The 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships is here, and Sam Innes will compete in the men’s weight throw during 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 13, in Fayetteville, Ark. With a stacked level of competition, Innes will need to give it all he’s got for the title win.
NCAA Championships Schedule
Friday (Innes Day of Competition)
The meet will begin in the morning with the combined events, including the 60m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put, and 800m for the pentathlon and heptathlon. Following those events, the men’s weight throw will begin at 4
p.m., after the women’s long jump and the men’s pole vault.
Shortly after, the track events will start with the 800m, mile, 60m, 400m, 800m, 60m hurdles, and 5000m, before finishing with the 200m and the distance medley relay. The women’s weight throw will also take place later in the schedule alongside the 5000m race.
Saturday (Finals)
The heptathlon events will kick off the day at 11 a.m. and run through 4 p.m., featuring the 60m hurdles, pole vault and the 1000m. Field events will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude around 5 p.m., including the shot put, high jump, triple jump and pole vault for both men and women.
The track finals will start at 4 p.m. and run until around 7 p.m., featuring the 1000m, mile, 60m, 400m, 800m, 200m, 60m hurdles and 3000m, before finishing the day with the 4×400 relay.
Top Teams to Look Out For
Some of the top teams in men’s track and field include the University of Arkansas, which has a total of 39 NCAA championship wins. The team has consistently won championships, and based on their current rankings, it looks like they could add another title this year. In men’s indoor track championships alone, Arkansas has won 21 titles.
Next is the University of Oregon, which has a total of 23 NCAA championship wins. Out of those, 13 come from indoor track championships. Tennessee comes in third with six total NCAA championships, three of which are from indoor track.
For the women’s teams, the University of Illinois holds the top spot with four outdoor track and field championships under its belt. The University of Georgia is in second place with three total NCAA championship wins, including one indoor championship. The University of Arkansas rounds out the top three, with five indoor women’s team championships.
“I really do believe that is the hardest NCAA championship to make,” assistant distance coach Tanner Anderson said. “Yeah, there is no be good on the day for a qualifying race, it’s top 16 in the country or nothing.”
Expectations for Sam Innes
With only one flight and the top nine throwers advancing to the finals, this will be a tough event for Innes. Based on the current marks, he is projected to place around 11th, but if he adds roughly 10 more inches to his throw, he will have a much better chance of advancing. That being said, fouls are very common in the weight throw, and marks can change drastically from meet to meet.
His chances remain hopeful, however, because his personal best is 22.98m. If he can replicate a throw near that distance during the championship meet, he could put himself in a strong position to qualify for the finals.
“The Sam Innes is going to this meet, and I think when he got on the team, he probably wasn’t someone who was projected to make those meets, and he’s just developed,” Anderson said.
Statistics: https://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1indoor26/m_start_day1.htm
His Journey with Weight Throw
Sam Innes began his freshman season in 2023 with throws ranging from about 18.0 to 18.6 meters. That same year, he placed ninth at the SEC Championships. During the 2024 indoor season, his marks improved into the 18–19 meter range, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the Vanderbilt Invitational.
In 2025, Innes reached a major milestone when he set the school record in the weight throw with a mark of 22.98 meters at the Bob Teel Invitational. That performance helped separate him from a strong field of competitors and marked a significant step forward in his development.
This season, he recorded a best throw of 22.68 meters and won multiple weight throw events during home meets at Mizzou. With years of experience, he has also grown into a mentor for the other throwers on the team, both men and women. For now, one thing is certain, he is headed to the NCAA Indoor Championships.
What’s Next
The indoor season will finish off on March 13-14, as the outdoor season will begin on Friday, March. 20-21, at the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta, Ga. This will be a whole new set of competition where Mizzou athletes will showcase their talent across different events.
To read more about Missouri’s Track and Field team, follow @Rock MNation and @SophBleedsLA on twitter/X.
