PRIMER: NCAA Indoor Championships

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State men and women head to 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships hosted by Arkansas with six entries, the third year in a row ISU has sent six or more entries to indoor nationals where only the top 16 individuals and top 12 relays qualify.

NCAA Indoor Championships

March 13-14, Randal Tyson Track Center, Fayetteville, Ark.

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The men and women look to both score at indoor nationals for the third year in a row. The last time the Cyclones scored in three or more was in four-straight years from 1989-92.

The championships take place at the Randal Tyson Track Center, a familiar track to the Cyclones where ISU has competed at 11 meets in the past four seasons. Arkansas last hosted indoor nationals in 2021.

Rachel Joseph kicks off the championships for the Cyclones Friday at 5:55 p.m. with 400m semifinals running in heat one of four. The top eight times through the four heats advance to the final.

Joseph, who owns the top 23 400m times in Iowa State history, enters her fifth-straight NCAAs as the No. 6 seed. The five-time All-American has broken the indoor school record seven times and the outdoor record six through her career. Joseph has set three of her top five indoor times this season, including her season best of 51.25.

The women's distance medley relay qualifies for NCAA Indoor Championships for the first time in the NCAA era. The Cyclones took the DMR national title in 1981 while women competed under the AIAW. The DMR enters nationals as the No. 4 seed after setting the sixth-fastest performance in collegiate history of 10:44.11, a 10-plus second school record while the collegiate record set by Oregon last season is 10:42.05. The time was ran on the Arkansas track, the site of nationals.

Makayla Clark, who led off the qualifying DMR, has also broken or reset the 600y, 800m and 1,000m school records this season.

Iowa State has three in the 5,000m, school-record holder and Big 12 champ Mercyline Kirwa for the women and Rodgers Kiplimo and Robin Kwemoi Bera for the men. The 5,000m is a one section final run on Friday. Kiplimo and Bera set the No. 2- and No. 3-ranked ISU performances this season.

Saturday, Betty Kipkore races in the 3,000m final. Kipkore broke the 2010 school record by 12 seconds with 8:44.09 to earn the No. 8 seed.

At Big 12 Championships, the men finished third with 64 points and the women fifth with 73. The women scored the most indoor points since 2020 (74.33 points) and the highest in the Jeremy Sudbury era. The men made for the best finish since winning the title in 2020, and third at indoor championships is the highest finish in the Sudbury era.

Following indoor nationals, outdoor season begins. The Cyclones open with the Raleigh Relays and Central College Invite March 26-28.

Iowa State Schedule (All Times Central)

Friday

5:55 p.m. – 400m Semifinals (W): Rachel Joseph, Heat 1

7:05 p.m. – 5,000m Final (W): Mercyline Kirwa

7:25 p.m. – 5,000m Final (M): Rodgers Kiplimo, Robin Kwemoi Bera

8:15 p.m. – Distance Medley Relay (W)

Saturday

*4:50 p.m. – 400m Final (W)

6:10 p.m. – 3,000m Final (W): Betty Kipkore

*Requires advancement

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Players Mentioned

Robin Kwemoi Bera

Makayla Clark

Rachel Joseph

Betty Kipkore

Rodgers Kiplimo

Mercyline Kirwa

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics