University of New Hampshire Athletics
Friday, April 17
Charlottesville, Va.
9:30 AM
University of New Hampshire
at
Virginia Challenge
Photo by: Alex Miller
Ronan, White Win Gold at Virginia Challenge
4/17/2026 11:08:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. and LOWELL, Mass. – Grad student Claire Ronan (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) and freshman Ruth White (Orono, Maine) of the University of New Hampshire women's track & field team both won individual gold at the Virginia Challenge on Friday night at the University of Virginia's Lannigan Field.
UNH won four of the five events spanning the Virginia Challenge and the George Davis Invitational, which was held at UMass Lowell.
CLICK HERE to view results from the Virginia Challenge.
CLICK HERE to view results from the George Davis Invitational
Ronan was the 1,500m champion with a time of 4 minutes, 26.22 seconds. She was first across the finish line in the sixth section and that personal-best time was fastest among the 84 runners in the event. She was third in the lead pack through the first 300m and fourth place through 700m. Ronan improved her split to 1:12.65 on the next lap to hold steady in fourth place, then ran the final 400m in 1:08.05 for an overall time of 4:26.22.
Ronan bested runners from Power 4 schools – Virginia, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Penn State, Pitt – and her previous PR (4:30.62) by more than four seconds.
White cruised to victory in the 10,000m with a time of 33:29.85 that was 2 minutes, 13.10 seconds faster that the runner-up in the field of 11 runners. She set the pace early and led by nearly seven seconds after only one lap in the 25-lap race. The lead ballooned to 14 seconds at 800m and her mile split of 5:12.29 was 28 seconds ahead of the next runner. White's two-mile (3,200m) split was 10:30.36 and her three-mile (4,800m) split of 15:54 was 77 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. Her pace slowed in mile four but she responded with a 5:24.68 split in the fifth mile for an 8,000m time of 26:47.48. Out of the 25 laps, White's last around the track was her eighth-fastest quarter-mile in 1:19.74.
Sophomore Sarah Moore (Lisbon, Maine) recorded her best long jump of the 2026 outdoor season with a mark of 6.19m (20 feet-3.75 inches) on her second attempt. She finished sixth in a group of 44 competitors that included Power 4 schools Virginia, Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina, N.C. State, Ole Miss and Pitt. The top nine advanced to the finals, where no one changed positioning on three more attempts.
GEORGE DAVIS INVITATIONAL
Sophomore Emma Reaves (Westminster, Md.) won the shot put with a throw of 13.23m (43-5) with freshman Payton Goulding (Cumberland, R.I.) in third place at 12.81m (42-0.5) and sophomore Ruby Prentiss (Falmouth, Maine) in sixth place at 11.36m (37-3.25). All three Wildcats advanced to the finals from a field of 20 competitors out of the second flight.
Reaves recorded her winning throw on her second attempt. Goulding entered the final round in fifth place but climbed to third place with her best effort of the day, 12.81m (42-0.5). Prentiss recorded her top effort of 11.36m (37-3.25) in the second round.
Prentiss went on to win the hammer throw with Reaves finishing as runner-up and Goulding in ninth place. Prentiss entered the finals in second place with a mark of 48.46m and moved to the top of leaderboard on her final attempt of 50.92m (167-0). Reaves recorded her scoring throw of 49.69m (163-0) in the first round and remained in first place until Prentiss' last throw. Goulding recorded her best effort of 41.98m (137-8) in the second round.
The UNH women's track & field team returns to action April 18 for Day 2 of the George Davis Invitational at UMass Lowell.
The next home meet is the Wildcat Invitational on April 24-25.
UNH Results – Virginia Challenge
UNH won four of the five events spanning the Virginia Challenge and the George Davis Invitational, which was held at UMass Lowell.
CLICK HERE to view results from the Virginia Challenge.
CLICK HERE to view results from the George Davis Invitational
Ronan was the 1,500m champion with a time of 4 minutes, 26.22 seconds. She was first across the finish line in the sixth section and that personal-best time was fastest among the 84 runners in the event. She was third in the lead pack through the first 300m and fourth place through 700m. Ronan improved her split to 1:12.65 on the next lap to hold steady in fourth place, then ran the final 400m in 1:08.05 for an overall time of 4:26.22.
Ronan bested runners from Power 4 schools – Virginia, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Penn State, Pitt – and her previous PR (4:30.62) by more than four seconds.
White cruised to victory in the 10,000m with a time of 33:29.85 that was 2 minutes, 13.10 seconds faster that the runner-up in the field of 11 runners. She set the pace early and led by nearly seven seconds after only one lap in the 25-lap race. The lead ballooned to 14 seconds at 800m and her mile split of 5:12.29 was 28 seconds ahead of the next runner. White's two-mile (3,200m) split was 10:30.36 and her three-mile (4,800m) split of 15:54 was 77 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. Her pace slowed in mile four but she responded with a 5:24.68 split in the fifth mile for an 8,000m time of 26:47.48. Out of the 25 laps, White's last around the track was her eighth-fastest quarter-mile in 1:19.74.
Sophomore Sarah Moore (Lisbon, Maine) recorded her best long jump of the 2026 outdoor season with a mark of 6.19m (20 feet-3.75 inches) on her second attempt. She finished sixth in a group of 44 competitors that included Power 4 schools Virginia, Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina, N.C. State, Ole Miss and Pitt. The top nine advanced to the finals, where no one changed positioning on three more attempts.
GEORGE DAVIS INVITATIONAL
Sophomore Emma Reaves (Westminster, Md.) won the shot put with a throw of 13.23m (43-5) with freshman Payton Goulding (Cumberland, R.I.) in third place at 12.81m (42-0.5) and sophomore Ruby Prentiss (Falmouth, Maine) in sixth place at 11.36m (37-3.25). All three Wildcats advanced to the finals from a field of 20 competitors out of the second flight.
Reaves recorded her winning throw on her second attempt. Goulding entered the final round in fifth place but climbed to third place with her best effort of the day, 12.81m (42-0.5). Prentiss recorded her top effort of 11.36m (37-3.25) in the second round.
Prentiss went on to win the hammer throw with Reaves finishing as runner-up and Goulding in ninth place. Prentiss entered the finals in second place with a mark of 48.46m and moved to the top of leaderboard on her final attempt of 50.92m (167-0). Reaves recorded her scoring throw of 49.69m (163-0) in the first round and remained in first place until Prentiss' last throw. Goulding recorded her best effort of 41.98m (137-8) in the second round.
The UNH women's track & field team returns to action April 18 for Day 2 of the George Davis Invitational at UMass Lowell.
The next home meet is the Wildcat Invitational on April 24-25.
UNH Results – Virginia Challenge
- 1,500m
- Ronan, 1st place, 4:26.22
- 10,000m
- White, 1st place, 33:29.85
- Long Jump
- Moore, 6th place, 6.19m (20-3.75)
UNH Results – George Davis Invitational
- Shot Put
- Reaves, 1st place, 13.23m (43-5)
- Goulding, 3rd place, 12.81 (42-0.5)
- Prentiss, 6th place, 11.36m (37-3.25)
- Hammer
- Prentiss, 1st place, 50.92m (167-0)
- Reaves, 2nd place, 49.69m (163-0)
- Goulding, 9th place, 41.98m (137-8)
Players Mentioned
Multi-Event
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps/Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
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