LOUISVILLE, Ky. (theACC.com) – After the opening day of the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the California women and Virginia men lead the field. The Golden Bears hold a slim one-point advantage over second-place Louisville and Wake Forest, while the Cavaliers jumped out to a commanding 16-point advantage over second-place Duke.
Four individual champions were crowned on the men’s side in the javelin, hammer throw, pole vault and 10,000-meters, while four individual champions were crowned on the women’s side in the same four events.
Women’s
California’s Valentina Savva broke the ACC Championship record in the women’s hammer throw, uncorking a heave of 69.68 meters (228-7). Savva’s mark toppled the mark of 68.36 meters (224-3) held by North Carolina’s Jillian Shippee since 2019. Virginia Tech’s Mariana Pestana (66.98m/219-9) took second, while Virginia’s Charlotta Sandkulla (66.35m/217-8) placed third.
In the women’s 10,000-meters, Florida State Rylee Blade broke the ACC Championship record in her conference meet debut. Blade broke the finish line in 32:35.72, breaking the meet record by nearly 10 seconds. Wake Forest’s Angelina Perez ran a personal-best time of 32:44.58, which was also under the previous championship record, to finish second, while North Carolina’s Vera Sjoberg took third with a time of 32:48.29.
Wake Forest’s Rosalind Gergely became the first individual champion of the 2026 ACC Championships, winning the women’s javelin throw with a mark of 52.19 meters (171-2), beating Notre Dame’s Isabelle Esler (52.10m/170-11) by three inches.
In the women’s pole vault, Duke’s Gemma Tutton won her second ACC title in the event, also claiming the gold medal in 2024. Tutton’s mark of 4.43 meters (14-6.25) gave her the advantage over fellow medalists Ashley Callahan of Louisville and Chiara Sistermann of Virginia Tech, who both posted marks of 4.33-meters (14-2.5). Callahan earned the silver medal, clearing the bar on her second attempt, while Sistermann needed three tries.
Men’s
Duke’s Matt Prebola became the first men’s champion of the meet, posting a gold medal-winning throw of 71.01 meters (232-11) on his final attempt in the javelin. Notre Dame’s Chris White (66.00m/216-6) took the silver medal, while NC State’s Thierfelder (63.14m/207-2) took third.
Virginia finished first and second in the men’s 10,000-meters with Justin Wachtel standing atop the podium after crossing the line in 29:38.58. The senior used a late kick down the final straightaway to overtake teammate Will Anthony, who finished second in 29:39.71. North Carolina’s Tomer Tarragano earned the bronze medal after finishing in 29:40.15.
Virginia also earned 21 points in the men’s hammer throw, highlighted by a gold-medal performance by Jeremiah Nubbe (72.19/236-10). The Cavalier junior was joined on the podium by teammate Nikolaos Polychroniou (67.67m/222-0) who took third, and Duke’s Chirstian Toro (68.69m/225-4), who finished second.
Louisville’s KJ Byrd became the first member of the host team to claim an ACC Championship, winning the men’s pole vault. The sophomore posted a personal-best mark of 5.53 meters (18-1.75) to win the gold medal. Byrd was joined on the podium by a pair of Virginia Tech standouts in Maddox Hamm and Conner McClure, who both cleared 5.43 meters. Hamm took the silver, clearing the mark on his first attempt.
Action will continue tomorrow with the men’s decathlon and women’s heptathlon, beginning at 11 and 11:30 a.m. ET, respectively. Field events begin at 3:30 p.m. ET with the men’s shot put, while running events will commence with the men’s 110-meter hurdles prelims at 5 p.m. ET.
Team Standings
Men – Through Four Events
1 – Virginia, 43
2 – Duke, 27
3 - Virginia Tech, 20
4 – Louisville, 18
5 – Notre Dame, 15
6 – Wake Forest, 10
7 – California, 7
T8 – NC State, 6
T8 – North Carolina, 6
10 – Syracuse, 3
11 – Miami, 1
T12 – Boston College, 0
T12 – Clemson, 0
T12 – Florida State, 0
T12 – Georgia Tech, 0
T12 – Pitt, 0
T12 - Stanford, 0
Women – Through Four Events
1 – California, 19
T2 – Louisville, 18
T2 – Wake Forest, 18
T4 – Duke, 15
T4 – North Carolina, 15
T6 – Florida State, 14
T6 – Miami, 14
T6 – Notre Dame, 14
T6 – Virginia Tech, 14
10 – Virginia, 12
11 – NC State, 3
T12 – Boston College, 0
T12 – Clemson, 0
T12 – Pitt, 0
T12 – SMU, 0
T12 – Stanford, 0
T12 – Syracuse, 0