University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Track & Field Announces Addition Of 10 Transfers
July 29, 2026 | Track & Field
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina track and field welcomes 10 transfers ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The transfer class features five pole vaulters from High Point University, reuniting with Assistant Coach Scott Houston, along with five additional transfers from Nebraska, Belmont, Furman, Princeton and Duke. In addition to the pole vaulters, the Tar Heels welcome three throwers and two distance athletes.
RICARDO MONTES DE OCA | JR. | POLE VAULT | HIGH POINT | VENEZUELA
One of the most decorated transfers in the class, Montes de Oca comes to Chapel Hill after two seasons at High Point, where he was named the Big South Male Field Athlete of the Year. The honor came after earning 2026 NCAA Indoor First Team All-America and Outdoor Second Team All-America recognition. Among his many accolades, Montes de Oca is a four-time Big South Pole Vault Champion across indoor and outdoor competition, a four-time Big South Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week, an eight-time Big South Indoor Field Athlete of the Week and was named Big South Freshman of the Week during his first collegiate season.
Most recently, the Venezuelan qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the second consecutive year after clearing 5.35m at the NCAA East First Round. At the national meet, Montes de Oca cleared 5.50m to place eighth in the nation. He owns personal bests of 5.68m indoors and 5.70m outdoors, both of which stand as High Point and Big South Conference records.
EMILY ROMANO | JR. | POLE VAULT | HIGH POINT | GLEN ALLEN, Va.
An NCAA All-America Honorable Mention last season, Romano joins the Tar Heels after a stellar two-year career at High Point. During her freshman campaign, Romano competed in 20 pole vault competitions between the indoor and outdoor seasons, qualifying for the NCAA First Rounds after recording a season-best clearance of 4.22m. The Glen Allen, Va., native placed second at the Big South Indoor Championships and fifth at the Big South Outdoor Championships while earning Big South Female Freshman of the Week honors three times.
As a sophomore, Romano captured the Big South Outdoor Pole Vault title with a clearance of 4.18m. During the indoor season, she never finished outside the top five, including a third-place finish at the Big South Indoor Championships. Romano concluded the season with an 18th-place finish at the NCAA Championships after clearing 4.09m and was named Big South Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week during the week of April 30.
REID HOLLOWAY | GR. | POLE VAULT | HIGH POINT | APEX, N.C.
One of five transfers from High Point, Holloway joins UNC as a graduate student after spending the past four seasons with the Panthers. The Apex, N.C., native owns personal bests of 5.32m indoors and 5.23m outdoors. Holloway was named Big South Field Athlete of the Week three times between 2023-24 and earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors in 2024. During his senior season, Holloway qualified for the NCAA Championships in Eugene after helping lead the Panthers to their sixth consecutive Big South Outdoor Championship.
LILY HOUSTON | JR. | POLE VAULT | HIGH POINT | CONCORD, N.C.
Houston joins the Carolina program as a junior pole vaulter. Most recently, she placed second at the Big South Outdoor Championships with a personal-best clearance of 4.13m to qualify for the NCAA East First Round for the first time in her collegiate career. During her sophomore outdoor season, Houston claimed first place at a total of three meets.
During the indoor season, Houston competed in eight meets, highlighted by winning the Big South Indoor Pole Vault title with a personal-best clearance of 4.02m. As a freshman, she competed in 16 meets across the indoor and outdoor seasons and first cleared 4.00m at the Davidson Relays during the outdoor campaign.
MAX ROBINSON | GR. | POLE VAULT | HIGH POINT | GLENMOORE, Pa.
Robinson joins the program after a decorated career at High Point. The Glenmoore, Pa., native won the 2024 Big South Indoor Pole Vault Championship and earned multiple top-three finishes throughout his career. Robinson owns personal bests of 5.17m indoors and 5.12m outdoors while consistently competing at the NCAA regional-qualifying level. Across four seasons, he steadily improved each year, regularly clearing the five-meter mark.
PIA BEAULIEU | GR. | STEEPLECHASE | PRINCETON | BOCA RATON, Fla.
Beaulieu, a dual-sport athlete at Princeton, joins the Tar Heels following an impressive track and field debut season. The graduate student joined the track and field team after competing for the Tigers' women's soccer program. The Boca Raton, Fla., native set a program record in the steeplechase at the NCAA East First Round with a time of 9:52.54, becoming one of just three Princeton women to break the 10-minute mark. Following her successful first season in the event, Beaulieu earned First Team All-Ivy honors
CAMRYN WENNERSTEN | GR. | DISTANCE | FURMAN | RIDGEWOOD, N.J.
