Wednesday, June 10
Eugene, Ore.
Kansas State University
vs
NCAA Championship
21 Wildcats Ready for National Championship in Eugene
Jun 09, 2026 | Track & Field
A program high 14 men and 7 women are set to compete at Hayward Field
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State track and field teams will be represented at the NCAA Championship on Wednesday-Saturday (June 10-13) with 21 athletes, including a men's program high 14 Wildcats, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Men's competition will take place on Wednesday and Friday, the women on Thursday and Saturday. General admission tickets start at $28. All four days will be broadcast at the beginning of the track events on ESPN/ESPN2 at 7 p.m., CT. Individual field events can be streamed on ESPN+.
14 men will compete across six events; Aaron Antoine (triple jump), Dorian Charles (decathlon), Tah Chikomba (long jump), Croix DaCunha (long jump), Apalos Edwards (triple jump), Riley Marx (javelin), Gary Moore Jr. (hammer throw), Selva Prabhu (triple jump), Uroy Ryan (long jump), Emil Uhlin (decathlon) and the 4x400 relay team.
Seven women are set to battle in four events; Aaliyah Lindsay (long jump), Vanessa Mercera (400-meter hurdles), Destini Smith (triple jump), Daniela Wamokpego (triple jump) and the 4x400 relay team.
This is a consecutive trip to the outdoor championship for six Wildcats, the team also includes seven freshmen. Seven athletes are competing in a second championship this season after their performances in the NCAA Indoor Championship in March.
Chikomba is leading the men's jumps squad after a world leading jump of 8.75m (28' 8.5"), wind aide 3.2, at the NCAA West Preliminary on May 27. He was announced to The Bowerman watch list on June 4, collegiate track & field's highest honor- is awarded each year to the top male and female collegiate athletes in the sport of NCAA track & field.
He is the all-conditions NCAA leader and holds the no. 8 best jump in world history. To start the postseason, he won the Big 12 title at 8.27m (27' 1.75") which is currently the K-State outdoor school record. A junior, this is Chikomba's first trip to the outdoor NCAA championship after spending his first two years in the NJCAA at Meridian Community College.
Wamokpego is a returning national champion after a gold medal during the 2026 indoor season. This season she jumped 13.77m (45' 1.5") at the Rock Chalk Classic, currently the third best jump in the NCAA and no. 2 in the K-State school records. Last season while competing for Iowa she finished 18th for All-America Honorable Mention.
Mercera, a senior from Willemstad, Curacao, is making her first NCAA Championship appearance. Set for the 400-meter hurdles, she is tied for the 7th fastest time in the NCAA at 55.39 seconds, a time that won her a Big 12 title and is currently the school record. Mercera has also ran as the anchor leg in the 4x400 relay five times this season.
Prabhu, the third K-State conference champion, currently holds the no. 4 best wind legal jump in the NCAA. At the Big 12 Championship he jumped 17.19m (56' 4.75"), a wind aide of 4.6, but jumped to a runner-up finish at the West Prelims at 16.68m (54' 8.75"). Last season at the outdoor championship, the sophomore from Madurai, India was the only K-State jumper to earn First Team honors with a 5th place finish.
The last time K-State had two men compete in the decathlon at the NCAA Championship was back in 2019, Aaron Booth finished in 6th place, along with Simone Fassina. Uhlin is making a consecutive trip in the decathlon, his third in his career, in 2025 he finished 3rd for his first First Team All-America honor. Uhlin, a senior from Falun, Sweden, gave a qualifying performance in the first weekend of the season with 7,773 points at the David Noble Relays, just 86 points shy of his personal best from the outdoor championship last season.
Charles, a redshirt freshman, finished runner-up in the decathlon at the Big 12 Championship with 7,748 points, the no. 8 best performance in the K-State all-time top-10. During that meet he won the javelin throw at 64.91m (212' 11").
Marx is making a consecutive trip to outdoor nationals in the javelin after earning Second Team All-America honors last season. To start the season at the Stanford Invitational, the junior from Andover, Kan. broke the school record before recording his new personal best of 75.52m (247' 9") at the NCAA first round for a 3rd place finish.
