2025 WAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Host | UT Arlington
When | Thursday, May 15, through Saturday, May 17
Where | Maverick Stadium - Arlington, Texas
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X)

Utah Tech track & field begins its postseason with the 2025 WAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday, May 15, through Saturday, May 17, at Maverick Stadium. UT Arlington is serving as the host institution. 

COMPETING TEAMS
Abilene Christian, California Baptist, Grand Canyon, Seattle U, Southern Utah, Tarleton State, UT Arlington, Utah Tech, Utah Valley

PRE-CHAMPIONSHIP COACHES' POLL
Utah Valley is the projected favorite to win the women's championships, according to the conference's head coaches. Tarleton State was selected to finish second and Grand Canyon was slotted at third. 

2024 WAC OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
Utah Tech finished 10th at last year's outdoor championships with 20 points. The Trailblazers return 2024 First Team All-WAC selection junior Megan Jenkins, who finished third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.85. UT also brings back nine Second Team All-WAC honorees from 2024 in seniors Rashawnna Gibson (4x100-meter relay), Lexi Larsen (1,500 meters) and Addi Wyatt (4x400-meter relay); juniors Brittany Kuhn (4x100-meter relay), Kelly Denninghoff (4x100-meter relay, 4x400-meter relay), Ashlyn Parish (100-meter hurdles) and Jenkins (4x400-meter relay); and sophomores Whitney Christiansen (4x100-meter relay, 4x400-meter relay) and Averie Perriton (3,000-meter steeplechase). 

LOOKING TO BUILD ON HISTORIC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
UT recorded a seventh-place finish with 19 points as a team, both of which are Division I-era bests, at the 2025 WAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Utah Tech added eight Second Team All-WAC selections and saw five program records set during the two-day competition in Spokane, Washington.

Utah Tech's Second Team All-WAC selections included seniors Kylie Bishop (high jump) and Lexi Larsen (mile);  juniors Megan Jenkins (400 meters, 4x400-meter relay) and Brittany Kuhn (60-meter hurdles, 4x400-meter relay); sophomores Whitney Christiansen (400 meters, DMR, 4x400-meter relay), Averie Perriton (DMR) and Makayla Pitcher (DMR); and freshman Lily Sampson (DMR, 4x400-meter relay).

RECORDS KEEP FALLING
The Trailblazers set five program records at their season-opening Utah Tech Invitational. Junior Lainee Leavitt (High Jump, 1.65 meters, 5-5), senior Rashawnna Gibson (200 Meters, 24.35), senior Lexi Larsen (1,500 Meters, 4:32.24) and sophomore Whitney Christiansen (400 Meters, 54.79) all broke individual records. The Trailblazers also set a new 4x100-meter relay record with a time of 46.29. Gibson, Christiansen, junior Brittany Kuhn and freshman Adaorah Okafor ran the relay.

Christiansen set the Trailblazers' sixth program record of the season (800 meters, 2:09.94) at the UNLV Rebel ELITE on April 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Senior Kylie Bishop smashed the UT high jump record with a mark of 1.69 meters (5-6.5) to win the event at the CSU Fullerton-hosted Fullerton Friday Night Lights on April 11 in Fullerton, California.

Sophomore Averie Perriton finished fifth with a time of 11:03.82 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase for a new program record at the Leopard Invitational on April 17.

On April 18, Larsen broke her 1,500 meters record by over two seconds (4:30.12) at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

TRAILBLAZERS ON THE WAC LEADERBOARDS
Utah Tech holds several top WAC individual marks heading into the conference championships. 

100 Meters
10. Rashawnna Gibson, 11.78
12. Adaorah Okafor, 11.89

200 Meters
15. Rashawnna Gibson, 24.35
18. Whitney Christiansen, 24.58

400 Meters
5. Whitney Christiansen, 54.79
9. Megan Jenkins, 55.71
20. Lily Sampson, 57.90

800 Meters
3. Whitney Christiansen, 2:09.94
8. Lexi Larsen, 2:12.75

1,500 Meters
8. Lexi Larsen, 4:29.56
20. Makayla Pitcher, 4:36.88

10,000 Meters
7. Isabela Coffman, 37:45.88
8. Charly Murie, 37:49.71

100-Meter Hurdles
3. Ashlyn Parish, 13.68
7. Brittany Kuhn, 13.94
12. Megan Jenkins, 14.23
19. Emma Lloyd, 14.83

400-Meter Hurdles
4. Megan Jenkins, 59.68
7. Ilenia DeHart, 1:02.48
8. Brittany Kuhn, 1:02.86
14. Madelynne Crawford, 1:04.87
17. Savannah Johnson, 1:06.43

3,000-Meter Steeplechase
4. Averie Perriton, 11:03.82
7. Kinley Spaulding, 11:18.27

4x100-Meter Relay
5. Utah Tech (Okafor, Gibson, Christiansen, Fowler), 46.29

4x400-Meter Relay
4. Utah Tech (Christiansen, Jenkins, DeHart, Sampson), 3:49.91

High Jump
5. Kylie Bishop, 1.69 meters (5-6.5)
8. Lainee Leavitt, 1.66 meters (5-5.25)

Long Jump
20. Mackenzie Bradach, 5.46 meters (17-11)

Triple Jump
16. Mackenzie Bradach, 10.51 meters (34-5.75)

LAST TIME OUT
Utah Tech track & field won four events at the Southern Utah-hosted SUU Coliseum Championships at Eccles Coliseum on Thursday evening. The Trailblazers totaled 35 top-eight finishes at their final regular-season meet. 

