The collegiate track and field season roars to a close with NCAA champs at Hayward Field...
The 2026 collegiate track and field season roars to a close starting Wednesday with day one of the four-day NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.
As has been the format over the last several years, days 1 and 3 of the NCAA championships are devoted to the men's competition, while days 2 and 4 are the exclusive domain of the women. The only exception are in the decathlon and heptathlon, with the decathlon going Wednesday-Thursday, and the heptathlon on Friday-Saturday.
Washington decathlete Teko Cates (Paul Merca photo) kicks things off at 1 pm with the decathlon 100 meter dash, followed throughout the rest of Wednesday with the long jump, shot put, high jump and 400 to cap day one.
The Huskies will have in qualifying action Reuben Reina Jr and Martin Barco in the 1500 at 5:21 pm, steeplechaser Isaac Briggs at 5:38 pm, and Alex Rhodes in the 400 at 6:41 pm.
Washington State's lone men's competitor in the meet, Evans Kurui (Paul Merca photo), is in the finals of the 10000 meters at 7:56 pm, where he looks to improve upon his fifth place finish in last year's meet. He'll be joined in the race by Washington's Evan Jenkins.
Besides the 10000, finals involving athletes with Washington ties include Rainier HS grad Jeremiah Nubbe of Virginia in the hammer at 2:30 pm, and Valley Christian (Spokane) and former WSU javelin thrower Blake Sturgis of Idaho at 6:15 pm.
Qualifying action involving other former Cougars include the men's 4 x 100 meters with John Paredes, Parker Duskin and Mason Lawyer, all competing for Arizona; Louie Hinchliffe of Houston in the 4 x 1 and the 100m; Paredes in the 110 hurdles; Lawyer in both the 100 and 200; and Grant Buckmiller, now at LSU, in both the 400 and the 4 x 400.
Former Washington preps competing Wednesday for schools outside the state include Andre Korbmacher (Squalicum/Bellingham) of Florida State in the 110 hurdles; Miguel Rosario (Hazen/Renton) of Grand Canyon, who started his collegiate career at SeattleU, in the 200; and Jacob Andrews (Sehome/Bellingham) of USC in the 4 x 400 relay.
The start list and time schedule for day 1 of the NCAA Track and Field Championships is available here.
Day 1 of the meet will be televised (running events) on ESPN starting at 5 pm Pacific time. ESPN+ ($) will offer a dedicated feed for the field events.
GIANNA WOODRUFF GOES IN OSLO DIAMOND LEAGUE...
Washington alum Gianna Woodruff continues her European tour Wednesday night as the Wanda Diamond League series makes its annual stop in Oslo, Norway for the Bislett Games.
Woodruff, who currently stands fourth in the women's 400 hurdles with 9 points after two races in Rabat and Rome, goes against a field that includes current Diamond League leader Emma Zapletalova of Slovakia and Rushell Clayton of Jamaica, who is in third place overall.
The Bislett Games television window begins at 11 am Pacific time. Flotrack ($) will stream the meet live.
NOTE: The NCAA, the sports information offices of Washington and Washington State, along with the Wanda Diamond League, and World Athletics contributed to this report.
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