AUBURN, ALABAMA, May 14–16, 2026 — It took some crucial doubling for Florida to win the triple crown of SEC women’s track & field and cross country.
The Gators won the SEC Outdoor Championships, their eighth title and first since 2022, while also wrapping up their first triple crown (XC, indoor and outdoor) since the 1996–97 season. However, the previous sweep was achieved during a calendar year and this one spans the school year.
Florida scored 107 points, moving up from 79 last year, led by Gabrielle Matthews who pulled off a surprise victory in the 100 (a PR of 10.97), was 4th in the 200 (22.56) and ran on the 6th-place 4×1.
Alida Van Daalen won the discus by almost 20 feet with a toss of 218-10 (66.70), the No. 9 all-time collegiate performance, and was 4th in the shot put with 58-10¾ (17.95).
Tia Wilson and Claire Stegall went 2-3 in the 1500, with Stegall coming back 75 minutes later to place 6th in the 800 behind teammate Layla Haynes, who was 3rd. Wilson had a 2-hour-and-15-minute break before finishing 7th in the 5000 while teammate Hilda Olemomoi placed 3rd.
Olemomoi was also 5th in the 10,000, a race where Judy Chepkoech was 2nd and Reagan Gilmore 8th.
The only Gators champion who did not double was triple jump winner Asia Phillips, who leaped 44-7 (13.59). Florida also scored in the 400, hammer and heptathlon.
The triple crown, said Florida coach Mike Holloway, “puts us amongst the elite.”
In the biggest turnaround since last year, however, Alabama pulled up to 2nd place (91½ points) after tying for 9th (52) in 2025. Georgia, last year’s champion, dropped to 3rd with 90 points compared to 103 in its previous outing, but did produce a world leader in 400 champ Dejanea Oakley. She clocked 48.92 on the fast Hutsell-Rosen Track, making her the second-fastest all-time collegiate performer.
The Crimson Tide dominated the long distances, with three athletes accounting for 51 points. Doris Lemngole, who has been dealing with a foot injury for months and scratched the 3000 at the NCAA indoor meet, won a record third straight steeplechase and then came back for the 5000, her ninth SEC title.
The steeple was Collegiate Record-holder Lemngole’s first race of the outdoor season and she got stronger as she went along, posting an NCAA-leading and meet-record time of 9:18.66, more than 2 seconds faster than last year.
The reigning Bowerman winner became the first woman to win the steeplechase three straight years, with teammates Cynthia Jemutai 2nd (9:39.87) and Lilly Walters 8th (10:06.33).
Lemngole returned the next night to win the 5000 in 15:30.69, more than 10 seconds faster than teammate Caren Kiplagat, who had earlier won the 10,000. Jemutai was 4th.
“Of course I feel tired from yesterday, but I had my girls right here,” Lemngole said.
South Carolina sprinter JaMeesia Ford, who contributed to 40 points for the Gamecocks in 2025, limited herself to the 400, where she placed 4th (50.44) and ran a leg on the 4th-place 4 x 400, accounting for 6.25 points.
Ford wasn’t the only top contender to skip the 100. Adaejah Hodge, the Georgia frosh who dominated the sprints at the NCAA indoors, focused only on the 200.
Matthews, who came in with the 14th best time in the 100, seized the opportunity. She had a good start, faded in the middle, then surged past Alicia Burnett of Ole Miss (11.01).
Hodge, who had cruised to 22.54 in the 200 prelims, stormed to a PR and SEC record of 21.92 in the final. She broke Ford’s record of 22.01 from 2025.
Hodge churned away from Shawnti Jackson of LSU, shouting out in triumph as she posted the No. 3 time in the world this year and fourth-fastest all-time collegiate performance.
Jackson, who had anchored LSU to victory in the 4×1, was 2nd in 22.33. She transferred from Arkansas after struggling with knee trouble.
Hodge said she has “dreamed of these numbers,” attributing them to “just being more composed coming on the last stretch.”
Her teammate Oakley, the NCAA indoor champ, used a powerful finish in the 400 to overtake Kaylyn Brown of Arkansas, a Paris Olympic relay gold medalist. When Oakley saw the time — just 0.03 off the Collegiate Record — her mouth dropped open and her hands flew to her head. Brown’s time was 49.54, with Razorbacks teammate Sanaria Butler (50.22) 3rd, followed by Ford (50.44).
SEC indoor champ Ella Onojuvwevwo of LSU did not compete.
“I’m not shocked that it was 48,” Oakley said. “I’m just shocked I ran it this quickly.”
After five runner-up finishes at the SEC Championships, Sanu Jallow-Lockhart of Arkansas led wire-to-wire to capture her first 800 title. Her collegiate-leading time of 1:58.82 broke the SEC record held by old foe Michaela Rose of LSU by 0.07, with Kentucky’s Janet Jepkemboi Amimo and Florida’s Haynes also under 2 minutes.
