Action gets underway at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Wednesday, and almost from the outset it will feature Arizona Wildcats.
All told, the UA has sent 19 athletes (10 women, nine men) to Eugene, Ore., in hopes of finishing off one of the best combined seasons in school history. The Arizona men took second place in the Big 12 meet, held at Drachman Stadium, while the UA women were third before both squads shined at the West Regionals in Fayetteville, Ark.
First to compete for
the Wildcats at nationals is the men’s 4×100-meter relay team, which runs in the semifinals Wednesday at 5:05 p.m. PT. Arizona is ranked 10th nationally coming into the event but will need to be among the top nine to make Saturday’s finals.
Also competing Wednesday is Mason Lawyer, who will run in the semifinals of the 100 and 200, as well as John Paredes (110-meter high hurdles semifinals) and Tyler Michelini (shot put finals).
Thursday will see the UA women compete in the 4×100 semifinals, Taylen Wise run the 100-meter hurdles semifinals, Erin Tack challenge in the javelin finals and Sydnie Vanek go for a win in the long jump.
On Friday the women’s heptathlon begins, with Arizona’s Hollan Powers in the mix, while on the men’s side any Wildcats that advanced in semifinal competition will run again in the finals. Also Friday are the finals for the discus (Sam Hala’Ufia) and triple jump (Antone Smith).
The championships wrap up Saturday with women’s finals including the high jump, a field which features the UA trio of Kya Crooke, Emma Gates and Paris Mikinski.
Per FlashResults.com, Arizona is projected to score 20 points in the men’s meet and eight in the women’s meet. The UA women last scored in nationals in 2023 and last reached double digits in 2021, with its most recent national champion coming in 2017 when Sage Watson won the 400-meter hurdles. Arizona’s men’s team hasn’t reached the 20-point mark since 2014 and its last national champion was when Jordan Geist won the shot put in 2023.
ESPN and ESPN2 will be broadcasting the nationals each night beginning at 5 p.m. PT.
