250 Big Ten Student-Athletes Headed to NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships

NCAA Championships Central  |  Big Ten Qualifiers  

ROSEMONT, Ill. – 16 out of 18 of the Big Ten schools will be competing at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon at the historic Hayward Field on June 10-13, and a total of 250 student-athletes have qualified to compete in the men’s and women’s NCAA Championships. 2026 Big Ten men’s and women’s Outdoor Track & Field Champions Oregon leads all Big Ten schools with 15 men’s entries and 15 women’s entries.  

USC, which has 13 men’s entries, will look to defend its 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field team national championship. The Big Ten will also look to win its first women’s outdoor track & field title in conference history. Oregon, UCLA and USC have each won three team titles, but those came prior to joining the conference in 2024. 

Of the qualified athletes, 34 were crowned individual 2026 Big Ten Outdoor Championships in their respective events:  

JaiCieonna Gero-Holt, Fr. – Illinois – Heptathlon – 5,994 

Jonathan Kapitolnik, Fr. – Illinois – High Jump – (2.21m | 7-3) 

Luuk Pelkmans, Fr. – Illinois – Decathlon – 8,004 

Katelyn Stewart-Barnett, Sr. – Michigan State – 3,000m Steeplechase – 9:44.32 

Minnesota men’s 4x100m (Campbell, Belle, Charles, Godfred) – 38.44 

Angelos Mantzouranis, Jr. – Minnesota – Hammer Throw – (75.98m | 249-3) 

Anthonett Nabwe, Jr. – Minnesota – Hammer Throw – (69.22m | 227-1) 

Charles Godfred, Jr. – Minnesota – Long Jump – (7.99m | 26-2 ¾) 

Axelina Johansson, Sr. – Nebraska – Shot Put – (19.97m | 65-6 ¼) 

Dyson Wicker, So. – Nebraska – Pole Vault – (5.72m | 18-9 ¼) 

James Ledbetter, So. – Nebraska – 400m Hurdles – 50.82 

Kelsie Belquist, So. – Nebraska – 400m Hurdles – 56.11 

Keyshawn Strachan, Jr. – Nebraska – Javelin Throw – (79.36m | 260-4) 

Ohio State men’s 4x400m (Frabotta, Brann, Udo, Louis) – 3:04.65 

Braxton Brann, Jr. – Ohio State – 110m Hurdles – 13.18 (4.5) 

Aaliyah McCormick, Sr. – Oregon – 100m Hurdles – 12.43 (4.9) 

Ben Smith, Fr. – Oregon – Shot Put – (20.88m | 68-6) 

Benjamin Balazs, Jr. – Oregon – 3,000m Steeplechase – 8:49.02  

Juliet Cherubet, Jr. – Oregon – 1,500m – 4:16.53 

Luke Tewalt, Sr. – Oregon – 10,000m – 29:49.24 

Marie Josee Bovele Linaka, Fr. – Oregon – Discus Throw – (59.01m | 193-7) 

Sharifa Davronova, So. – Oregon – Triple Jump – (14.13m | 46-4 ¼) 

Simeon Birnbaum, Jr. – Oregon – 1,500m – 4:00.98 

Allon Clay, Sr. – Penn State – 800m – 1:46.58 

Hayley Kitching, Jr. – Penn State – 800m – 2:01.77 

Praise Aniamaka, Sr. – Purdue – Triple Jump – (16.73m | 54-10 ¾) 

Chloe Thomas, Sr. – Washington – 10,000m – 32:59.51 

Hana Moll, Jr. – Washington – Pole Vault – (4.83m | 15-10) 

Valentina Fakrogha, So. – UCLA – High Jump – (1.89m | 6-2 ¼)  

USC women’s 4x100m (Mallard, DeFrand, Whyte, Selby) – 42.85 

USC women’s 4x400m (Mallard, Cenci, Trepagnier, Whyte) – 3:28.52 

Eddie Nketia, Jr. – USC – 100m, 200m – 9.74 (5.6), 20.03 (7.5) 

Madison Whyte, Jr. – USC – 200m, 400m – 21.78 (6.0), 51.01 

Racquil Broderick, Jr. – USC – Discus Throw – (62.80m | 206-0)