FAMU women’s track and field team celebrating after winning the 2026 SWAC championship (FAMU Athletics)
The Florida A&M women’s track and field team continued its dominance at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The Rattlers clinched their second consecutive conference title after finishing the meet with a total of 131 points, beating second-place Alabama State’s total of 124 points.
With standout performances across the board, the Rattlers finished strong to take it home. A couple of those key performances came from Diandrenique Gaines, a freshman sprinter who delivered an electric showing in the short sprints.
Gaines took first place in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.41 seconds and followed it up with another win in the 200-meter dash, finishing in 23.45 seconds.
These two performances helped snap Alabama State’s lead and allowed the rattlers to sit comfortably in first place.
“It meant a lot to me because I prayed for it and asked God to allow me to win,” Gaines said. “I’m always just grateful to have the opportunity to be able to compete and help out my team.”
Gaines wasn’t the only athlete contributing. Kiersten Clark, a freshman sprinter, finished second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.45 and placed fifth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.05.
The rattlers also stood out in the hurdles with Ty ‘Yana Adams, a freshman sprinter and hurdles runner, who qualified with a personal best after finishing third in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.32 seconds.
Head coach Garfield Ellenwood III said that the championship reflects how hard the team has been working throughout this indoor season.
“It just goes to show that the program is steadily ascending, and we’re going in the right direction to really build something here at FAMU,” Ellenwood said.
After marking another milestone for Ellenwood and the Rattlers, they continue to build momentum as the outdoor season goes on.
The team is scheduled to compete at the University of South Florida for the Spring Break Invitational. The two-day meet begins Saturday, March 21 in Tampa, Florida.
Ellenwood and the rattlers are eager to continue their success in this next chapter of their season.
“Each day we want to get a little bit better, Ellenwood said. “We’re outside, and they really enjoy being outdoors, so we just want to build upon what we did during the indoor season and grow each day”.
For athletes like Gaines, the transition to outdoor competition offers another opportunity to break personal records and continue building momentum.
“My goal for the outdoor season is to continue to dominate and let my name be known by breaking records and giving my team a chance to compete at the NCAA’s.”
Florida A&M’s track program is known for turning overlooked recruits into record-breaking athletes, proving development matters just as much as talent.