FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University was selected seventh overall in the 2026 Conference Carolinas Outdoor Women's Track & Field Coaches' Preseason Poll that was released by the league office on Thursday afternoon (March 12).
The Patriots tallied 114 points in the rankings, including one first-place nod, as voted on by the league's head coaches. The University of Mount Olive, the 11-time defending league champion, remains the heavy preseason favorite after collecting 13 first-place votes and totaling 192 points. Converse University received the final first-place vote and was picked second overall with 170 points. North Greenville University rounded out the top three in the preseason rankings with 160 points.
Belmont Abbey College (152) ranked fourth, followed by Lees-McRae College (132), UNC Pembroke (123), Francis Marion University (114), Southern Wesleyan University (110), Barton College (81), King University (80), Emmanuel University (76), Ferrum College (69), Shorter University (46), Young Harris College (42), and Erskine College (28).
Francis Marion head coach
Mark Bluman welcomes back eight returnees on the women's squad, with nine newcomers joining FMU. The Patriots are coming off a successful indoor campaign after placing sixth overall at the Conference Carolinas Championships.
The Patriots have a compelling core of returnees in senior
Rileigh Lacy, sophomore
Aukeyonna Sims, and sophomore
Jazmine McDonald-Craft. The trio of women all scored at the indoor championships.
Lacy, a two-time first-team all-conference honoree, will look to retain her outdoor pole vault championship after winning the event in 2025. In her first indoor season with FMU, she won the Conference Carolinas Championship in the pole vault after clearing 3.32 meters. Sims, a product of Darlington High School, had a stellar indoor season after winning the individual high jump championship and placing third in the long jump. She has earned all-conference status three times in her career and placed third in the outdoor high jump last year. A native of Columbia, S.C., McDonald-Craft is the reigning outdoor champion in the discus and had a fourth-place finish in the indoor shot put.
Francis Marion started the 2026 outdoor season last week on Mar. 6-7 at the UNCW Seahawk Invitational before returning to action this week on Mar. 13-14 at the Myrtle Beach Collegiate Challenge. The Patriots will compete at the beginning of April in Savannah, Ga., at the Orange & Blue Relay before hosting the FMU Invitational the following week on April 10 at the Florence Sports Complex.
The 2026 Conference Carolinas Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held on April 23-25 at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
