Kirwa Wins 5,000m, Women and Men Sit in Third

Friday, February 27

Lubbock, Texas

Iowa State

Big 12 Indoor Championships

Kirwa Wins 5,000m, Women and Men Sit in Third

02.27.2026 | Track and Field

Web Results Photo Gallery

LUBBOCK, Texas – Iowa State started Big 12 Championships out strong, totaling 13 medalist finishes ad 13 slots in tomorrow's finals. Mercyline Kirwa highlighted the day taking the 5,000m title.

Both the men and women currently sit in third place. The women had eight advance in six events while six individuals and one relay scored. The men earned five spots in finals through four events, and six individuals scored.

Kirwa was crowned the 5,000m champion in a facility record of 15:51.88, becoming the first ISU women's 5K champ since 2022. Kirwa tallies the 11th total title for ISU in the event and is the sixth individual to win it. Betty Kipkore took fourth, while Maelle Porcher also medaled in eighth to combine for 16 points. It is Porcher's sixth-career Big 12 medal, while Kirwa and Kipkore earn their first.

Joash Ruto took bronze in the men's 5,000m while Rodgers Kiplimo took eighth to score.

The women's weight throwers combined for 12 points as Candra King cemented silver with 66-11 1/2 (20.41m) and Kamari Brown took fifth with a PR of 65-2 3/4 (19.88m). King moved into second on her sixth and final throw, while Brown moves up a spot to sixth in Iowa State history.

The men ended the night taking third and fourth in the weight throw. Garret Wagner had his best-career Big 12 finish of third with 69-5 1/2 (21.17m) and Zach Verzani had a big PR of 68-10 3/4 (21.00m), the fourth-best mark in Iowa State history. Wagner earns the second weight throw medal of his career and Verzani the first, joining two medals in the hammer.

Freshman Tyson Seeser took fourth in the high jump with an all-time best of 7-1 (2.16m), tying the ninth-best clearance in program history. Braden Goellner also scored in fifth with a season best of 6-11 1/2 (2.12m).

The women's mile kicked off running events at the championships, with Bella Heikes locking up the first finals slot taking ninth in prelims with 4:54.64. For the men, Emanuel Galdino clocked the fastest prelims time with 4:03.38 to automatically advance.

Sophomore Riyah Burns was the next to qualify for finals as she grabbed a time qualifier out of heat one with an all-time best of 8.32, improving her time ranking seventh in school history. Two men's hurdlers advanced, also making improvements on the ISU list. Alec Carr automatically advanced finishing second in his heat with 7.76, tying the second-fastest ISU performance. Jack Latham secured a time qualifier with 7.79, moving up to rank sixth in program history.

Makayla Clark earned another run in the 600y with her time of 1:19.71, the eighth fastest in prelims. Clark then turned to the 800m, and posted the fastest qualifying time of 2:02.18 to lower her school record and set the facility record. Clark's time, ran at altitude, converts to 2:01.87 for NCAA-qualifying purposes, tying the 15th-fastest time nationally.

Kinsey Christianson also notched a finals slot in the 800m with an indoor-best 2:07.30. For the men, freshman Jailan Sohna advanced automatically finishing third in his heat.

In the 1,000m, Riley Beach won her heat with 2:46.13 to punch her ticket to tomorrow's final. Beach finished fifth overall in prelims. Galdino locked up his second finals slot of the day, finishing with the top prelims time (2:20.63) as he did in the mile.

Zola N'Douma Mona put the ISU women on the board first as the freshman completed her first collegiate pentathlon with 3,994 to secure eighth overall. The score is the third best in Iowa State history.

N'Douma Mona began with a fast 8.43 for fourth in the pentathlon 60m hurdles, setting a PR and the ninth-fastest time in Iowa State history. In the shot put, the freshman set a personal best on her first throw with 45-3 3/4 then improved on that mark with 47-7 to remain at the top and go on to win the event. N'Douma-Mona then took second in the long jump with 19-9 1/2 (6.03m), just off the ISU top 10.

