GREENSBORO, N.C. – Lakelyn Bass, Donovan Lara and Cameron Wright added to the collection of gold medals for UNCW track and field on the final day of the 2025 Coastal Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The UNCW men finished fifth in the team standings with 91 points, while the women's team came in ninth with 42 points. The Seahawks had six competitors claim gold medals at the meet, two athletes combined for three silver medals, and UNCW also brought home two bronze medals.

"This meet won't be forgotten in the UNCW history books," said head coach Jeff Klaves. "They started the first event with an event win, then everybody wanted to do their part. What a team effort, and I'm so proud to lead this group!"

Bass, a graduate student, captured her first CAA title in the women's pole vault on Thursday morning, clearing 4.00 meters (13-1 1/2) on her second attempt to outlast Elizabeth Stroback and Olesya Sitkowski of William & Mary. Bass finished runner-up in the event last season with Campbell.

With the championship already secured, Bass attempted to clear 4.12 meters (13-6 1/4) for the first time this season, trying to qualify for the NCAA East First Round. Earlier this season, Bass set the UNCW outdoor record of 4.05 meters (13-3 1/2) at the UNCW Seahawk Invitational on March 8, 2025. 

"This year, Lakelyn had an opportunity to attend grad school, and when she signed up to be a part of our pole vault group, immediately on day one, she brought a competitive energy of wanting to win. She has taught this group what it means to work hard and succeed at this level. She'll have another opportunity soon to qualify for the NCAA East First Round."

Lara became UNCW's fifth gold medalist by claiming the men's high jump in the afternoon with a season-best leap of 2.08 meters (6-9 3/4) to score 10 points for the Seahawks. After winning the 2022 CAA High Jump Championship as a freshman, Lara finished runner-up in 2023 and missed the meet in 2024 due to injury. He is on the borderline of qualifying for the NCAA East First Round for the third time in his career.

"Donovan had to work through adversity and overcome an injury heading into his senior year. He did that. He proved he's tough and gritty, and he knows what it takes to win. He had a perfect meet all the way through."

Shortly after Lara's triumph, Wright produced a near wire-to-wire victory in the men's 110-meter hurdles final to become the Seahawks' sixth gold medalist. Wright, a junior, ran 14.11 seconds to win his first CAA title. He remains on pace to qualify for the NCAA East First Round in the 110 hurdles. He also finished sixth in the men's 100 final with a sprint of 10.58 seconds. 

"Cameron is doing everything to be that guy for UNCW. His win represents everything he has worked for. Everybody wants to be a part of that hard-working, competitive culture that he's helped create."

Senior Ivan Poag earned his second silver medal at the championships with a career-best leap of 2.04m (6-8 1/4) in the men's high jump. Poag followed suit with a fourth-place finish in the men's triple jump with a career-best mark of 15.32 meters (50-3 1/4), the second-best result in program history. Poag qualified for the NCAA East First Round with the mark. He was named the Men's Most Outstanding Field Performer for his four top-five finishes.

"For Ivan, it's never been a question of whether he was capable; it's always been a matter of when he had the opportunity to be ready. This was a meet where he set the tone early and often not only with his performances, but with his immediate responses to uplifting his teammates. The icing on the cake is the MVP award just represents his journey. Ivan is a direct example of fighting for every inch and every place."

Kai Williams, also a senior, earned the silver medal in the men's 100 hurdles, running 14.33 in the final for the Seahawks' second one-two finish of the afternoon.

"Kai was manifesting what he was going to do and how he was going to get it done. He competed all the way through the 10th hurdle and all the way through the line. So excited for Kai hoping on the podium having a medal is a takeaway for his career and the thing's he's done for us."

Nasiah Ferguson claimed the bronze medal in the women's 400. The Seahawks' senior broke her school record for the second straight day with a time of 54.44 seconds, scoring six points for the women's squad. 

"Seeing that 54 seconds flash up on the screen and realizing in UNCW history that we now have someone who is one-of-one in the 54 club was great. For Nasiah to have that moment is a collection of all her hard work." 

The men's 4x400-meter relay of Braxton Ware, Dalton Zimmerman, Cooper Wright and Lucas Smith finished third and set a new school record of 3 minutes, 9.21 seconds to earn a bronze medal. The original record of 3:09.77 held by Uri Robinson, Jared Clark, Devon Watlington and Chris Courson stood for nearly 17 years.

"This relay represents our entire meet, fighting for every single second. Braxton set the tone, Cooper had a tremendous leg, Dalton puts us in the position for Lucas to be able to hold serve for our podium finish. Lucas had the fastest relay split of his life to help us run a school record and to hold off team's behind us that posted their own school records."

Cooper Wright also ran 47.37 seconds, the fastest race of his career, to finish sixth in the men's 400 and score three points for the Seahawks. The senior also jumped from 10th to sixth on the program's all-time list.

Junior hurdler Chad Hillman finished sixth in the men's 400 hurdles, clocking 54.02 seconds to add three points to the Seahawks' total.

Ella Jane Osada, a freshman, finished seventh in the women's 400, running 56.12 to score two points.

Senior Owen Marish finished seventh in the men's 800, running 1:55.71 to add two points to the Seahawks' total.

Zimmerman rounded out the top eight in the men's 400 final with a time of 48.08, scoring a point for the Seahawks in the last competition of his collegiate career.

Sophomore Myla Watson finished eighth and scored a point in the women's triple jump with a mark of 1.67 meters (5-5 3/4), her best result of the season. 

In the women's pentathlon, Emma Crozier-Carole finished sixth and Megan Schoenke took seventh, combining for three team points for UNCW. 

The men's 4x100 relay of Williams, Poag, Jojo Bastardo and Travis Harrison finished fifth and scored four points with a season-best time of 42.47 seconds. 

The women's 4x100 relay of Brylee Montanari, Kaleigh Hudson, Tra'Nijah Pettihomme and Makaila Williamson ran their best race of the season, clocking 46.77 seconds to finish sixth and score three points for the Seahawks.

UNCW will return to action at a last chance qualifier before heading to the NCAA East First Round in Jacksonville, Florida, starting on May 28 and ending on May 31.

"This is the first graduating class the went all four years during my tenure." This is the type of product that we're trying to be about and they are one special group that we're going to celebrate."