Wennersten joins the Tar Heels for her final season of collegiate competition. A three-time Southern Conference Distance Medley Relay champion (2023, 2024 and 2026), she helped set the Furman school record in the event with a time of 11:20.41, breaking a record previously set by herself, at the 2026 Southern Conference Indoor Championships. At her final Southern Conference Outdoor Championships, Wennersten placed second in the 1,500m and fourth in the 800m. As a freshman, the Ridgewood, N.J., native earned Southern Conference All-Freshman Team honors in both cross country and indoor track.
MATTHEW PREBOLA | SR. | JAVELIN | DUKE | TUNKHANNOCK, Pa.
Prebola comes to Chapel Hill as a senior after three seasons at Duke. The 2026 ACC Outdoor Champion in the javelin owns a personal best of 71.01m, recorded at the ACC Championships, where he also earned First Team All-ACC honors. Prior to his junior campaign, the Tunkhannock, Pa., native earned All-ACC Third Team recognition in 2025 before moving up to the conference's First Team in 2026.
LAUREN ST. PETERS | JR. | THROWS | NEBRASKA | ALEDO, TEXAS
St. Peters arrives in Chapel Hill after competing with the Huskers at Nebraska. The Aledo, Texas, native qualified for the 2025 NCAA West Preliminary Round in the discus and won the event at the Central Nebraska Challenge with a personal-best throw of 53.20m (174-6). She also recorded an indoor shot put personal best of 15.36m (50-4¾) while consistently scoring in both the shot put and discus throughout her collegiate career. Most recently, St. Peters set a personal best in weight throw at the Tune-Up Field throwing a PR of 18.94m (62-1 ¾) in February.
KYLE GARRATT | JR. | THROWS | BELMONT | WAXHAW, N.C.
Belmont transfer Kyle Garratt joins the Tar Heels' throws group as a junior. The Waxhaw, N.C., native owns personal bests of 15.82m in the shot put and 43.92m in the discus. At the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships, Garratt threw a PR of 14.96 (49' 1") 14.96 (49' 1") in the weight throw. During his freshman season, Garratt recorded runner-up finishes in the discus and a fourth-place finish in the shot put at the Outdoor Music City Challenge.
The transfer class features five pole vaulters from High Point University, reuniting with Assistant Coach Scott Houston, along with five additional transfers from Nebraska, Belmont, Furman, Princeton and Duke. In addition to the pole vaulters, the Tar Heels welcome three throwers and two distance athletes.
RICARDO MONTES DE OCA | JR. | POLE VAULT | HIGH POINT | VENEZUELA
One of the most decorated transfers in the class, Montes de Oca comes to Chapel Hill after two seasons at High Point, where he was named the Big South Male Field Athlete of the Year. The honor came after earning 2026 NCAA Indoor First Team All-America and Outdoor Second Team All-America recognition. Among his many accolades, Montes de Oca is a four-time Big South Pole Vault Champion across indoor and outdoor competition, a four-time Big South Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week, an eight-time Big South Indoor Field Athlete of the Week and was named Big South Freshman of the Week during his first collegiate season.
Most recently, the Venezuelan qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the second consecutive year after clearing 5.35m at the NCAA East First Round. At the national meet, Montes de Oca cleared 5.50m to place eighth in the nation. He owns personal bests of 5.68m indoors and 5.70m outdoors, both of which stand as High Point and Big South Conference records.
EMILY ROMANO | JR. | POLE VAULT | HIGH POINT | GLEN ALLEN, Va.
An NCAA All-America Honorable Mention last season, Romano joins the Tar Heels after a stellar two-year career at High Point. During her freshman campaign, Romano competed in 20 pole vault competitions between the indoor and outdoor seasons, qualifying for the NCAA First Rounds after recording a season-best clearance of 4.22m. The Glen Allen, Va., native placed second at the Big South Indoor Championships and fifth at the Big South Outdoor Championships while earning Big South Female Freshman of the Week honors three times.
As a sophomore, Romano captured the Big South Outdoor Pole Vault title with a clearance of 4.18m. During the indoor season, she never finished outside the top five, including a third-place finish at the Big South Indoor Championships. Romano concluded the season with an 18th-place finish at the NCAA Championships after clearing 4.09m and was named Big South Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week during the week of April 30.
REID HOLLOWAY | GR. | POLE VAULT | HIGH POINT | APEX, N.C.
