NEW ORLEANS – Southern Miss’ Emme Bates and Arkansas State’s Carly Pujol have earned recognition as the Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week for their performances over the last week. 

Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week
Emme Bates, Southern Miss
(Jr. | Distance | South-Hill, Wash.) 

Southern Miss junior Emme Bates started the outdoor season with a first place finish in the 800m race with a time of 2:07.05 at the Mississippi State Bulldog Alumni Relays over the weekend. Bates' win contributed to one of the five that the Golden Eagles collected over the weekend.

Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
Carly Pujol, Arkansas State
(Sr. | Pole Vault | Cape Girardeau, Mo.)

Arkansas State senior pole vaulter Carly Pujol won her second pole vault event title in as many weeks on Friday, March 27, at the Mississippi State Bulldog Alumni Relays in Starkville, Mississippi. The Cape Girardeau, Missouri, native registered a season-best height of 4.16m/13-7.75 to take first place at the event. She leads all Sun Belt pole vaulters by a margin of 0.20m in the 2026 outdoor season and currently ties for the 13th-highest mark in the nation and ranks fourth in the South Central Region.

2026 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week
Week 1 – Shatalya Dorsett, Georgia Southern
Week 2 – Emme Bates, Southern Miss

2026 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
Week 1 – Elisabet Runarsdottir, Texas State
Week 2 – Carly Pujol, Arkansas State