RICHMOND, Va. -- Capping off an incredible year as a member of the Christopher Newport women's track & field program, Ellie Nuckols was celebrated as the VaSID All-State Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, while seven other Captains secured All-State recognition the Virginia Sports Information Directors.

With her individual honor, Nuckols became just the second Captain to receive the state's top outdoor award, joining former legend Katie Stevens, who was named the Women's Field Athlete of the Year in 2025.

Along with her top award, Nuckols picked up four All-State citations after receiving first-team plaudits in the pentathlon and heptathlon as well as second-team nods in the outdoor hurdles and indoor distance medley relay. Joining Nuckols in the latter event, Sarah Bland, Danielle Hollington, and Courtney Mudd were also recognized as members of the squad's record-setting relay.

In addition to her work on the DMR, Bland was a second-team pick in the indoor mid-distance events and outdoor distance disciplines. Ashley Eley also notched three awards after receiving second-team recognition in the heptathlon as well as the indoor and outdoor jumps.

Rounding out the award-winners, Kayla Asprey and Rylee Ehrett were second-team honorees in the outdoor throws, while Sarah Dake was a second-team pick in the indoor distance events.

Orchestrating one of the most decorated campaigns in program history, Nuckols brought home a pair of All-American citations. The junior capped off her year with first-team honors in the heptathlon after placing sixth in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Along the way, she recorded a score of 4,887, which established a new school and conference record. Meanwhile, in the winter, she garnered second-team All-American nods in the pentathlon after finishing 15th at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Celebrated as the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year, Nuckols amassed nine total All-Region honors, including first-team marks in the heptathlon and pentathlon. She also captured league titles in both the indoor 400 and outdoor 400-hurdles. In the latter event, she qualified for the NCAA Championships after throwing down a season-best time of 1:01.63 at the Widener Final Qualifier. That also set a new league standard.

Along with her individual efforts, Nuckols helped the Distance Medley Relay shatter the program record at the Camel City Invitational. In the end, the foursome of Nuckols, Bland, Hollington, and Mudd completed the event in 12:21.01, which ranked third in the region and second in the state of Virginia.

In addition to her work on the relay, Bland was tremendous throughout her sophomore year. Securing three All-League plaudits, she placed second in the 800 and mile during the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Indoor Championships before matching that finish in the 3000-steeplechase at the outdoor meet. Meanwhile, her time of 11:15.93 in the steeplechase at the Widener Final Qualifier was the second-best mark in program history. In the end, she picked up All-South honors in the DMR, steeplechase, and mile.
 
Hollington and Mudd also excelled in individual events during the year. Along with her work on the relay, Mudd picked up All-Region nods in the mile after placing third in the event at the league meet with a time of 5:11.19. Meanwhile, Hollington established herself as one of the top young sprinters in the region after throwing down a time of 26.12 in the 200 at the VMI Team Challenge, which was the seventh-fastest clocking in program history.

One of the most versatile standouts in the country, Eley hauled in All-Region accolades in seven different disciplines during the year. Stockpiling awards, she was one of the South's top performers in the indoor high jump, triple jump, and pentathlon as well as the outdoor high jump, long jump, triple jump, and heptathlon. Especially dominant in the triple jump, she ranked 33rd nationally in both the indoor and outdoor disciplines, including a career-best mark of 11.70 meters at the spring league meet. A five-time All-Conference selection and two-time champion, she also set a PR in the heptathlon with a score of 4,231 at the New Captains Classic.

Bursting onto the scene as one of the region's top throwers, Asprey shined throughout a dominant debut campaign. Earning All-South accolades in both the indoor and outdoor shot put, she capped off her season with a pair of titles at the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships. During the spring meet, she beat the field with a 12.02-meter launch in the shot put and a 40.04-meter toss in the discus. Her season-best mark of 43.44 meters in the discus at the Widener Final Qualifier also placed her 43rd on the national charts.

An All-Region standout in the indoor 3000, Dake ranked eighth in the South after posting a time of 10:22.77 at the VMI Team Challenge. The third-year star also established a new personal-best in the 5000 with a time of 18:08.20 at the Camel City Invitational, which moved her to third on the school's all-time performance list. She eventually placed third in both the 3000 and 5000 at the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Indoor Championships before matching that performance in the 5000 at the outdoor meet.

A three-time conference champion, Ehrett was named the C2C Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet after sweeping the winter title in the shot put and weight throw. Then, in the spring, she capped off her campaign with a victory in the hammer throw. She also picked up All-Region honors in that event after uncorking a season-best mark of 47.72 meters at the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic, which was the second-best heave in program history. Additionally, she moved to second all-time in the weight throw with a 15.26-meter missile at the CNU Qualifier.

