BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Following the 2026 Big South Conference Outdoor Championships, the Gardner-Webb track and field team finished with multiple award winners, several all-conference selections, and a host of new school records

Junior Blaine Blose was named the Big South Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year. Blose was second place and All-Big South in men's javelin throw during the Outdoor Championships with a mark of 61.37 meters, the third best in school history. He also finished with a 3.98 GPA during the spring semester while working towards his degree in Communications

Also named to the Big South All-Academic team was junior Isa van Sintemaartensdijk. She finished fourth place finish in the heptathlon while holding down a 3.97 GPA as an Exercise Science-Theater Arts dual major. On the field, van sintemaartensdijk set a new Gardner-Webb record with a 42.63 meters mark in women's javelin at the Outdoor Championships, as well as the fourth best women's heptathlon score in GWU history with 4726 points

Freshman Hannah Hoffman continued an excellent first season for the Runnin' Bulldogs by taking home the Big South Freshman of The Year award. Hoffman was fourth at Outdoor Championships with a 46.82 meters mark in the women's discus throw, and second with a mark of 53.62 in the women's hammer throw. Hoffman entered the GWU record book this season with a mark of 47.41 meters in women's discus at the Vertklasse Meeting (No. 2 all-time) and 53.70 meters in women's hammer at the Winthrop Invitational (No. 5 all-time)

The remaining Gardner-Webb athletes to enter the school record book during the 2026 Big South Outdoor Championships are as followed...

Adrionna Coleman - Women's Shot Put - 14.60 meters (school record, all-conference second place)
Quentin Peterson - Men's Shot Put - 19.60 meters (school record, all-conference, Big South champion)
Laura Covarrubias - Women's 400 Hurdles - 1:01.38 (No. 2 all-time)
Skye Jackson - Women's 100 Dash - 11.75 seconds (No. 2 all-time)
Jonathan Timpson - Men's High Jump - 2.04 meters (No. 2 all-time, all-conference, second place)
Paige Boyd - Women's High Jump - 1.74 meters (No. 3 all-time, all-conference, Big South champion)
Teandra Clemons - Women's Triple Jump - 12.59 meters (No. 3 all-time, all-conference, third place)
Christian Rutland - Men's Decathlon - 6035 points - (No. 4 all-time)
Maggie Dirks - Women's 1500 - 4:44.72 - (No. 6 all-time)
Gracie Wilson - Women's Discus - 45.96 meters (No. 6 all-time)
Jonathan Garrett - Men's Hammer - 59.63 meters (No. 7 all-time, all-conference Big South champion)
Ella Riggs - Women's Shot Put - 13.26 meters (No. 7 all-time)
Megan Devanny - Women's 5000 - 18:30.88 - (No. 8 all-time)
Karsyn Huskey - Women's 800 - 2:17.35 - (No. 8 all-time)

Also on the podium during the 2026 Big South Outdoor Championships for Gardner-Webb were Joshua Powell and Donovan Richardson. Powell was second in men's long jump with a mark of 7.48 meters, while Richardson was crowned Big South champion in men's triple jump with a mark of 14.74 meters

Team records for the Runnin' Bulldogs during the indoor season include 41 top ten marks (26 women's, 15 men's), a pair of school records in men's shot put and women's weight throw, podium finishes in pentathlon, women's weight throw, women's high jump, women's triple jump, men's triple jump, men's shot put, and men's weight throw

Team records for Gardner-Webb during outdoor season include 47 top ten marks (31 women's, 16 men's), school records in women's long jump, men's long jump, women's shot put, men's shot put and women's javelin, podium finishes in women's high jump, women's triple jump, women's shot put, women's hammer throw, men's high jump, men's long jump, men's triple jump, men's shot put, men's hammer throw, men's discus throw and men's javelin