Jallow-Lockhart closed out the meet by anchoring the Razorbacks’ 4×4 team to a world-leading time of 3:20.04.
“I feel like I’ve always been… in the background watching, rather than being the one to watch in competition,” she said. “I feel like this is my moment,” she said.
In the 1500, Salma Elbadra of South Carolina held off Florida’s charging Wilson, even dipping at the tape to win 4:09.80 to 4:09.84.
Georgia had four frosh in the 100H, and they combined for 15 points but could not keep up with Kentucky junior Emmi Scales. She clocked a PR of 12.64, an NCAA-leading time, with the Bulldogs’ Taylor Cox closest at 12.81, also a PR.
Defending champ Akala Garrett, who transferred from Texas to South Carolina, posted a world-leading time of 54.02 in the 400H. She made a move before the fifth hurdle, overcoming a chop at the eighth to separate from the field. Michelle Smith of Georgia ran 54.72 to edge Ameliah Birdow of Texas with a PR of 54.79.
Garrett, who also ran in the 100H heats, said she has been coping with an Achilles injury and took two weeks off earlier this season. She said this was the “hardest mental year for me” and she had to “reset myself.”
SEC WOMEN’S RESULTS
Teams: 1. Florida 107; 2. Alabama 91½; 3. Georgia 90; 4. South Carolina 62; 5. Kentucky 61; 6. tie, Arkansas & Texas A&M 58½; 8. Tennessee 56¾; 9. LSU 38; 10. Texas 36; 11. Oklahoma 32; 12. Auburn 29¾; 13. Ole Miss 26¾; 14. Missouri 25½; 15. Vanderbilt 24; 16. Mississippi State 21¾.
100(0.5): 1. Gabrielle Matthews’ (Fl-Jam) 10.97; 2. Alicia Burnett (Ms) 11.01; 3. Alexis Brown (SC) 11.09; 4. ***Dana Wilson (Tn) 11.11; 5. Lauren Jarrett (Tn) 11.15; 6. Cynteria James (SC) 11.15.
200(0.1): 1. ***Adaejah Hodge’ (Ga-BVI) 21.92 NR (CL) (4, 4 C);
2. **Shawnti Jackson (LSU) 22.33; 3. Camryn Dickson (TxAM) 22.45; 4. Matthews’ 22.56; 5. Brown 22.63; 6. K. Jackson 22.75.
400: 1. Dejanea Oakley’ (Ga-Jam) 48.92 (WL, CL) (2, 2 C);
2. *Kaylyn Brown (Ar) 49.54; 3. Sanaria Butler (Ar) 50.22; 4. *JaMeesia Ford (SC) 50.44; 5. *Quincy Penn’ (Fl-Bah) 50.93; 6. Javonya Valcourt’ (Tn-Bah) 50.93; 7. Hannah Douglas (Ky) 50.99.
800: 1. Sanu Jallow-Lockhart’ (Ar-Gam) 1:58.82 (5, 7 C);
2. **Janet Jepkemboi Amimo’ (Ky-Ken) 1:59.01 (8, x C);
3. *Layla Haynes’ (Fl-Bar) 1:59.38; 4. *Jayden Hill (Vand) 2:00.03; 5. Analisse Batista (Ar) 2:00.31.
1500: 1. *Salma Elbadra’ (SC-Mor) 4:09.80; 2. Tia Wilson’ (Fl-GB) 4:09.84; 3. ***Claire Stegall (Fl) 4:11.17; 4. ***Doricah Minsari Isoe’ (Ky-Ken) 4:11.18; 5. ***Isabel Conde De Frankenberg (Tx) 4:12.97.
St: 1. *Doris Lemngole’ (Al-Ken) 9:18.66; 2. ***Cynthia Jemutai’ (Al-Ken) 9:39.87; 3. **Nelly Jemeli’ (MsSt-Ken) 9:47.10; 4. **Debora Cherono’ (TxAM-Ken) 9:51.44; 5. Amelia Wills (Tn) 9:53.13.
5000: 1. Lemngole’ 15:30.69; 2. ***Caren Kiplagat’ (Al-Ken) 15:40.73; 3. Hilda Olemomoi’ (Fl-Ken) 15:47.14; 4. ***Cynthia Jemutai’ (Al-Ken) 15:50.36.
10,000: 1. Kiplagat’ 32:56.93; 2. ***Judy Chepkoech’ (Fl-Ken) 33:03.04; 3. ***Domtila Cheruto’ (Ok-Ken) 33:15.10; 4. ***Abigael Chemnagei’ (LSU-Ken) 33:17.93; 5. Olemomoi’ 33:21.37.
