ROCK HILL, S.C. – Lincoln Memorial women's track & field enters the 2025-26 indoor campaign positioned firmly inside the upper tier of the league, earning a fifth-place selection in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll released today. The Railsplitters totaled 95 points, placing them just three points shy of a top-four position as the program looks to build on last season's momentum. Wingate was voted the preseason favorite with 10 first-place votes and 131 points, while Lenoir-Rhyne (111 points, one first-place vote) and Catawba (106 points, one first-place vote) claimed the second and third spots. Tusculum landed fourth with 98 points, narrowly ahead of LMU in what is expected to be one of the most competitive segments of the standings.
Anderson followed LMU in sixth with 92 points, trailed by Carson-Newman in seventh with 76. Newberry placed eighth with 62 points, followed by Mars Hill in ninth with 48. UVA Wise and Emory & Henry tied for 10th with 37 points each, while Coker completed the poll at No. 12 with 31 points. The SAC also announced its Women's Indoor Track & Field Athletes to Watch list, spotlighting top performers from across the league, highlighting
Kylee Alvis,
Reaghan Curde,
Maggie Sanderson, and
Olivia Truelove as athletes expected to make significant contributions this season.
Men's track & field enters the 2025-26 indoor season with momentum and ambition, highlighted in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll released today. The Railsplitters were selected ninth with 54 points, a placement that sets the stage for LMU to make a significant climb as the program continues its upward trajectory in men's indoor track & field
While Wingate was chosen as the preseason favorite with 10 first-place votes and 131 points, much of the league's intrigue centers on the middle of the standings—an area where LMU has the opportunity to break through. Programs ranked just ahead of the Railsplitters include Emory & Henry (65 points), Mars Hill (71), and Tusculum (72), creating a competitive tier that LMU is poised to challenge.
Carson-Newman earned 110 points to place second, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne in third with 109 points and one first-place vote. Catawba secured the fourth spot with 104 points, also receiving a first-place vote, and Anderson rounded out the top five with 103. Newberry (43 points), UVA Wise (35), and Coker (27) followed LMU in the poll.
The SAC also revealed its Men's Indoor Track & Field Athletes to Watch list, highlighting Simon Fillers, Sam Fulton, Avery Hatfield, and Nile Mclymont as key contributors expected to elevate the Railsplitters throughout the season.
The 2025-26 SAC Indoor Track & Field season begins this weekend and will conclude at the 2026 SAC Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships, set for Feb. 28–Mar. 1 at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.
