Simons’ No. 11 National Mark Highlights Southern Virginia Track & Field’s Day At Widener

CHESTER, Pa. - In potentially their final tuneup before the NCAA Division lll championships, several athletes from the Southern Virginia University track & field teams headed north for the Widener Final Qualifier.

McCormick Johnson represented the men in the pole vault. Looking to improve on his top 35 ranking in the country, Johnson delivered a fourth place finish.

He cleared 4.56m on his first attempt before bowing out on the next height. While the season is likely over for Johnson, he managed a huge breakthrough at the outdoor conference meet, topping out at 4.85m (15' 11") to signal a bright future for the sophomore from Texas.

On the women's side, Surraiya Mahmud-Newman produced a great outcome in the pole vault as well. She cleared 3.60m (11' 9.75") on her second try to improve on her all-time leading mark for the program. The result puts her on top of the rankings for the South Region.

Bayleigh Redd-Armstrong ran another strong 1,500, crossing the line in 4:33.23. While she was just shy of the personal best she set last week, Redd-Armstrong has her sights set on a national qualifying berth in the 5K where she currently ranks 16th in all of Division lll.

Marin Simons, a 2x All-American in the high jump, has officially crashed the party on the national stage. After being on the outside looking in for most of the outdoor season, Simons cleared a height of 1.70m (5' 7") to move up significantly in the national rankings.

She sits at No. 11 in the current rankings. The jump earned Simons another personal best and program record to boot.

NCAA Championship

With the NCAA Championship meet looming, teams will have their final chance to submit qualifying marks on Thursday, May 14th. Final qualifiers will be announced by the NCAA on Friday, May 15th.

The 2026 NCAA Division lll Outdoor Championships will be held in La Crosse, Wisconsin from May 21-23 at Veteran's Memorial Field Sports Complex.

For the most up-to-date information on the team and a meet schedule, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightxctf on Instagram.