Final HBCUAC Women's Track and Field Honors go to top HBCUAC Championship Athletes

These athletes had the highest scores at the 2026 HBCUAC Track and Field Championship.

May 5, 2026

NEW ORLEANS - The top Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Championship performers gained the final 2026 HBCUAC Women's Track and Field weekly honors. Huston-Tillotson University sprinter Chaleica Booker wins Track Athlete of the Week. Fisk University thrower Jackie Bownes garners Field Athlete of the Week. Talladega College distance runner Mary Rodriguez earns Freshman of the Week. Stillman College thrower Taylor Hopgood claims Newcomer of the Week.

Booker won 2026 HBCUAC Women's Most Valuable Track Performer at the 2026 HBCUAC Championship. She won the 200-meter and 400-meter dash with NAIA National Championship Qualifying times. She finished runner-up in the 100-meter dash. Booker helped the Rams finish runer-up in the 4 x 100-meter and 4 x 400-meter relays.

Bownes won HBCUAC Most Valuable Field Performer at the 2026 HBCUAC Track and Field Championship. She won three of the four throwing events.

Rodriguez won two events and ran a leg on the HBCUAC champion 4 x 800-meter relay team.

Hopgood placed in three throwing events. She threw a personal best in the hammer throw.

2026 HBCUAC Women's Track & Field Athletes of the Week

Date	Track	Field	Freshman	Newcomer
March 9-15	Lamoy Duffus, Talladega	Meeyesha Tutt-Moutouo, Wiley	Mackenzie Cannon, Dillard	Aaliyah Evans, Wiley
March 16-22	Chaleica Booker, Huston-Tillotson	Jordyn Lacey, Talladega	Jordyn Lacey, Talladega	N/A
March 23-29	Chaleica Booker, Huston-Tillotson	Tatiana Clay, Dillard	Tatiana Clay, Dillard	Denae Chris-Anderson, Huston-Tillotson
March 30-April 5	Chaleica Booker, Huston-Tillotson	Jackie Bownes, Fisk	Ari Branch, Fisk	Taylor Hopgood, Stillman
April 6-12	Tori Burton, Dillard	Jackie Bownes, Fisk	Sendia Cobite, Stillman	Kelechi Dike, Wiley
April 13-19	Lamoy Duffus, Talladega	Lamoy Duffus, Talladega	Tikeria Miller, Wiley	N/A
April 20-26	T-Anna Dawkins, Dillard	N/A	Karlise Davison, Dillard	N/A
April 27-May 3	Chaleica Booker, Huston-Tillotson	Jackie Bownes, Fisk	Mary Rodriguez, Talladega	Taylor Hopgood, Stillman

About the HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Huston-Tillotson University (TX), Oakwood University (AL), Paul Quinn College (TX), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.