage.
"I'm incredibly proud of what our women accomplished this season and the way they competed on the biggest stage," Ross said. "To finish 11th in the country and have multiple podium performances speaks to the culture we've built and the work our student-athletes and staff put in every day. This group battled all year, continued to improve and represented Tennessee the right way. The future is bright for our program."
Saturday's action started with a fifth-place, school-record performance in the women's 4x100-meter relay. Lauren Jarrett, Dana Wilson, Avia Jones and Cydney Wright got the baton around the oval in 42.40 seconds, adding four points to UT's tally and earning Tennessee's best national finish in the event since 2012.
Wilson also earned a fifth-place individual finish in the 100-meter dash, cementing herself as the top true freshman in the country with a mark of 11.09 in Saturday's final. Her career-best time of 11.01 in the national semifinals stands as a UT freshman record and ranks No. 3 in school history.
Lady Vol senior Javonya Valcourt capped her collegiate career in the 400-meter dash with a lifetime-best 50.16, good for third place in the country and Tennessee's best result in the quarter-mile at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since 2004. Her time ranks second in program history and stands as the fastest in-season performance ever recorded by a Lady Vol over 400 meters.
Tennessee closed the meet with the 4x400-meter relay quartet of Wright, Esther Joseph, Maira Scott and Valcourt placing third overall with a time of 3:23.75. The performance marked UT's second top-three finish in the NCAA 4x400-meter relay in the past three years, joining the runner-up result from 2024.
The Lady Vols scored their first points of the meet on Thursday when freshman pole vaulter Hannah Grace finished sixth in the country - clearing a career-best 4.54 meters (14-10.75) for a new school record.
The NCAA Outdoor Championships mark the conclusion of the 2025-26 collegiate season. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee track & field, follow @Vol_Track on X and Instagram.
Combined with UT's third-place finish on the men's side, it marked Tennessee's best overall performance at the outdoor national championships since the Vols and Lady Vols placed fifth and ninth, respectively, at the 1995 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Duane Ross is the first Tennessee head coach since the men's and women's programs merged in 2010 to lead both teams to top-15 outdoor finishes on the national stage.
"I'm incredibly proud of what our women accomplished this season and the way they competed on the biggest stage," Ross said. "To finish 11th in the country and have multiple podium performances speaks to the culture we've built and the work our student-athletes and staff put in every day. This group battled all year, continued to improve and represented Tennessee the right way. The future is bright for our program."
Saturday's action started with a fifth-place, school-record performance in the women's 4x100-meter relay. Lauren Jarrett, Dana Wilson, Avia Jones and Cydney Wright got the baton around the oval in 42.40 seconds, adding four points to UT's tally and earning Tennessee's best national finish in the event since 2012.
Wilson also earned a fifth-place individual finish in the 100-meter dash, cementing herself as the top true freshman in the country with a mark of 11.09 in Saturday's final. Her career-best time of 11.01 in the national semifinals stands as a UT freshman record and ranks No. 3 in school history.
Lady Vol senior Javonya Valcourt capped her collegiate career in the 400-meter dash with a lifetime-best 50.16, good for third place in the country and Tennessee's best result in the quarter-mile at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since 2004. Her time ranks second in program history and stands as the fastest in-season performance ever recorded by a Lady Vol over 400 meters.
Tennessee closed the meet with the 4x400-meter relay quartet of Wright, Esther Joseph, Maira Scott and Valcourt placing third overall with a time of 3:23.75. The performance marked UT's second top-three finish in the NCAA 4x400-meter relay in the past three years, joining the runner-up result from 2024.
The Lady Vols scored their first points of the meet on Thursday when freshman pole vaulter Hannah Grace finished sixth in the country - clearing a career-best 4.54 meters (14-10.75) for a new school record.
The NCAA Outdoor Championships mark the conclusion of the 2025-26 collegiate season. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee track & field, follow @Vol_Track on X and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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