Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University junior women's track and field student-athlete Ally Holmberg (Skelleftea, Sweden) has had a 2026 to remember…and she still has the South Atlantic Conference and NCAA Division II outdoor track meets on the horizon.
 
During indoor season, Holmberg won the pentathlon and the long jump at the SAC championship meet. She qualified for her first NCAA Division II national championship event, earning second team All-American honors in the pentathlon. She competed in the D2 indoor long jump as well.
 
Holmberg has continued her indoor success during the outdoor campaign. Twice the SAC outdoor Athlete of the Week this spring, Holmberg finished eighth in the Duke Invitational heptathlon with a school-record and personal-best 4974 points. She had personal-best marks in the high jump, the 200-meter dash and the 800 meters. Holmberg had a season-best effort in the shot put.
 
In the classroom, Holmberg has a perfect 4.00 GPA with her psychology major. The Wingate University athletic communications office caught up with Holmberg to get her first-person thoughts on academics, athletics and the future (an edited transcript follows).
 
"My professors genuinely care about their students as people…"
 
"Wingate has honestly exceeded my academic expectations, especially when it comes to the level of support both inside and outside the classroom. What has stood out the most to me is not just how engaged the professors are in teaching, but how much they genuinely care about their students as people."
 
"During my time, I've been lucky to learn from several professors who have made a real impact on me. My freshman year, I had Dr. Dawn Ray for math…she took the time to help me truly understand the basics in a way that made me feel confident instead of overwhelmed."
 
"I also met Dr. Aaron Culley in Sociology 101, who I now work for as a TA (teaching assistant). This experience alone says a lot about the kind of relationships you can build at Wingate. Dr. Culley is someone I would absolutely recommend to any student."
 
"My sophomore year, I took Counseling Psychology with Dr. Jay Wilder, which has been my favorite class at Wingate so far. The way he teaches, combined with how relevant and meaningful the material is, really made that class stand out to me."
 
"This year, I've had the chance to work as a research assistant with Dr. Kelly Scherger, which has been an amazing experience and has helped me grow academically in a different way. I've also worked with Dr. Mary Jordan from the Career Center…she helped me prepare for the 2025 multi/heptathlon Truist event—she's been such an important mentor for me this year."
 
Wingate Athletics "helped me feel heard and supported…"
 
"Athletically, Wingate has definitely met and in some ways exceeded my expectations, especially in terms of development and coaching. I came here as a high jumper, and now, two- and-a-half-years later, I'm a heptathlete competing in 10 events during conference. This was never something I imagined before coming to Wingate."
 
"Seeing my progression, from placing third my freshman year, to second my sophomore year and then winning first place during indoor season this year, really shows how much I've grown as an athlete. I've also discovered a love for long jump, which I barely had experience with before Wingate…this is something I truly owe to the coaching staff, especially assistant coach John Tillman."
 
"What has meant the most to me, though, goes beyond performance. Moving to the U.S., I always heard how important it is to find your support system, and for me, Coach Tillman has been a huge part of this network. He understands me not only as an athlete, but as a person. I feel heard and supported, whether it's about track or school, and this has made a big difference in my Wingate experience."
 
"Wingate has inspired me to continue my education…"
 
"Right now, my future plans are still a little open, and I'm okay with this. I've learned to trust the process a bit more and see where things take me. What I do know for sure is that after graduating from Wingate with my bachelor's degree, I want to continue my education—either pursuing a master's or a PhD in forensic psychology."
 
"In 10 years, I see myself working as a psychiatrist or psychologist in a high-security prison. I've always been drawn to understanding complex behavior and why people do what they do. I want to be in a position where I can both assess and help individuals understand why they did what they did and be part of research to prevent similar situations to appear for others to be able to reduce the crime rates. It's not the easiest path, but it's one I feel genuinely passionate about and something I've been working toward throughout my time at Wingate."
 
Next on the Agenda for Wingate University track and field
 
The nationally-ranked Wingate teams will compete in the South Atlantic Conference outdoor track and field championships Wednesday and Thursday in Emory, Virginia. Emory & Henry is serving as host for the '26 league championship event. The Bulldogs are the three-time defending SAC champions in both men's and women's outdoor track and field.
 
Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 17 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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