COLUMBUS, Miss. – The W women's track and field freshman Ariella Jones stood toe-to-toe with the "Big Dawgs" – literally – and earned herself the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (SLIAC) Field Events Player of the Week for the period of March 23-29, 2026, in the process. Jones, and her MUW teammates competed at the Mississippi State University Bulldog Alumni Relays last Thursday through Saturday.

Jones, from Winona, Miss. (Winona H.S.), placed eighth in the women's long jump, out of 34 competitors, with six of the seven ahead of her all from NCAA Division I schools. Jones' best leap came on her second attempt of the day, hitting 5.66 meters (18'7").

That mark not only shattered her own MUW school record but also ranked as the second-best long jump effort in SLIAC women's track and field history. Not only was it the best SLIAC long jump of the year, but it also ranks first in the NCAA Division III South Region and No. 7 in the entire nation for NCAA III women's track and field in 2026, thus far.