Tar Heels Dominate at Dick Taylor Challenge with Nine Wins, Commanding Sweeps, and Standout Debuts
North Carolina track and field didn’t just show up at the Dick Taylor Challenge - they owned the final day of competition. With nine event wins and podium finishes across nearly every race and field event, the Tar Heels turned Saturday into a statement performance.
Let’s start with the mile, where both the men’s and women’s squads put on a clinic. The men swept the top 12 spots - yes, all 12 - led by Tomer Tarragano’s 4:02.35.
That’s not just depth, that’s dominance. For six of those runners, it was their first time competing in a Carolina uniform.
Talk about setting the tone.
On the women’s side, Reese Dalton and Brynn Brown didn’t just go 1-2 - they clocked nationally ranked times. Dalton’s 4:40.00 sits 12th in the NCAA, and Brown’s 4:42.83 holds the 21st spot. That kind of early-season speed is a clear signal that Carolina’s distance crew is ready to make noise on the national stage.
The Tar Heels weren’t done sweeping. In the women’s 60m hurdles, it was all Carolina blue on the podium.
Tori Goodson stole the show with a win in her collegiate debut, clocking 8.41 in the final after an impressive prelim. Kalani Witherspoon and Aaliyah Berry rounded out the top three, and Evie Culbreath added a sixth-place finish to cap off a strong group effort.
Delea Martins had herself a day. She took the women's 300m in 39.31, then anchored the winning 4x400m relay team. That’s the kind of versatility and leadership coaches love - and the kind of performance that wins meets.
Freshmen continued to shine. Alli DeLisi made her debut in the 1,000m and didn’t waste any time grabbing a win with a 2:51.14. In the women’s pole vault, another first-timer, Annie Kerr, cleared 4.04m to take the top spot - a big-time result for a debut meet.
In the men’s 300m, Carolina packed the top of the results sheet, with Donovan Calhoun, Nick Steed, and Evan Pardue going 2-3-4. Pardue’s performance came in his debut, adding yet another promising name to a deep sprint group.
In the field events, the Tar Heels picked up more podium finishes. Nick Pennington cleared 5.10m to win the men’s pole vault, while Max Stakun-Pickering took second. On the women’s side, behind Kerr’s win, Maddy Kelley secured second at 3.84m, and Vivian Stovall and Peyton Berryman tied for sixth.
The throws crew chipped in with solid performances too. Ethan Richter led the men’s shot put group with a third-place finish at 17.08m, while McKynzie Mauney took second in the women’s shot with a 14.36m mark.
Carolina capped off the day with a pair of strong 4x400m relay wins. The men’s team of Trevor Paschall, Donovan Calhoun, Evan Pardue, and Nick Steed clocked 3:15.61. On the women’s side, Maameyaa Nyinah, Aaliyah Berry, Tori Goodson, and Delea Martins brought it home in 3:54.62.
From top-tier veterans to breakout freshmen, North Carolina put together a complete team performance. With this kind of depth and early-season firepower, the Tar Heels are setting themselves up for a big indoor campaign.