Iowa Prepares for NCAA West First Rounds

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa track and field has qualified 45 entries to the 2026 NCAA West First Rounds in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on May 27-30. The men’s team will send 26 entries to the regional meet, while the women’s team will send 19. This year's total surpasses last season's 35 entries. The meet will be held at John McDonnell Field on the campus of the University of Arkansas.

Athletes earn a berth to the NCAA preliminaries by ranking in the top 48 of their respective individual events. The top 24 relays qualify to the NCAA First Rounds.

Qualification to the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is dependent on placing at the preliminaries. The top 12 individual times and marks and the 12 fastest relay teams will punch their ticket to the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, June 10-13.

Iowa’s list of qualifiers is below and complete with respective qualifying times and marks. Full meet information can be found here.

Men’s Qualifiers
100 Meters
Darwin Jimenez – 10.11
Olaolu Olatunde – 10.19
 
110-Meter Hurdles
Vaughn DeVaughn III – 13.74
Blake Nyenati – 13.76
 
200 Meters
Jordan Gross – 20.46
 
400 Meters
David Akhalu – 45.05
Tyrese Miller – 45.51 
Landon Fontenot – 45.88
Zidane Brown – 46.08
Austin Rowswell – 46.16
 
400-Meter Hurdles
Prior Ochonogor – 49.83
Vaughn DeVaughn III – 50.43
Jaylin Holmes – 50.76
 
800 Meters
Terrick Johnson – 1:46.87
Caleb Levy – 1:48.03
 
3,000 Steeplechase
Luke Knepp – 8:34.97
Hayden Kuhn – 8:48.01
 
4x100 Relay
Jimenez, Gross, Holmes, Walker – 38.64
 
4x400 Relay
Miller, Brown, Ochonogor, Akhalu – 3:05.08
 
Long Jump
Emmanuel Njoku – 7.95 meters
 
Shot Put
Bryce Ruland – 18.19 meters
 
Discus
Bryce Ruland – 58.02 meters
 
Hammer Throw
Ryan Johnson – 77.64 meters
Tate Joens – 67.74 meters
Sean Smith – 67.47 meters
Austin Busch – 64.67 meters

Women’s Qualifiers
100 Meters
Holly Duax – 11.32
 
100-Meter Hurdles
Jailya Ash – 13.19

200 Meters
Holly Duax – 23.11
 
400 Meters
Chioma Nwachukwu – 51.24
Princess Uche – 52.02
Damaris Mutunga – 52.10
Alivia Williams – 52.67
Izzy Zahn - 53.05
 
800 Meters
Rosemary Arthur – 2:03.13
Leanna Lewis – 2:03.23
Gabby Cortez – 2:03.82
 
4x100 Relay 
Ash, Edison, Al. Williams, Duax – 44.04
 
4x400 Relay
Uche, Mutunga, Williams, Nwachukwu – 3:29.33
  
Long Jump
Lovisa Ulvenstam – 6.21 meters

Shot Put
Wisdom Williams – 15.53 meters
 
Hammer Throw
Peyton Wilson – 60.95 meters
Josephine Flynt – 60.79 meters
 
Javelin
Lizzy Korczak – 55.20 meters