Maia Denge-Hagen came just off her 60m hurdles PR with 8.70, then took fourth in the high jump with a clearance of 5-6 1/2 (1.69m). Denge-Hagen just missed her pentathlon all-time best finishing with 3,733 points

Kole Becker hit a PR in the third event, the shot put, with a mark of 45-6 1/2 (13.88m) to take fourth in the event and move up from 13th to ninth. In the final event of the day, Becker cleared a new high jump best with 6-3 1/2 (1.92m) to total 3,047 through four events. Becker ends day one in 10th, with hurdles, pole vault and 1,000m to come tomorrow.

Day one of running events closed with the women's distance medley relay finishing sixth to add three team points. Ashlyn Keeney, Karynne David, Emma Vorpagel and Mercy Kibet clocked 11:28.08.

Big 12 Championships continue tomorrow with events beginning at 10 a.m.

Team Standings

Men (6 of 19 events scored)

1. Kansas State – 62; 2. Kansas – 29; 3. Iowa State – 27; 3. Oklahoma State – 27; 5. Cincinnati – 26; 6. Texas Tech – 18; 7. Houston – 16; 8. BYU – 15; 9. Colorado – 8; 10. TCU – 3; 11. Arizona – 2; 12. Arizona State – 1; Baylor – 0

Women (7 of 19 events scored)

1. Kansas State – 48.5; 2. Oklahoma State – 40; 3. Iowa State – 32; 4. Texas Tech – 27.5; 5. BYU – 25; 8. Baylor – 24; 7. West Virginia – 18; 8. Cincinnati – 17; 9. Kansas – 15; 10. Arizona – 8; 10. Colorado – 8; 12. Utah – 5; 13. TCU – 3; 14. Houston – 1; 14. UCF – 1; Arizona State – 0

Iowa State Results

Men

Heptathlon 60m: 1. Grant Levesque, Houston – 6.76; 18. Kole Becker, Iowa State – 7.34

Heptathlon Long Jump: 1. Tayton Klein, Kansas – 24-10 1/2 (7.58m); 9. Kole Becker, Iowa State – 23-2 1/2 (7.07m)

Heptathlon Shot Put: 1. Jaden Roskelley, BYU – 46-6 (14.17m); 4. Kole Becker, Iowa State – 45-6 1/2 (13.88m, PR)

Heptathlon High Jump: 1. Ben Barton, BYU – 6-8 1/4 (2.04m); 7. Kole Becker, Iowa State – 6-3 1/2 (1.92m, PR)

Mile Prelims: 1. Emanuel Galdino, Iowa State – 4:03.38; 13. Nathan Pestka, Iowa State – 4:07.59

60m Hurdles Prelims: 1. Malachi Snow, Texas Tech – 7.53; 6. Alec Carr, Iowa State – 7.76 (PR, T-No. 2 ISU); 7. Jack Latham, Iowa State – 7.79 (PR, No. 6 ISU); 10. Daylin Williams, Iowa State – 7.82

600y Prelims: 1. Kyzer Dunbar, Texas Tech – 1:08.19; 11. Jacoby Harmon, Iowa State – 1:10.17

1,000m Prelims: 1. Emanuel Galdino, Iowa State – 2:20.63; 10. Devan Kipyego, Iowa State – 2:24.40; 13. Matthew Shelly, Iowa State – 2:25.27

800m Prelims: 1. Hafez Mahadi, Oklahoma State – 1:47.95; 7. Jailan Sohna, Iowa State – 1:52.42

Weight Throw: 1. Kade McCall, Kansas State – 74-3 (22.63m); 3. Garret Wagner, Iowa State – 69-5 1/2 (21.17m); 4. Zach Verzani, Iowa State – 68-10 3/4 (21.00, PR, No. 4 ISU); 10. Lucas Morrison, Iowa State – 63-11 1/2 (19.49m); 11. Brandon Fischer, Iowa State – 63-9 (19.43m, PR, No. 10 ISU); 16. Nathan Rotherham, Iowa State – 60-4 3/4 (18.41m); 17. Daniel Norris, Iowa State – 59-9 (18.21m)

