Charleston, W.Va. – The University of Charleston Track and Field teams opened the 2026 indoor season with a strong start across two meets over the weekend. Charleston's throws squad traveled to Akron, Ohio to compete at the 7th Annual A.L. Campbell Invitational, while the running events headed to Winston Salem, North Carolina for the Mondo College Invitational at the JDL Fast Track. The Golden Eagles wasted no time making noise early, as four new program records were set to kick off the new year.
7th Annual A.L. Campbell Invitational – Throws Squad Results (Friday, 16th)
Charleston's field events group opened the season Saturday in Akron, Ohio at the Stile Athletics Field House, putting together multiple top finishes and a record breaking performance.
Women's Shot Put:
Joy Edward set a new program record in the shot put, placing fourth with a mark of 14.69 meters.
Women's Weight Throw:
Edward also captured the event win in the weight throw, taking first place with a throw of 17.59 meters.
Men's Shot Put:
Luke Messinger led the Golden Eagles with a fourth place finish after throwing 14.77 meters. Julian Matthews followed with a seventh place finish, recording a mark of 14.49 meters.
Men's Weight Throw:
Messinger earned an event win in the weight throw, placing first with a mark of 18.06 meters.
Mondo College Invitational – Distance Squad Results (Saturday, 17th)
Charleston's runners opened their indoor season at the JDL Fast Track in Winston Salem, North Carolina, highlighted by three more school records and several top five finishes.
Women's 60 Meters:
Colette Patti tied the program record in the 60 meters, placing sixth with a time of 7.61 seconds.
Women's 200 Meters:
Patti continued her strong weekend by setting a new school record in the 200 meters, placing fourth in the invitational section with a time of 24.34 seconds. Her performance currently ranks seventh nationally in Division II.
Men's 3000 Meters:
Mathew Meli broke the school record in the 3000 meters in his first race representing Charleston, finishing with a time of 8:12.4 to rank 23rd nationally. Caleb Gilbert followed with a second place finish in 8:26.87, while Thomas Crockett placed third in 8:30.38. Hugo Hewitt rounded out Charleston's top finishers with a fifth place result in 8:33.31.
Women's 800 Meters:
Laura Delgado De Torres placed fifth with a time of 2:21.99, turning in an impressive performance for a multi event athlete.
Men's 800 Meters:
Matthew O'Shea led the Golden Eagles with a fourth place finish, running 1:55.28. Josh Messina followed in sixth with a time of 1:56.11.
Women's Mile:
Amanda Ferrante placed fifth in the mile with a time of 5:10.56.
Men's Mile:
Mohamed Ensaad made his Charleston debut with a ninth place finish, running 4:15.4.
Men's 4x400 Relay:
Charleston's 4x400 relay team placed second overall, running the second fastest time in program history at 3:15.58. The team consisted of Millar McElrea, Alejandro Salgado, Eric Krueter, and Brady Prior.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles return to action Jan. 24 as they travel to Ashland University to compete at the Ashland Invite inside the Niss Athletic Center.
