Winston-Salem, NC- The Lincoln Memorial University women's track and field team took third overall at the South Atlantic Conference Indoor Championships this weekend. A total team effort, the ladies return home with the best finish in program history, along with podium finishes and the Field Athlete of the Meet in Ashley Parrish.

As with every championship, the combined event athletes set the tone for the meet. Sterling Webb did just that for the team, winning the pentathlon in dominant fashion, breaking the school and championship record along the way. Her point total of 3670 puts her in position for consideration in this year's national championship, held in Indianapolis in two weeks.

Webb came out of the gate winning the first two events on the day, the 60 hurdles and the high jump. While her hurdle time was just shy of her personal best, it was her high jump exploits that stole the show. Her final jump of 5 feet, 6.5 inches gave her another record and put her into the overall lead by a far margin.

With a season best in the shot and a runner-up finish in the long jump, Webb left her mark on the event with a championship record in the pentathlon 800 meter run. That time was her third victory of the day, and gave LMU their first conference champion indoors since Jalesia Tilman won the 60m dash in 2020.

Senior Grace Rose, a Middlesboro High School graduate, added to the party, taking fifth place honors in the women's 5,000 meter run. Rose entered the event ranked seventh and took 17:54 to finish her senior indoor season in grand fashion, cementing her legacy as one of the best runners in program history.

Nevaeh Kerns last year became the first Railsplitter to make the podium in any throwing event. This year, she improved on her third place finish in the weight throw, moving up to second place. But she wasn't alone, as newcomer Ashley Parrish challenged her the entire way. At one point, Parrish not only took second from Kerns, but she also broke the school record in the event. Staying relaxed, Kerns simply walked into the circle and launched the weight over 50 feet to the amazement of the crowd. The 2-3 finish by the ladies gave LMU 14 points in the event. This performance, added to the pentathlon and 5k, was the start of something special for the ladies, and it wasn't over yet.

The Distance Medley Relay team of Harper Russell, Jacie Begley, Reaghan Curde, and Weslyn McIntosh served notice to the conference that what happened during the cross country season wasn't a fluke, it's the new standard. Russell, the senior who has made the women's 800 her autobiography, put the team into great position, handing off to upstart Begley in second place. The duo will get to run the 800 meter final later in the meet, but right now their focus is on putting medals around their neck. Holding firm at second, Begley passed off to Curde.

A nursing major who juggles clinical rotations with solo long runs, Curde held down the third leg of the race with a gutsy performance after competing in the mile earlier in the day. With her job done, the baton was passed to McIntosh for the mile portion. By the slimmest of margins, they just missed out on a runner-up finish but still walked away with a bronze, putting a bow on a day that could only be called "just the beginning".

Shared joy became the theme of the final day of competition, seeing the ladies of LMU in events with one another, setting up what Coach Kavalunas referred to as "all heart"

Harper Russell and Jacie Begley went 5-6 in the women's 800, with Begley besting her teammate with what would be the second best time in program history. The duo finished the event giving the team seven points.

Sterling Webb, still reeling after her performance in the pentathlon, came up next and took seventh in the 60 hurdles. Against a stacked field of national caliber talent, Webb raced over the barriers in 8.99 seconds to conclude her individual events on the meet.

While Webb is wrapping up her hurdles, Ashley Parrish and Kylee Alvis are putting together a clinic on how to give everything you got in the shot put. This pairing went 2-7 in the women's shot with both ladies saving their best throw for their final throw. With both setting personal bests in the event, their outdoor season looks promising.

With the 4x400 meter relay all that's left, the quartet of Trinity Hine, Webb, Lidija Djokic, and Ereyonna Gore looked to put a cherry on top of what's already become the best championship finish in team history. After a runner up finish and new school record, the Ladies of Lincoln celebrated with another set of medals.

With the season finished, the team regroups and focuses on the outdoor season, which begins in three weeks on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University.