High Jump: 1. Devan Loudermilk, Kansas State – 7-4 1/2 (2.25m); 4. Tyson Seeser, Iowa State – 7-1 (2.16m, PR, T-No. 9 ISU); 5. Braden Goellner, Iowa State – 6-11 1/2 (2.12m)

5,000m: 1. Nickson Kogei, Cincinnati – 13:43.83; 3. Joash Ruto, Iowa State – 13:36.14; 8. Rodgers Kiplimo, Iowa State – 13:56.28; 13. Meshack Kimutai, Iowa State – 14:01.86;

Distance Medley Relay: 1. BYU – 9:35.98; 10. Iowa State (Kipyego, Koehnk, Sohna, Galdino) – 10:00.97

Women

Pentathlon 60m Hurdles: 1. Zoey Bonds, BYU – 8.20; 4. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State –8.43 (PR, No. 9 ISU); 12. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 8.70

Pentathlon High Jump: 1. Zoey Brinker, Kansas State – 5-11 1/4 (1.81m); 5. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 5-6 1/2 (1.69m); 16. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 5-3 (1.60m)

Pentathlon Shot Put: 1. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 47-7 (14.50m, PR); 20. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 28-10 1/2 (8.80m)

Pentathlon Long Jump: 1. Juliette Laracuente-Huebner, Cincinnati – 20-10 1/2 (6.36m); 2. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 19-9 1/2 (6.03m); 14. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 18-5 3/4 (5.63m)

Pentathlon 800m: 1. Olivija Vaitaityte, Oklahoma State – 2:14.33; 14. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 2:27.23; 19. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 2:42.88

Pentathlon Overall: 1. Juliette Laracuente-Huebner, Cincinnati – 4,437; 8. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 3,994 (PR, No. 3 ISU); 16. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 3,733

Mile Prelims: 1. Jane Hedengren, BYU- 4:31.55; 9. Bella Heikes, Iowa State – 4:54.64; 11. Mya Trober, Iowa State – 4:58.96

60m Hurdles Prelims: 1. Symoria Adkins, Texas Tech – 8.13; 7. Riyah Burns, Iowa State – 8.32 (PR, No. 7 ISU); 12. Emma Havighurst, Iowa State – 8.42

Weight Throw: 1. Monique Hardy, Kansas State – 71-10 (21.89m); 2. Candra King, Iowa State – 66-11 1/2 (20.41m); 5. Kamari Brown, Iowa State – 65-2 3/4 (19.88m, PR, No. 6 ISU)

600y Prelims: 1. Avery Pearson, Colorado – 1:17.92; 8. Makayla Clark, Iowa State – 1:19.71; 10. Emma Vorpagel, Iowa State – 1:20.78; 18. Camryn Hubbard, Iowa State – 1:22.77

400m Prelims: 1. Rachel Joseph, Iowa State – 51.25; 4. Jenna James, Iowa State – 52.86

Long Jump: 1. Maud Zeffou-Poaty, Kansas State – 21-8 3/4 (6.62m); 11. Sydney Willits, Iowa State – 20-4 1/4 (6.20m); 14. Amari Laing, Iowa State – 20-1 (6.12m, PR, No. 9 ISU)

1,000m Prelims: 1. Billah Jepkirui, Oklahoma State – 2:43.67; 5. Riley Beach, Iowa State – 2:46.13; 9. 9. Ashlyn Keeney, Iowa State – 2:47.30 (PR); 17. Josie Baker, Iowa State – 2:51.00

800m Prelims: 1. Makayla Clark, Iowa State – 2:02.18 (No. 1 ISU); 7. Kinsey Christianson, Iowa State – 2:07.30 (PR)

5,000m: 1. Mercyline Kirwa, Iowa State – 15:51.88; 4. Betty Kipkore, Iowa State – 15:52.41; 8. Maelle Porcher, Iowa State – 16:28.69

Distance Medley Relay: 1. BYU – 11:11.95; 6. Iowa State (Keeney, David, Vorpagel, Kibet) – 11:28.08