University of North Carolina Asheville’s track and field team has done big recruiting this summer, bringing in 24 recruits and five of those being transfers. Things are constantly changing on the Asheville campus including the roster additions on our sports teams.
Making a big decision such as entering the transfer portal in hopes of finding a new school to call home, the stories behind making these decisions are all different yet impactful to those who care to hear about them.
Max Smydra, a triple and long jumper from Knoxville, Tennessee,transferring from East Tennessee State University (ETSU). The coach that recruited him back in May of 2024 left two
weeks into the school year leaving him without a specialized coach for his specific events. Smydra and his former teammates had to do their own training making them unmotivated to stay with the ETSU program. In December another coach came forward but unfortunately had a lot on his plate and wasn’t able to give everyone the same amount of attention.
“He had to coach sprints, jumps,vaults and throws all by himself so he didn’t have enough time to get to all of us.”Smydra said
Coach Young, assistant track and field/cross country coach is going on his third year coaching here at UNCA and is a certified level five coach in all sprints and field events. Unlike the new ETSU coach who wasn’t certified in jumps like Coach Young. It frustrated Smydra like it would any athlete who wants nothing more than to do well in their sport.
“The season came and the coaching wasn’t up to par with my expectations, in the back of my head I knew I had to leave.”, Smydra said
Not having a coach wasn’t the only thing preventing Smydra from having a good season.
“We didn’t get an indoor season, not having an indoor funded caused me to have to go to meets unattached myself.”he said
Indoor season for track starts in December/January and ends in March, this early season competition gives athletes a chance to execute their abilities they’ve been working on from summer break through the beginning of the school year, before embarking on the outdoor season.
With an indoor track being 200 meters less than an outdoor track, speed is extremely important if you want to do well, and with jumps it gives the opportunity to put a mark down and jump something amazing before stepping out on the outdoor runway.
In April of 2025 Smydra started talking to UNC Asheville jumper Blake Hawks about transferring and was intrigued, starting his journey on entering into the transfer portal.
“Blake was saying how we could need some triple jumpers, that’s when I started researching Asheville and didn’t make my decision until I entered the portal.” Smydra said.
UNC Asheville has a renovated $4.5 million track just two years old with high quality Mondo surfacing. It catches the eye of recruits sealing the deal to come here. Not many colleges have Mondo and some don’t even have tracks.
“I was talking to Blake about the training and the facilities provided, compared to ETSU we didn’t have a track and had to practice at a high school. All those things were adding up to me, not having an indoor as well, so I knew I just had to come here”, Smydra said.
The men’s speed and power event groups have 20 newcomers this fall semester, not counting the returning men. Smydra said they were excited to be on a bigger team with coaches certified in their events to push him to be the best he’s been since becoming a collegiate athlete.
“We had 12 people on the track team at ETSU, with cross country it’d be about 20 people but it was a very small team”. Smydra said
“Before deciding to come here Shemarr and Blake reached out and they seemed like really positive people so I definitely see myself working well with everyone. The people I’ve met seem like genuinely positive people, no animosity or drama, so I see it working out.” Smydra said.
New goals for a new school year is always important to keep yourself accountable and gives you something to look forward to as the school year goes on. For Smydra, having an indoor season is his number one.
With an indoor track being 200 meters less than an outdoor track, speed is extremely important if you want to do well, and with jumps it gives the opportunity to put a mark down and jump something amazing before stepping out on the outdoor runway.
In April of 2025 Smydra started talking to UNC Asheville jumper Blake Hawks about transferring and was intrigued, starting his journey on entering into the transfer portal.
“Blake was saying how we could need some triple jumpers, that’s when I started researching Asheville and didn’t make my decision until I entered the portal.” Smydra said.
UNC Asheville has a renovated $4.5 million track just two years old with high quality Mondo surfacing. It catches the eye of recruits sealing the deal to come here. Not many colleges have Mondo and some don’t even have tracks.
“I was talking to Blake about the training and the facilities provided, compared to ETSU we didn’t have a track and had to practice at a high school. All those things were adding up to me, not having an indoor as well, so I knew I just had to come here”, Smydra said.
The men’s speed and power event groups have 20 newcomers this fall semester, not counting the returning men. Smydra said they were excited to be on a bigger team with coaches certified in their events to push him to be the best he’s been since becoming a collegiate athlete.
“We had 12 people on the track team at ETSU, with cross country it’d be about 20 people but it was a very small team”. Smydra said
“Before deciding to come here Shemarr and Blake reached out and they seemed like really positive people so I definitely see myself working well with everyone. The people I’ve met seem like genuinely positive people, no animosity or drama, so I see it working out.” Smydra said.
New goals for a new school year is always important to keep yourself accountable and gives you something to look forward to as the school year goes on. For Smydra, having an indoor season is his number one.
Another transfer, Kieayla Williams, a sprinter from Easley, South Carolina,was put in an inconvenient situation. The University she attended, Limestone University, didn’t have the budget to stay open and her along with everyone in the school had to leave.
“We all got called into the gym and were told we all had to go into the transfer portal because the school didn’t have enough money to stay open, and our season wasn’t officially over, so it was just a lot,” Williams said.
When entering the transfer portal it could go one or two ways. You can get a lot of coaches reaching out to you wanting you for their team, or you can get not so good schools reaching out forcing you to settle for less. For Williams, getting conversations with coaches wasn’t an issue, but something about Asheville stuck out to her.
“I talked to a bunch of schools, which got overwhelming, but then I narrowed it down to my top schools. When it was time to make my decision something in my heart told me I think UNC Asheville is somewhere I could fit in, somewhere I belong. Now I’m here with a brand new start,” Williams said.
Williams said she had to adjust to an abrupt change with little time to process, she would be leaving behind a school she loved. Telling her friends and coaches goodbye wasn’t easy but Williams seems to be settling into Asheville just fine.
“I like the team so far, they seem very family oriented. My suitemate is awesome and all my classes are going smoothly considering I have a lot of transfer credits I have to make up,” she said.
Student athletes have to always be on their A- game, in class and in their sport. Improving on your skills from the year before is crucial to athletic performance and development. Williams says she knows her potential and is determined to make her mark on this upcoming season.
“I’m looking to drop my times down because they can always be better, with my past injury,I did pretty well for being injured, but you know if I was 100% healthy my times could be way better,” Williams said.
Bryce James, a sprinter from Winsten- Salmen, North Carolina was transferring from App State, in search of a new place to call home, when UNC Asheville sparked his interest. The track team is always looking for more potential to add to the team and a spot was awaiting for James.
“I started asking people already on the team what they thought and if there was a spot for me and there was, so I told my old coach my plan and he put me in the portal,”James said.
James visited the Asheville campus while in high school and said he regrets not coming originally.
“I was on board from the jump, I visited before Coach Joel (Head coach) recruited me and I wish I came before. I didn’t take much persuasion, especially once I saw how well everyone was running,” James said.
When doing a sport you love it’s hard to hide your passion for it. James said he is looking forward to a great season ahead of him as well as winning alongside his new teammates.
“I like how everyone is excited about track, I like winning and having fun. I really want to PR and develop and be better than I was last year.” James said.
Looking at numbers, the Track and Field team is predicted to have an amazing 2026 season starting in January. With 82 student athletes combined there is plenty room for success. Hopefully UNC Asheville is the last stop for these transfers,and they finally found a home away from home.