UT started the meet by placing second and fourth in the 4x100-meter relay with times of 46.30 and 48.27, respectively. Freshman Adaorah Okafor, senior Rashawnna Gibson and sophomores Kooper Dennison and Jesse Fowler finished second, while senior Sadie Edwards, senior Ashlynn Gilhula, freshman Lily Sampson and junior Brittany Kuhn took fourth.

Junior Ashlyn Parish logged a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles, clocking in at 13.64. Kuhn followed in fourth at 13.95 and senior Emma Lloyd came in eighth at 14.80.

Utah Tech's first event win came in the mile courtesy of senior Lexi Larsen, who logged a time of 4:59.40. Redshirt sophomore Makayla Pitcher finished third at 5:07.53, and sophomore Averie Perriton took sixth at 5:12.61.

In the 100 meters, six Trailblazers placed in the top eight, with Okafor winning the event with a time of 11.95. Gilhula tied for third at 12.20, Dennison finished fifth at 12.22, Fowler tied for sixth at 12.29 and junior Mary Clark and Parish tied for eighth at 12.37.

Junior Whitany Christiansen was victorious in the 400 meters with a time of 55.74. Sampson took third at 57.80, followed by Edwards in fifth at 59.27 and junior Kelly Denninghoff in sixth at 59.71.

With a time of 2:18.95, junior Savannah Eatough placed sixth in the 800 meters.

In the 400-meter hurdles, junior Megan Jenkins picked up the Trailblazers' fourth event win with a first-place time of 1:01.43. Freshman Ilenia Dehart finished second, clocking a time of 1:02.52. Following was Kuhn in fifth at 1:05.00, junior Madelynne Crawford in seventh at 1:05.93 and freshman Savannah Johnson in eighth at 1:08.61.

Okafor secured another second-place finish with a time of 24.75 in the 200 meters. Christansen came in third at 24.85, followed by Dennison in fourth at 24.97 and Gilhula in eighth at 25.84.

In the 3,000 meters, freshman Isabela Coffman placed sixth with a time of 10:50.91, and sophomore Charly Murie came in eighth with a time of 11:06.80.

Utah Tech wrapped up action on the track with two more top-eight finishes in the 4x400-meter relay. Christiansen, Jenkins, DeHart and Edwards finished second with a time of 3:49.60, while Crawford, Eatough and Kuhn placed fourth with a time of 4:09.43.

In the field, junior Lainee Leavitt placed second in the high jump with a mark of 1.66 meters (5-5.25). Senior Kylie Bishop tied for fourth with a mark of 1.61 meters (5-3.5).

Sophomore Mackenzie Bradach set a personal best in the long jump to finish sixth with a mark of 5.42 meters (17-11.0).

HEAD COACH DERRICK ATKINS
Head coach Derrick Atkins is in his fifth season at the helm of Utah Tech track & field in 2025. 

With his guidance, Utah Tech has set school records in 19 indoor events and 18 outdoor events, with 17 of those records achieved during the 2024 seasons. The Trailblazers set nine program records during the 2025 indoor season.

UT has also excelled academically under Atkins, with 10 Trailblazers earning academic all-WAC honors during the 2024 indoor season and 25 Trailblazers earning the same honor during the 2024 outdoor season.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
All times Mountain and subject to change. Events list is not comprehensive and only shows likely events for Utah Tech women's track & field. ^ denotes final.

THURSDAY
Track Events
Time / Event
4:15 PM / 1,500 Meters
4:45 PM / 200 Meters
5:15 PM / 400-Meter Hurdles
6:45 PM / 10,000 Meters^

FRIDAY
Field Events
Time / Event
2:00 PM / Long Jump^

Track Events
3:25 PM / 100-Meter Hurdles
3:55 PM / 800 Meters
4:25 PM / 400 Meters
4:55 PM / 100 Meters
6:00 PM / 3,000-Meter Steeplechase^

SATURDAY
Field Events
Time / Event
11:00 AM / High Jump^
2:00 PM / Triple Jump^

Track Events
Time / Event
3:10 PM / 4x100-Meter Relay^
3:30 PM / 1,500 Meters^
3:50 PM / 100-Meter Hurdles^
4:10 PM / 400 Meters^
4:25 PM / 100 Meters^
4:40 PM / 800 Meters^
5:00 PM / 400-Meter Hurdles^
5:20 PM / 200 Meters^
5:50 PM / 5,000 Meters^
6:20 PM / 4x400-Meter Relay
6:45 PM / Senior Recognition
7:00 PM / Award Ceremony

UP NEXT
The NCAA West First Rounds will be held on Wednesday, May 28, through Saturday, May 31, in College Station, Texas. Texas A&M will serve as the host institution.