University of North Carolina Athletics

Sands Wins 5,000m ACC Title
February 26, 2026 | Track & Field
BOSTON- Colton Sands's 5K Atlantic Coast Conference title highlighted day one of the ACC Championships. For the second straight year, Carolina has won the men's 5000m title.
Sands won in dramatic fashion as he started out as the last runner and moved his way to the second, and he was able to pass Gary Martin from Virginia on the last lap to claim his conference championship title.
Tomer Tarrango (13:44.5) in championship debut, finished in fourth in the men's 5000m.
Aria Wegh moved into ninth all-time with her impressive performance in the pentathlon. Donovan Calhoun (21.00) punched his ticket to the men's 200m finals with a PR and moved into fourth all-time. Max Stakun-Pickering (3144) currently sits in third in the heptathlon with two top-three finishes in the shot put and high jump.
Results
Men's 5000m
1. Colton Sands, 13:40.35
4. Tomer Tarrango, 13:44.5
13. Robert Mechura, 13:57.48
14. Will Coogan, 13:57.58
Women's 5000m
8. Ciara O'Shea, 15:58.17
9. Brynn Brown, 15:59.30
21. Maddie Gardiner, 16:18.28 PR
5:00 p.m. – Men's 200m (Prelims)
7. Donovan Calhoun, 21.00 [4th all-time] (Qualified)
Men's Distance Medley Relay (Final)
6. Henry Strand, Trevor Paschall, Luke Pash, Aiden Neal 9:38.45
Women's Distance Medley Relay (Final)
9. Cassidy Scott, Maameyaa Nyinah, Alli DeLesi, Kinley Wolfe, 11:16.17
Men's Weight Throw (Final)
17. Myles Scott, 18.20m (59-8½)
4:00 p.m. – Men's Pole Vault (Final)
T-7 Nick Pennington, 5.00m 16-4¾
5:45 p.m. – Men's High Jump (Final)
5. Kyle Archie, 2.08m 6-9¾
Women's Weight Throw (Final)
4. Kosi Umerah, 21.27m (69-9½ )
11. Gracie Bolick, 17.47m (57-3¾)
13. McKynzie Mauney, 16.77m (55-¼)
Pentathlon
9th Aria Wegh, 3621(9th all-time)
7th: 60m Hurdles, 8.89
4th: High Jump, 1.62 (5-3¾)
15th: Shot Put 9.34 (30-7¾ )
15th: Long Jump: 5.05 (16-7)
4th: 800m, 2:16.63
Hepathlon
3rd Max Stakun-Pickering, 3144
6th: 60m, 7.00
6th: Long Jump, 6.81m (22-41⁄4)
2nd: Shot Put, 14.25 46-9
3rd: High Jump, 1.94 6-4¼
Sands won in dramatic fashion as he started out as the last runner and moved his way to the second, and he was able to pass Gary Martin from Virginia on the last lap to claim his conference championship title.
Tomer Tarrango (13:44.5) in championship debut, finished in fourth in the men's 5000m.
Aria Wegh moved into ninth all-time with her impressive performance in the pentathlon. Donovan Calhoun (21.00) punched his ticket to the men's 200m finals with a PR and moved into fourth all-time. Max Stakun-Pickering (3144) currently sits in third in the heptathlon with two top-three finishes in the shot put and high jump.
Results
Men's 5000m
1. Colton Sands, 13:40.35
4. Tomer Tarrango, 13:44.5
13. Robert Mechura, 13:57.48
14. Will Coogan, 13:57.58
Women's 5000m
8. Ciara O'Shea, 15:58.17
9. Brynn Brown, 15:59.30
21. Maddie Gardiner, 16:18.28 PR
5:00 p.m. – Men's 200m (Prelims)
7. Donovan Calhoun, 21.00 [4th all-time] (Qualified)
Men's Distance Medley Relay (Final)
6. Henry Strand, Trevor Paschall, Luke Pash, Aiden Neal 9:38.45
Women's Distance Medley Relay (Final)
9. Cassidy Scott, Maameyaa Nyinah, Alli DeLesi, Kinley Wolfe, 11:16.17
Men's Weight Throw (Final)
17. Myles Scott, 18.20m (59-8½)
4:00 p.m. – Men's Pole Vault (Final)
T-7 Nick Pennington, 5.00m 16-4¾
5:45 p.m. – Men's High Jump (Final)
5. Kyle Archie, 2.08m 6-9¾
Women's Weight Throw (Final)
4. Kosi Umerah, 21.27m (69-9½ )
11. Gracie Bolick, 17.47m (57-3¾)
13. McKynzie Mauney, 16.77m (55-¼)
Pentathlon
9th Aria Wegh, 3621(9th all-time)
7th: 60m Hurdles, 8.89
4th: High Jump, 1.62 (5-3¾)
15th: Shot Put 9.34 (30-7¾ )
15th: Long Jump: 5.05 (16-7)
4th: 800m, 2:16.63
Hepathlon
3rd Max Stakun-Pickering, 3144
6th: 60m, 7.00
6th: Long Jump, 6.81m (22-41⁄4)
2nd: Shot Put, 14.25 46-9
3rd: High Jump, 1.94 6-4¼
Players Mentioned
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