Ryan is back in Eugene after finishing 9th in the long jump last year while competing for Arkansas. At the West Prelims, the sophomore jumped to 3rd place with his best outdoor leap of 8.01m (26' 3.5"), the no. 3 distance in the K-State outdoor records. That jump is an inch shy of his all-time best of 8.04m from the indoor NCAA championship in March.
Edwards is competing in the outdoor championship for the first time since 2022 when he earned a bronze medal in the triple jump with LSU. Competing in just the outdoor season this year as a senior, he recorded his best distance of the season at the first round in Fayetteville at 16.65m (54' 7.5") for 3rd place and the no. 4 best jump in the school all-time top-10.
Antoine, a junior from Preysal, Trinidad and Tobago, will compete in the NCAA Championship again this season in the triple jump in his first year competing in the event. He finished 5th at the conference meet at 16.55m (54' 3.75") before qualifying at the first round with a distance of 16.25m in 9th place.
Moore Jr. is set for his first outdoor championship in the hammer throw as a senior after competing in the weight throw at the indoor championship. He recorded his seasons-best throw at the Big 12 Championship as runner-up at 67.22m (220' 6").
Lindsay, who competed in two events at the West Prelims, qualified for her first national championship in the long jump after finishing 4th at 6.55m (21' 6") which is tied for no. 2 in the K-State outdoor records.
DaCunha and Smith are two of just seven freshmen competing in the men's long jump and women's triple jump. DaCunha tied his personal best at the West Preliminary at 7.83m (25' 7.25"). Smith leaped to 13.81m (45' 3.75"), a wind aide of 3.3, during the first round. During the indoor NCAA she earned First Team honors with a 5th place finish.
Both the men's and women's 4x400 relay teams qualified for nationals for the first time since 2022. The men's team qualified in the first round with a time of 3:05.16 in 12th place with seniors Bongumusa Nkosi and Cyrus Ways, freshman Heath Grant and junior Nen Matlock. Alternate legs for the team are senior James Ezeonu and junior Tavon Underwood.
The women's 4x400 relay broke the school record in 3:28.72 featuring freshmen Desirae Riehle, Delaney Brinker, Anastasiia Kretova and Mercera. The team surpassed the previous record of 3:31.20 from 2015 while shaving four seconds off the relay's previous best time of 3:32.77 during the Drake Relays. Alternate legs include senior Jourdin Edwards and sophomore Ariana Jackson.
In the USTFCCCA national rankings from June 2, the men's team sits in 13th place with 143.04 points, the women's team is ranked 26th with 84.23 points. Last year the men's team tied for 30th place with 10 points.
NCAA Championship Schedule (all times listed in Central)
Wednesday, June 10
3:00 p.m.- Men's decathlon, 100 meters (Charles, Uhlin)
3:40 p.m.- Men's decathlon, long jump (Charles, Uhlin)
4:30 p.m.- Gary Moore Jr. (men's hammer throw)
4:55 p.m.- Men's decathlon, shot put (Charles, Uhlin)
6:10 p.m.- Men's decathlon, high jump (Charles, Uhlin)
8:15 p.m.- Riley Marx (men's javelin)
8:40 p.m.- Tah Chikomba, Croix DaCunha, Uroy Ryan (men's long jump)
9:43 p.m.- Men's decathlon, 400 meters (Charles, Uhlin)
10:36 p.m.- Men's 4x400 relay semifinal
Thursday, June 11
12:45 p.m.- Men's decathlon, 110-meter hurdles (Charles, Uhlin)
1:35 p.m.- Men's decathlon, discus throw (Charles, Uhlin)
2:45 p.m.- Men's decathlon, pole vault (Charles, Uhlin)
5:15 p.m.- Men's decathlon, javelin (Charles, Uhlin)
8:40 p.m.- Aaliyah Lindsay (women's long jump)
9:14 p.m.- Vanessa Mercera (women's 400-meter hurdles semifinals)
9:43 p.m.- Men's decathlon, 1500 meters (Charles, Uhlin)
10:36 p.m.- Women's 4x400 relay semifinal
Friday, June 12
7:10 p.m.- Aaron Antoine, Apalos Edwards, Selva Prabhu (men's triple jump)
9:21 p.m.- Men's 4x400 relay final*
Saturday, June 13
7:10 p.m.- Destini Smith, Daniela Wamokpego (women's triple jump)
8:27 p.m.- Women's 400-meter hurdles final*
9:21 p.m.- Women's 4x400 relay final*
*if advances
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Men's competition will take place on Wednesday and Friday, the women on Thursday and Saturday. General admission tickets start at $28. All four days will be broadcast at the beginning of the track events on ESPN/ESPN2 at 7 p.m., CT. Individual field events can be streamed on ESPN+.
