ROME, Ga. - The 2026 Southern Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field Championships are set to take place in Rome, Georgia from April 24-25 hosted by Berry College.
Men's Outdoor Track and Field
Trinity University was tabbed as the preseason favorite for the 2026 SAA title, and the Tigers head to Rome with championship history in their sights after falling to Centre during the Indoor Championship.
The Colonels currently sit at No. 15 in the USTFCCCA rankings, backed by strong performances across multiple events. Jayden Channer leads the SAA in both the 100m and 200m during the outdoor season, while Centre also holds top marks in the 400m, 5,000m, and 400m hurdles. The Colonels’ 4x100m relay squad set the conference standard with a time of 41.33, leading the SAA.
Trinity Tigers pace the conference in the 1,500m, with Kyle Fix posting a time of 3:55.67. Trinity also leads in both the 110m hurdles and the 3,000m steeplechase.
In the field events, David Harless and Luke Cole of Centre hold top spots in the throws, alongside Dawson Livingston of Berry. Cole set a new SAA all-time record in the shot put with a throw of 16.21 meters at the Emory Spring Break Classic, while Harless followed suit by breaking the discus record with a mark of 50.17 meters at the same meet.
In the jumps, Centre’s Michael Smith and Cree Ross lead the way. Ross set a new SAA all-time record in the triple jump this season with a leap of 15.22 meters.
Following a challenging indoor championship season, all teams now turn their focus toward competing at a high level of intensity as they pursue the 2026 conference crown.
Women's Outdoor Track and Field
Trinity was picked to top Centre for their first Outdoor title after edging the Colonels by half a point during the Indoor Championship.
Centre leads the charge in the USTFCCCA rankings at No. 7, while Trinity Tigers sit at No. 34.
The standout duo of Chloe Hein and Serena McNeilly has returned to form on the outdoor stage, combining to lead the SAA in seven events—four for McNeilly and three for Hein. McNeilly set new all-time SAA records in both the high jump (1.75m) and triple jump (12.50m) this past weekend, while Hein previously broke the conference record in the long jump with a mark of 6.30m earlier this month.
Trinity controls the distance events, posting the top SAA times in the 800m, 5,000m, and 10,000m. The Tigers also showcase their speed in the 4x100m relay, where they hold the conference’s fastest time this season at 46.78.
Berry Vikings lead the way in three field events, with Onoyeme Egure topping the shot put, Malysha Winston leading the hammer throw, and Macy Murdock pacing the javelin.
After a tightly contested indoor season, competition is heating up as teams prepare for the Outdoor Championship, where another close battle is expected.
Competition will begin at 9:00 AM ET at the Dickey Field Facility with Women's Javelin, Men's Hammer, Men's Pole Vault, and Women's Long Jump for the field events. Track events will begin Friday the 24th at 8:30 AM ET on Clark Track beginning with the Women's 10k. The full schedule of events can be found
here.
For more information on all things SAA, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the SAA's home on the internet at
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