Talia Thomasson...program record in the pentathlon
Thomasson, Thang set program records on first day of NJAC Championships
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (Feb. 21, 2026) – The Rutgers University-Camden track team broke a pair of program records and produced several strong performances on the first day of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships here Saturday.
Freshman
Talia Thomasson and sophomore
Lian Thang broke the Scarlet Raptor records in the pentathlon and pole vault, respectively. Thomasson finished eighth out of 12 athletes with 2,260 points, breaking the mark of 2,212 points set by Katie O'Connor at the Frank Colden Invitational on Feb. 3, 2018. Thang, meanwhile, broke his own mark of 3.95 meters set at the Fastrack National Invite on Feb. 6, 2026. He finished fifth of 12 athletes in the event.
Thomasson placed fifth in the 60-meter hurdles (10.06), fifth in the 800 meters (2:38.87), seventh in the long jump (4.46 meters), ninth in the high jump (1.24 meters) and 11th in the shot put (4.95 meters).
Senior
Walter Pierce, meanwhile, got off to a great start in the heptathlon, placing second of eight competitors after the first day with 2,526 points. He won the shot put competition (11.84 meters), finished second in the high jump (1.77 meters), was fourth in the 60-meter dash (7.31) and placed sixth in the long jump (5.84 meters).
In the 19-athlete field of the women's shot put, senior
Kayla Franklin finished eighth with a distance of 11.28 meters and freshman
Asha Pensa Johnson was ninth (10.93 meters),
while junior
Dyheim Watson placed 13th of 18 in the men's shot put (12.51 meters).
Freshman
Justin Harms placed 12th of 26 competitors in the men's long jump (6.41 meters).
The final day of the NJAC Championships was supposed to be held Sunday, but has been postponed until Friday, Feb. 27, due to the snowstorm. It will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the University of Pennsylvania.
New Jersey Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
(at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA)
Rutgers-Camden Records:
* Pentathlon, Talia Thomasson, 2,260 points (Old: 2,212 points by Katie O'Connor, Feb. 3, 2018, at the Frank Colden Invitational)
* Men's Pole Vault, Lian Thang, 4.13 meters (Old: 3.95 meters by Thang, Feb. 6, 2026, at the Fastrack National Invite)
