Waxahachie, Texas – For the first time in program history, Nelson University claimed both the team titles at the 2026 Sooner Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships presented by Digital Scoreboards. The meet was held at the Lions Athletic Complex in Waxahachie, Texas.
The Lions men’s team scored 141 points to take the team title, while Wayland Baptist earned second place with 113 points, Oklahoma City third with 107 points, and Texas Wesleyan fourth with 103 points.
The Lions women’s squad needed a big finish in the final event of the day to score 131 points and held off Oklahoma City, which finished with 130 points. John Brown earned the third position with 126 points, with Langston rounding out the top four with 111 points.
Nelson Head Coach Robert Herrera was named the conference Coach of the Year for both the men and women, as he guided the Lions to their first-ever track and field titles.
Katalina Chan of John Brown and Ishmeal Ealoms of Nelson were named the Most Outstanding Athletes during the three-day event that was contested in hot and humid conditions.
Chan scored the most points in the women’s competition with 33 points as she won the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.55 and the 400-meter hurdles in a mark of 1:01.89. Chan also placed second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.81 and then earned a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a mark of 15.73. Chan completed her meet in the 4x100-meter relay as the team finished fifth with a time of 49.48. Three of Chan’s results were good enough for NAIA “B” Standard times.
Ealoms was a driving force in the Lions’ throwing events as he scored 28 points in the meet with three trips to the podium. Ealoms opened his meet with a first-place finish in the Discus with a throw of 47.79m and then collected another first-place finish in the Hammer with a toss of 48.37m. Ealoms wrapped up his meet with a second-place finish in the Shot Put with a throw of 14.40m.
The conference office will announce this year’s all-conference honors for both the men and women on Wednesday, April 29, at 2 p.m.