14 men will compete across six events; Aaron Antoine (triple jump), Dorian Charles (decathlon), Tah Chikomba (long jump), Croix DaCunha (long jump), Apalos Edwards (triple jump), Riley Marx (javelin), Gary Moore Jr. (hammer throw), Selva Prabhu (triple jump), Uroy Ryan (long jump), Emil Uhlin (decathlon) and the 4x400 relay team.
Seven women are set to battle in four events; Aaliyah Lindsay (long jump), Vanessa Mercera (400-meter hurdles), Destini Smith (triple jump), Daniela Wamokpego (triple jump) and the 4x400 relay team.
This is a consecutive trip to the outdoor championship for six Wildcats, the team also includes seven freshmen. Seven athletes are competing in a second championship this season after their performances in the NCAA Indoor Championship in March.
Chikomba is leading the men's jumps squad after a world leading jump of 8.75m (28' 8.5"), wind aide 3.2, at the NCAA West Preliminary on May 27. He was announced to The Bowerman watch list on June 4, collegiate track & field's highest honor- is awarded each year to the top male and female collegiate athletes in the sport of NCAA track & field.
He is the all-conditions NCAA leader and holds the no. 8 best jump in world history. To start the postseason, he won the Big 12 title at 8.27m (27' 1.75") which is currently the K-State outdoor school record. A junior, this is Chikomba's first trip to the outdoor NCAA championship after spending his first two years in the NJCAA at Meridian Community College.
Wamokpego is a returning national champion after a gold medal during the 2026 indoor season. This season she jumped 13.77m (45' 1.5") at the Rock Chalk Classic, currently the third best jump in the NCAA and no. 2 in the K-State school records. Last season while competing for Iowa she finished 18th for All-America Honorable Mention.
Mercera, a senior from Willemstad, Curacao, is making her first NCAA Championship appearance. Set for the 400-meter hurdles, she is tied for the 7th fastest time in the NCAA at 55.39 seconds, a time that won her a Big 12 title and is currently the school record. Mercera has also ran as the anchor leg in the 4x400 relay five times this season.
Prabhu, the third K-State conference champion, currently holds the no. 4 best wind legal jump in the NCAA. At the Big 12 Championship he jumped 17.19m (56' 4.75"), a wind aide of 4.6, but jumped to a runner-up finish at the West Prelims at 16.68m (54' 8.75"). Last season at the outdoor championship, the sophomore from Madurai, India was the only K-State jumper to earn First Team honors with a 5th place finish.
The last time K-State had two men compete in the decathlon at the NCAA Championship was back in 2019, Aaron Booth finished in 6th place, along with Simone Fassina. Uhlin is making a consecutive trip in the decathlon, his third in his career, in 2025 he finished 3rd for his first First Team All-America honor. Uhlin, a senior from Falun, Sweden, gave a qualifying performance in the first weekend of the season with 7,773 points at the David Noble Relays, just 86 points shy of his personal best from the outdoor championship last season.
Charles, a redshirt freshman, finished runner-up in the decathlon at the Big 12 Championship with 7,748 points, the no. 8 best performance in the K-State all-time top-10. During that meet he won the javelin throw at 64.91m (212' 11").
Marx is making a consecutive trip to outdoor nationals in the javelin after earning Second Team All-America honors last season. To start the season at the Stanford Invitational, the junior from Andover, Kan. broke the school record before recording his new personal best of 75.52m (247' 9") at the NCAA first round for a 3rd place finish.
Ryan is back in Eugene after finishing 9th in the long jump last year while competing for Arkansas. At the West Prelims, the sophomore jumped to 3rd place with his best outdoor leap of 8.01m (26' 3.5"), the no. 3 distance in the K-State outdoor records. That jump is an inch shy of his all-time best of 8.04m from the indoor NCAA championship in March.