One of five transfers from High Point, Holloway joins UNC as a graduate student after spending the past four seasons with the Panthers. The Apex, N.C., native owns personal bests of 5.32m indoors and 5.23m outdoors. Holloway was named Big South Field Athlete of the Week three times between 2023-24 and earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors in 2024. During his senior season, Holloway qualified for the NCAA Championships in Eugene after helping lead the Panthers to their sixth consecutive Big South Outdoor Championship.
LILY HOUSTON | JR. | POLE VAULT | HIGH POINT | CONCORD, N.C.
Houston joins the Carolina program as a junior pole vaulter. Most recently, she placed second at the Big South Outdoor Championships with a personal-best clearance of 4.13m to qualify for the NCAA East First Round for the first time in her collegiate career. During her sophomore outdoor season, Houston claimed first place at a total of three meets.
During the indoor season, Houston competed in eight meets, highlighted by winning the Big South Indoor Pole Vault title with a personal-best clearance of 4.02m. As a freshman, she competed in 16 meets across the indoor and outdoor seasons and first cleared 4.00m at the Davidson Relays during the outdoor campaign.
MAX ROBINSON | GR. | POLE VAULT | HIGH POINT | GLENMOORE, Pa.
Robinson joins the program after a decorated career at High Point. The Glenmoore, Pa., native won the 2024 Big South Indoor Pole Vault Championship and earned multiple top-three finishes throughout his career. Robinson owns personal bests of 5.17m indoors and 5.12m outdoors while consistently competing at the NCAA regional-qualifying level. Across four seasons, he steadily improved each year, regularly clearing the five-meter mark.
PIA BEAULIEU | GR. | STEEPLECHASE | PRINCETON | BOCA RATON, Fla.
Beaulieu, a dual-sport athlete at Princeton, joins the Tar Heels following an impressive track and field debut season. The graduate student joined the track and field team after competing for the Tigers' women's soccer program. The Boca Raton, Fla., native set a program record in the steeplechase at the NCAA East First Round with a time of 9:52.54, becoming one of just three Princeton women to break the 10-minute mark. Following her successful first season in the event, Beaulieu earned First Team All-Ivy honors
CAMRYN WENNERSTEN | GR. | DISTANCE | FURMAN | RIDGEWOOD, N.J.
Wennersten joins the Tar Heels for her final season of collegiate competition. A three-time Southern Conference Distance Medley Relay champion (2023, 2024 and 2026), she helped set the Furman school record in the event with a time of 11:20.41, breaking a record previously set by herself, at the 2026 Southern Conference Indoor Championships. At her final Southern Conference Outdoor Championships, Wennersten placed second in the 1,500m and fourth in the 800m. As a freshman, the Ridgewood, N.J., native earned Southern Conference All-Freshman Team honors in both cross country and indoor track.
MATTHEW PREBOLA | SR. | JAVELIN | DUKE | TUNKHANNOCK, Pa.
Prebola comes to Chapel Hill as a senior after three seasons at Duke. The 2026 ACC Outdoor Champion in the javelin owns a personal best of 71.01m, recorded at the ACC Championships, where he also earned First Team All-ACC honors. Prior to his junior campaign, the Tunkhannock, Pa., native earned All-ACC Third Team recognition in 2025 before moving up to the conference's First Team in 2026.
LAUREN ST. PETERS | JR. | THROWS | NEBRASKA | ALEDO, TEXAS
St. Peters arrives in Chapel Hill after competing with the Huskers at Nebraska. The Aledo, Texas, native qualified for the 2025 NCAA West Preliminary Round in the discus and won the event at the Central Nebraska Challenge with a personal-best throw of 53.20m (174-6). She also recorded an indoor shot put personal best of 15.36m (50-4¾) while consistently scoring in both the shot put and discus throughout her collegiate career. Most recently, St. Peters set a personal best in weight throw at the Tune-Up Field throwing a PR of 18.94m (62-1 ¾) in February.
KYLE GARRATT | JR. | THROWS | BELMONT | WAXHAW, N.C.
Belmont transfer Kyle Garratt joins the Tar Heels' throws group as a junior. The Waxhaw, N.C., native owns personal bests of 15.82m in the shot put and 43.92m in the discus. At the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships, Garratt threw a PR of 14.96 (49' 1") 14.96 (49' 1") in the weight throw. During his freshman season, Garratt recorded runner-up finishes in the discus and a fourth-place finish in the shot put at the Outdoor Music City Challenge.
Tuesday, July 28
Saturday, July 18
Saturday, July 18
Saturday, July 18