 

2026 VaSID All-State Women's Indoor Track & Field Honorees
Individual Award Winners
Coach of the Year:	Dana Freeman	Washington and Lee
Track Athlete of the Year:	Bailey Redd-Armstrong	Southern Virginia
Field Athlete of the Year:	Bailey Hedgemon	Washington and Lee
Track Rookie of the Year:	Ester Zar	Virginia Wesleyan
Field Rookie of the Year:	Mad McMurphy	Washington and Lee
First Team
4x400-Relay:	Turner, Edwards, Boyce, Ruiz	Lynchburg
DMR:	Newman, Miller, Hillam, Redd-Armstrong	Southern Virginia
Distance:	Bayleigh Redd-Armstrong	Southern Virginia
Distance:	Olivia Warr	Washington and Lee
Hurdles:	Ophelia Ladner	Roanoke
Jumps:	Camille Gillum	Washington and Lee
Jumps:	Marin Simons	Southern Virginia
Jumps:	Kenedy Shields	Virginia State
Jumps:	Kacey Kelly	Lynchburg
Mid-Distance:	Bayleigh Redd-Armstrong	Southern Virginia
Mid-Distance:	Hannah Edwards	Lynchburg
Pentathlon:	Ellie Nuckols	Christopher Newport
Sprints:	Jade Buckles	Bridgewater
Sprints:	Jesma Evans	Washington and Lee
Sprints:	Christal Rolack	Virginia Union
Throws:	Bailey Hedgemon	Washington and Lee
Throws:	Abby Mikolay	Bridgewater
Second Team
4x400-Relay:	Louis, MiddleBrooks, Rolack, Johnson	Virginia Union
DMR:	Mudd, Hollington, Nuckols, Bland	Christopher Newport
Distance:	Ester Zar	Virginia Wesleyan
Distance:	Sarah Dake	Christopher Newport
Hurdles:	Olivia Viers	Roanoke
Jumps:	Mad McMurphy	Washington and Lee
Jumps:	Summer Wallace	Bridgewater
Jumps:	Ashley Eley	Christopher Newport
Jumps:	Anijah James	Mary Washington
Mid-Distance:	Olivia Warr	Washington and Lee
Mid-Distance:	Sarah Bland	Christopher Newport
Heptathlon:	Margo Fox	Lynchburg
Sprints:	Lindsey Hobin	Roanoke
Sprints:	Sophia Redmond	Mary Washington
Sprints:	Yasmin Deane	Mary Washington
Throws:	Janiya Harmon	Virginia State
Throws:	Molly Donaldson	Shenandoah
2026 VaSID All-State Women's Outdoor Track & Field Honorees
Individual Award Winners
Coach of the Year:	Dana Freeman	Washington and Lee
Track Athlete of the Year:	Bayleigh Redd-Armstrong	Southern Virginia
Field Athlete of the Year:	Ellie Nuckols	Christopher Newport
Track Rookie of the Year:	Ester Zar	Virginia Wesleyan
Field Rookie of the Year:	Molly Donaldson	Shenandoah
First Team
4x100-Relay:	Shields, Roberts, Starks, King	Virginia State
4x400-Relay:	Turner, Edwards, Boyce, Ruiz	Lynchburg
Distance:	Bayleigh Redd-Armstrong	Southern Virginia
Distance:	Olivia Warr	Washington and Lee
Distance:	Reese Brown	Washington and Lee
Heptathlon:	Ellie Nuckols	Christopher Newport
Hurdles:	Ophelia Ladner	Roanoke
Hurdles:	Anijah James	Mary Washington
Jumps:	Kacey Kelly	Lynchburg
Jumps:	Marin Simons	Southern Virginia
Jumps:	Kenedy Shields	Virginia State
Jumps:	Summer Wallace	Bridgewater
Mid-Distance:	Bayleigh Redd-Armstrong	Southern Virginia
Mid-Distance:	Cassie Carr	Washington and Lee
Sprints:	Christal Rolack	Virginia Union
Sprints:	Markeria King	Virginia State
Sprints:	Yasmin Deane	Mary Washington
Throws:	Bailey Hedgemon	Washington and Lee
Throws:	Abby Mikolay	Bridgewater
Throws:	Janiya Harmon	Virginia State
Throws:	Haylee Smith	Lynchburg
Second Team
4x100-Relay:	Koumondji, Turner, Parker, Taylor	Lynchburg
4x400-Relay:	Louis, Rolack, Hall, MiddleBrooks	Virginia Union
Distance:	Ester Zar	Virginia Wesleyan
Distance:	Emma Hillam	Southern Virginia
Distance:	Sarah Bland	Christopher Newport
Heptathlon:	Ashley Eley	Christopher Newport
Hurdles:	Ellie Nuckols	Christopher Newport
Hurdles:	Maddie Watson	Bridgewater
Jumps:	Ashley Eley	Christopher Newport
Jumps:	A'Marah Parrish	Virginia State
Jumps:	Layla Keadle	Washington and Lee
Jumps:	Surraiya Mahmud	Southern Virginia
Mid-Distance:	Toni MiddleBrooks	Virginia Union
Mid-Distance:	Olivia Warr	Washington and Lee
Sprints:	Jade Buckles	Bridgewater
Sprints:	Jesma Evans	Washington and Lee
Sprints:	Lindsey Hobin	Roanoke
Throws:	Kayla Asprey	Christopher Newport
Throws:	Lexi Carter	UVA Wise
Throws:	Rylee Ehrett	Christopher Newport
Throws:	Molly Donaldson	Shenandoah

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