The VMI men’s track and field team earned a fourth-place finish at the 2026 Southern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Corps Physical Training Facility Feb. 27–28, 2026.—Photo courtesy VMI Athletics.
The VMI men’s and women’s track and field teams concluded the 2026 Southern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Corps Physical Training Facility Feb. 27–28, 2026, earning strong performances and individual highlights across the board.
After amazing performances by multiple Keydets, the VMI men’s track and field team earned a fourth-place finish at the 2026 Southern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Corps Physical Training Facility Feb. 27–28, 2026.
The Keydets placed fourth overall with 71 points. Samford won for the 11th year in a row with 228 points while Furman placed second with 129. Western Carolina came in third with 123.5 points, followed by VMI, Wofford (57), The Citadel (23), and UNCG (23).
Deonte Harris ’29 won the triple jump with a first-place distance of 14.90 meters, a new personal best, for the top highlight of the day for the men’s squad. On March 4, Harris was named SoCon Co-Freshman of the Year alongside Daniel Coronell from Western Carolina.
On top of Harris earning All-Conference honors with his first-place finish in the triple jump, Kevin Koumondji ’28 placed second in the 60-meter finals with a new personal-best time to earn a silver medal.
Battling an injury after his first jump, Cameron Thomas ’27, VMI pole vaulter, placed second in the vault with a height of 5.07 meters to earn All-Conference accolades.
The 4×400 relay squad of Anthony Wilkerson ’28, Taj Peace ’29, Ben Hagerich ’26, and Rye Jackson ’28 placed second in 3:19.94 for All-SoCon recognition.
“Day two was a great finish for our men and a strong statement for where this program is headed. We closed the meet fourth overall with 71 points, and we did it with championship-level performances and depth across the board. Deonte Harris was phenomenal—SoCon champion in the triple jump (14.90 meters) and then came back to score again with a fourth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles final.
“Kevin Koumondji delivered a big run in the 60-meter final for second, Cameron Thomas earned second in the pole vault, and our 4×400 group stepped up for a runner-up finish. Add in Zach Denton’s [’27] long jump title, solid points in the shot put, and our DMR fighting through the full weekend, and that’s the kind of complete meet we wanted. Now we build—this is momentum we can carry forward.
“We would like to sincerely thank Emily Fulton [’18] and Coach Sam Roberts [’11], along with the VMI baseball program, for coming down both days before their home games to volunteer and help us run a first-class Southern Conference Indoor Championship. Their willingness to step in, serve, and support our operations made a real difference in delivering a quality championship meet.”
Samford—228.5
Furman—129
Western Carolina—123.5
VMI—71
Wofford—57
The Citadel—23
UNCG—23
After impressive performances by multiple Keydets, the VMI women’s track and field team earned a sixth-place finish at the 2026 Southern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships.
The Keydets placed sixth overall with 53.5 points. Samford won for an 11th year in a row with 151 points and was trailed closely by Western Carolina (131) and Wofford (128.5). Furman came in fourth with 94 points, followed by ETSU (60), VMI (53.5), Chattanooga (27), and UNCG and The Citadel both finishing with eight points.
Naturale Faison ’28 won the individual conference title by taking first place in the 60-meter finals Saturday afternoon in 7.60 seconds, her first personal conference title.
Morgan Fraser ’27 earned All-Conference honors with a second-place finish in the high jump at a personal-record height of 1.68 meters.
Reagan Gilman ’28 broke her personal and school record in the 800-meter by placing third in 2:09.37 for All-SoCon recognition. Her time beat her prior record set 2 weeks ago at Liberty’s Darius Dixon meet, where she ran a 2:11.81, topping her time of 2:13.42 from the 2025 SoCon Indoor Championship.
The VMI women’s track and field team placed sixth overall in the SoCon Indoor Track & Field Championships with 53.5 points.—Photo courtesy VMI Athletics.
“I’m proud of the way our women competed both days. We finished sixth with 53 points, and day two showed our identity: Poise under pressure and a willingness to step up in big moments. Naturale Faison led the way with a SoCon title in the 60-meter, and we stacked points behind her with Reagan Gilman’s third-place finish in the 800 and Jillian Sisk scoring in the mile.
“Shea Hart was outstanding all weekend—second in the pentathlon and then scored again in the 60-meter hurdles final, with Jeniya White right there with her for more points. We also picked up key points from SeMore Green in the 200, and finished strong with our 4×400 relay. That’s a complete championship effort, and we’ll use it as fuel moving into what’s next.
Samford—151
Western Carolina—133
Wofford—128.5
Furman—94
ETSU—60
VMI—53.5
Chattanooga—27
UNCG—8
The Citadel—8
Editor’s Note: These articles were first published on vmikeydets.com.