Edwards is competing in the outdoor championship for the first time since 2022 when he earned a bronze medal in the triple jump with LSU. Competing in just the outdoor season this year as a senior, he recorded his best distance of the season at the first round in Fayetteville at 16.65m (54' 7.5") for 3rd place and the no. 4 best jump in the school all-time top-10.
Antoine, a junior from Preysal, Trinidad and Tobago, will compete in the NCAA Championship again this season in the triple jump in his first year competing in the event. He finished 5th at the conference meet at 16.55m (54' 3.75") before qualifying at the first round with a distance of 16.25m in 9th place.
Moore Jr. is set for his first outdoor championship in the hammer throw as a senior after competing in the weight throw at the indoor championship. He recorded his seasons-best throw at the Big 12 Championship as runner-up at 67.22m (220' 6").
Lindsay, who competed in two events at the West Prelims, qualified for her first national championship in the long jump after finishing 4th at 6.55m (21' 6") which is tied for no. 2 in the K-State outdoor records.
DaCunha and Smith are two of just seven freshmen competing in the men's long jump and women's triple jump. DaCunha tied his personal best at the West Preliminary at 7.83m (25' 7.25"). Smith leaped to 13.81m (45' 3.75"), a wind aide of 3.3, during the first round. During the indoor NCAA she earned First Team honors with a 5th place finish.
Both the men's and women's 4x400 relay teams qualified for nationals for the first time since 2022. The men's team qualified in the first round with a time of 3:05.16 in 12th place with seniors Bongumusa Nkosi and Cyrus Ways, freshman Heath Grant and junior Nen Matlock. Alternate legs for the team are senior James Ezeonu and junior Tavon Underwood.
The women's 4x400 relay broke the school record in 3:28.72 featuring freshmen Desirae Riehle, Delaney Brinker, Anastasiia Kretova and Mercera. The team surpassed the previous record of 3:31.20 from 2015 while shaving four seconds off the relay's previous best time of 3:32.77 during the Drake Relays. Alternate legs include senior Jourdin Edwards and sophomore Ariana Jackson.
In the USTFCCCA national rankings from June 2, the men's team sits in 13th place with 143.04 points, the women's team is ranked 26th with 84.23 points. Last year the men's team tied for 30th place with 10 points.
NCAA Championship Schedule (all times listed in Central)
Wednesday, June 10
3:00 p.m.- Men's decathlon, 100 meters (Charles, Uhlin)
3:40 p.m.- Men's decathlon, long jump (Charles, Uhlin)
4:30 p.m.- Gary Moore Jr. (men's hammer throw)
4:55 p.m.- Men's decathlon, shot put (Charles, Uhlin)
6:10 p.m.- Men's decathlon, high jump (Charles, Uhlin)
8:15 p.m.- Riley Marx (men's javelin)
8:40 p.m.- Tah Chikomba, Croix DaCunha, Uroy Ryan (men's long jump)
9:43 p.m.- Men's decathlon, 400 meters (Charles, Uhlin)
10:36 p.m.- Men's 4x400 relay semifinal
Thursday, June 11
12:45 p.m.- Men's decathlon, 110-meter hurdles (Charles, Uhlin)
1:35 p.m.- Men's decathlon, discus throw (Charles, Uhlin)
2:45 p.m.- Men's decathlon, pole vault (Charles, Uhlin)
5:15 p.m.- Men's decathlon, javelin (Charles, Uhlin)
8:40 p.m.- Aaliyah Lindsay (women's long jump)
9:14 p.m.- Vanessa Mercera (women's 400-meter hurdles semifinals)
9:43 p.m.- Men's decathlon, 1500 meters (Charles, Uhlin)
10:36 p.m.- Women's 4x400 relay semifinal
Friday, June 12
7:10 p.m.- Aaron Antoine, Apalos Edwards, Selva Prabhu (men's triple jump)
9:21 p.m.- Men's 4x400 relay final*
Saturday, June 13
7:10 p.m.- Destini Smith, Daniela Wamokpego (women's triple jump)
8:27 p.m.- Women's 400-meter hurdles final*
9:21 p.m.- Women's 4x400 relay final*
*if advances
-- k-statesports.com --
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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