100H(0.4): 1. *Emmi Scales (Ky) 12.64 (CL);
2. ***Taylor Cox (Ga) 12.81; 3. *Adeyah Brewster’ (LSU-Bar) 12.86; 4. ***Rylee Hampton (Ga) 12.92; 5. Jaiya Covington (TxAM) 12.93; 6. *Camden Bentley (Ky) 12.97; 7. ***Chelsi Williams (Ga) 12.99.
400H: 1. *Akala Garrett (SC) 54.02; 2. **Michelle Smith’ (Ga-VI) 54.72; 3. *Amelliah Birdow (Tx) 54.79; 4. ***Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera’ (Ky-Ken) 55.12; 5. *Saira Prince (Ar) 55.27.
4 x 100: 1. LSU 42.31 (Hinckson’, Godbless’, Bigam, Jackson); 2. Georgia 42.61; 3. Tennessee 42.77; 4. Texas A&M 42.87; 5. South Carolina 42.87.
4 x 400: I–1. Texas 3:28.52; 2. Mississippi State 3:31.65; 3. Vanderbilt 3:32.15; 4. Oklahoma 3:34.00.
II–1. Arkansas 3:20.04 (WL, CL) (2 C) (Butler, Batista, Brown 49.92, Jallow-Lockhart’ 49.47);
2. Georgia 3:22.54 (4, 9 C) (Springer’ 50.98, Oakley’ 48.37);
3. Tennessee 3:22.73 (#5 school) (Scott 52.17, Joseph’ 50.04);
4. South Carolina 3:25.09 (Harrington-Spain 52.53, James 51.04); 5. Texas A&M 3:25.10 (Lowe 49.87); 6. Kentucky 3:25.68 (McClellan 50.93); 7. LSU 3:27.64.
Field Events
HJ: 1. **Kemarah Howard (Ky) 6-2¾ (1.90); 2. Miracle Ailes (Al) 6-1½ (1.87); 3. **Maria Arboleda Angulo’ (Ar-Col) 6-½ (1.84).
PV: 1. ***Hannah Grace (Tn) 14-5½ (4.41); 2. Alyssa Quinones-Mixon’ (Aub-PR) 14-3½ (4.36); 3. **Jacelyn Neighbors (Ok) 14-3½.
LJ: 1. *Morgan Davis (TxAM) 21-6 (6.55); 2. ***Tristen Harris (SC) 21-3½ (6.49); 3. Miracle Ailes (Al) 21-2 (6.45); 4. *Heidi Hudson (Ar) 21-1½ (6.44).
TJ: 1. **Asia Phillips’ (Fl-Can) 44-7 (13.59); 2. Riley Ammenhauser (Ok) 43-9¾w (13.35) (42-8/13.00); 3. Machaeda Linton’ (TxAM-Jam) 43-5¼ (13.24); 4. Le Goff’ 43-4½ (13.22).
SP: 1. *Akaoma Odeluga (Ms) 59-10½ (18.25); 2. *Nina Ndubuisi’ (Ga-Ger) 59-6¾ (18.15); 3. Kelsie Murrell-Ross’ (Ga-Grn) 59-1½ (18.02); 4. *Alida Van Daalen’ (Fl-Neth) 58-10¾ (17.95); 5. *Gracelyn Leiseth (Fl) 58-8 (17.88).
DT: 1. Van Daalen’ 218-10 (66.70) (x, 9 C) (212-9, 207-8, 209-9, 213-10, 213-6, 218-10) (64.85, 63.30, 63.95, 65.19, 65.09, 66.70);
2. *Cedricka Williams’ (Tn-Jam) 198-11 (60.64); 3. **Princesse Hyman’ (LSU-Fra) 191-6 (58.37); 4. *Joyce Oguama’ (Al-Ger) 191-5 (58.35).
HT: 1. **Marie Rougetet’ (MsSt-Fra) 227-2 (69.25); 2. *Giavonna Meeks (Tx) 223-10 (68.23); 3. *Akaoma Odeluga (Ms) 220-5 (67.19).
JT: 1. Valentina Barrios’ (Mo-Col) 191-3 (58.31); 2. **Eleanor Partrick (Al) 188-4 (57.41); 3. Katelyn Fairchild (TxAM) 184-9 (56.31); 4. Skylar Ciccolini (Mo) 182-3 (55.54); 5. ***Sophia Mazzoni (Aub) 180-1 (54.89).
Hept: 1. *Marta Sivina’ (Vand-Lat) 5935; 2. Ella Rush’ (Ga-GB) 5767; 3. Angel Richmore’ (Ok-Swe) 5766; 4. *Pauline Bikembo’ (Fl-Fra) 5689; 5. *Julia Gunnell (Ky) 5626; 6. Gianna Bullock (Vand) 5559; 7. ***Eden Robinson (Fl) 5558.
