Of all of the athletes within the Elon University track and field team, one name has continued to stand out: sophomore sprinter and jumper Meghan Wilcox.
In 2022, she was the Colonial Athletic Association champion in the 4x400 meter relay, all-CAA in the 100-meters and all-CAA in the 4x100 meter relay. Her success has only continued throughout the start of the 2023 season, similar to the success the team as a whole has achieved.
“The first month there has been fantastic progression from so many of the girls,” Wilcox said. “They started off super strong this season and everyone's just been improving so much. There's been so many personal records, school records and just so much improvement and just talent in this team.”
In the Bob Pollock Invitational Jan. 27 to 28, Wilcox soared — achieving a personal-best and breaking the school record for the 60 meter in 7.61 seconds. Head coach Mark Elliston said he has been proud of the accomplishments that Wilcox has achieved throughout this season, as well as improving her sprint technique, form coming out of the blocks and staying aggressive and relaxed through the finish line.
“Meghan has really come full circle this year,” Elliston said. “It's really paying off, her focus and her desire to get better and to get faster.”
Wilcox said she was excited to break those records and has been proud of her individual improvement this season.
“The 60 has been one that I've actually struggled with getting my time down before, so to see it being pretty consistent has been really exciting,” Wilcox said.
Feb. 18, Wilcox’s record was broken by freshman sprinter Reese Webster with 7.60 seconds at the JDL DMR Invitational in Winston-Salem, proving that the team is constantly getting better and improving its times. The team won five events and saw many athletes set their personal best records. Wilcox said she enjoys watching everyone continue to push each other to perform their best.
“It's just been really exciting to see everyone that hit these all time highs, just show out as the strongest performance we've had for certain events in school history,” Wilcox said.
On top of Wilcox and Webster, junior sprinter Piper Jons broke her own school record in the 300 meter running it in 39.34 seconds and redshirt junior thrower Lauryn Carlton broke the school record in the 60-8 weight throw, throwing 18.94 meters. Both records were broken at Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational Feb. 10 to 11.
Elliston said these consistent record breaking accomplishments are a testament to two things: the athletes themselves and the coaching staff at Elon.
“The athletes have great work ethic and they're really wanting to do their best, so they're pushing themselves in the weight room, in practice,” Elliston said. “It's just really nice to know that the coaches are preparing the athletes, getting them ready for their competition.”
The final day for Elon University’s track and field team’s indoor season will be held in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Feb. 22 to 23 for the CAA indoor championship. This meet will be the first that the CAA has held; the Phoenix previously traveled to participate in the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship.
For the first time in Elliston’s 17 seasons coaching at Elon, the team will compete in a meet within the CAA conference, something Elliston said he is looking forward to.
“It's gonna be very tough,” Elliston said. “There's some very strong teams that just entered, but we hope that we can be a top three team. We'd love to go for the win and we hope everything works out for that.”
After the CAA indoor championships, the Phoenix will shift gears, turning their attention to the upcoming outdoor season in which the team is two-time CAA champions. Elliston said he is excited to compete in the indoor championship and sees it as a stepping stone for continued success in the outdoor season.
“We are continuing to really set our sights on outdoor,” Elliston said. “It’s that same old adage of working hard, trying to perfect what you do in practice so that when you do get to those meets, and especially the championship, your efforts will pay off. The CAA is tough, but I think that's also what helps motivate them to do their best because they know the competition is very strong.”
Wilcox said she is looking forward to transitioning to outdoor and to watch the continued success from her teammates and herself.
“It’s definitely a possibility to hit some big personal records, but I'm wanting to come into practice every day giving it my all, and lifting up my teammates to where they can be giving it their all every time,” Wilcox said. “I want to just give my best performance that I can to help my teammates.”