Virginia Beach, Va.-The Virginia State University men's and women's track & field teams opened the new year with strong showings at the 2026 VCU Rams Indoor Invitational in Richmond on January 9, 2026. Competing against a deep field of programs, both Trojan squads delivered competitive performances and set the tone for the indoor season.

The VSU women got off to a fast start in the sprints. In the women's 60-meter dash preliminaries, sophomore Kenedy Shields posted a solid time of 8.08 seconds, finishing just behind the leader. In hurdling action, Ariell Reese had a strong showing in the women's 60m hurdles, placing first in her heat. Kiera Coleman placed fifth in the women's 1000 meter run with a time of 3:25.04.

In the field events Janiya Harmon placed sixth in the shot put with a mark of 12.63 meters. Shields also placed seventh in the long jump with a mark of 1.55 meters.