CENTRAL, S.C. — CIU's women opened the 2026 outdoor track & field season Friday and Saturday at the SWU GottaRun Invite hosted by Southern Wesleyan University.

Elizabeth Gustafson led the Rams on the track with a strong performance in the 400 meters, finishing second overall with a time of 1:01.37. The mark met both the Appalachian Athletic Conference and NCCAA qualifying standards to begin the outdoor campaign.

Morgan Hartman also competed for CIU on the track, posting a time of 2:34.75 in the 800 meters.

In the field events, Coral Curry produced a standout weekend for the Rams. Curry captured the shot put title with a throw of 11.89 meters (39-0.25), earning both AAC and NCCAA qualifying marks. She followed that performance with a third-place finish in the discus at 33.85 meters (111-1), which also met both qualifying standards. Curry completed a dominant meet by winning the hammer throw with a mark of 44.98 meters (147-7), another performance that reached both the AAC and NCCAA qualifying marks.

CIU will return to action next weekend when the Rams host the John-Hunter Classic on Mar. 20–21 in Columbia.