Mary Baldwin's Caroline Motley finished among the top four runners in two distance events, scoring 10 team points for the Fighting Squirrels, and was named the Women's Track Rookie of the Year at the 2025 USA South Indoor Championship Friday at JDL FastTrack in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Motley, one of eight Fighting Squirrels to score points by finishing among the top six in an event, and one of just two MBU athletes to score in multiple events, earned a bronze medal with a third-place finish in the mile run (5:36.92), then crossed the finish line fourth in the 3,000-meter run (11:14.45).

Motley becomes the second MBU distance runner this year to win the USA South Women's Rookie of the Year award.  Nicole Black, who finished second Friday in the 3,000-meter run (11:04.86), won the Women's Rookie of the Year in November at the 2024 USA South Cross Country Championship.  Combined, Motley and Black scored 18 of MBU's 20 points in Friday's championship.

Senior Lamiyah Martinez scored MBU's other points with a pair of sixth place finishes in the shot put (9.41m) and weight throw (10.20m).

In the men's competition, Averi Harrod led the way with a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter dash (52.76) and led off MBU's fourth-place 4x400 relay team that also included Lepatrick Bridges, Brendan Plogger and Tristen Bannasch (3:47.22).  Bridges just missed scoring team points in both the 200-meter dash (24.01) and the 400 (52.86) with a pair of seventh-place finishes.

Caleb Smith collected MBU's other point with a sixth-place finish in the mile run (4:48.77), rallying at the end to gain the top six position.

Feb. 28, 2025 – USA South Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
at JDL FastTrack, Winston-Salem, N.C.
(Top 6 places score team points – 10-8-6-4-2-1)
Men
60 – 11. Tristen Bannasch 8.28
200 – 7. Lapatrick Bridges 24.01; 9. Averi Harrod 24.12; 17. Tristen Bannasch 27.15
400 – 6. Averi Harrod 52.76 (PR); 7. Lapatrick Bridges 52.86
800 – 11. Brendan Plogger 2:15.58
Mile – 6. Caleb Smith 4:48.77 (PR); 11. David Shultz 5:31.75 (PR); 12. Daniel Diaczyszyn 5:38.66
3,000 – 11. Caleb Smith 9:38.35 (PR)
4x400 relay – 4. MBU (Averi Harrod, Lapatrick Bridges, Brendan Plogger, Tristen Bannasch) 3:47.22
Shot put – 11. Brandan Jones 11.22m; 12. Omarion Lacroix 11.09m (PR)
Team Score – 1. Southern Va. 165; 2. Pfeiffer 131; 3. Methodist 122; 4. Brevard 60; 5. N.C. Wesleyan 8; 6. Mary Baldwin 6
 
Women
60 – 9. Kaitlin Bower 8.54; 15. Alecea Oliver 9.53
200 – 15. Alecea Oliver 33.97
800 – 9. Ashley Bennett 2:48.08; 10. Rowan Downer 2:48.41 (PR)
Mile – 3. Caroline Motley 5:36.92 (PR)
3,000 – 2. Nicole Black 11:04.86; 4. Caroline Motley 11:14.45
Long jump – 7. Kaitlin Bower 4.45m; 9. Imari Knight 4.29m
Shot put – 6. Lamiyah Martinez 9.41m; 7. Johannah Dillaway 8.64m; 17. Alma Gonzalez-Hayes 6.26m
Weight Throw – 6. Lamiyah Martinez 10.20m
Team Score – 1. Southern Va. 177; 2. N.C. Wesleyan 88; 3. Methodist 60; 4. Pfeiffer 66; 5. Brevard 48; 6. Meredith 29; 7. Mary Baldwin 20
2025 USA South Indoor Championship Women's Track Rookie of the Year – Caroline Motley, MBU