ISU Earns Program-High 36 NCAA Prelims Entries

Photo by: Jeff Spaur

ISU Earns Program-High 36 NCAA Prelims Entries

05.21.2026 | Track and Field

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State earned 36 entries into NCAA West Prelims, as the NCAA announced official qualifiers Thursday. The total is the highest in school history and it is the third-straight year ISU has 30-plus entries.

The men have 20 entries in 11 events and the women total 16 in 11 events. A total of 10 Cyclones are entered in multiple events.

Six-time All-American Rachel Joseph makes her return with eyes on qualifying for her sixth-straight NCAA Championships. Joseph earned the No. 4 seed with her nearly sub-50 400m time of 50.08 as she took her fourth Big 12 title.

Two men and one woman advanced in the 800m. Big 12 runner-up Makayla Clark is the No. 7 seed for the women after improving her PR at Big 12 Championships to 2:01.71. Freshman Jailan Sohna and Sam Austin qualify for the men. Sohna clocked a PR of 1:47.19 (No. 25 seed) at conference, just off the ISU top 10, while Austin holds a season best of 1:48.20 (No. 43 seed).

The 1,500m also features three Cyclones. For the men, Devan Kipyego and Emanuel Galdino move on. Kipyego is the No. 26 seed with a season-best 3:39.53 and Galdino the No. 37 seed with a season-best 3:40.38. Riley Beach enters as the No. 46 seed with a time of 4:19.76

Joash Ruto and Quinton Orr, both 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifiers, will run at regionals in the steeplechase. Ruto who took fourth at nationals last season is the No. 4 seed (8:30.14) and Orr is the No. 17 seed (8:39.11, No. 7 ISU).

The 5,000m will see many Cyclones as three men and three women are entered. For the men, Robin Kwemoi Bera (13:15.64, No. 4 seed), Sanele Masondo (13:20.12, No. 9 seed) and Meshack Kimutai (13:27.38, No. 16 seed) run again and for the women, Betty Kipkore (15:20.12, No. 7 seed), Mercyline Kirwa (15:20.96, No. 8 seed) and Mercy Kibet (15:54.75, No. 46 seed) advance.

In the 10,000m, four men and two women qualified. Masondo (27:54.77, No. 5 seed), Kimutai (28:02.19, No. 13 seed) and Bera (28:15.36, No. 20 seed) double with the 5K and Rodgers Kiplimo joins (28:40.87, No. 38 seed). Kirwa (31:51.89, No. 3 seed) and Kipkore (32:02.45, No. 6 seed) also will double. All 5K and 10K entrants are top 10 program performers.

In the hurdles, multi-eventer Zola N'Douma-Mona (13.35, T-No. 31 seed) and fellow freshman Emma Havighurst (13.41, No. 38 seed) qualified in 100m hurdles. The duo ranks fifth and sixth in school history.

Alec Carr advances in both men's hurdle events. In 110m hurdles, Carr is the No. 13 seed at 13.48 and in 400m hurdles Carr is the No. 36 seed at 50.89. Carr holds the 110m hurdles school record and ranks eighth in 400m hurdles.

Freshman Tyson Seeser's season continues to roll in the high jump. The Big 12 bronze medalist is the T-No. 17 seed with his T-No. 7 ISU mark of 7-1 (2.16m).

Sydney Willits heads back to NCAA Prelims in the long jump entering as the No. 14 seed with a season best jump of 21-1 1/4 (6.43m).

N'Douma-Mona makes for two events as the Big 12 heptathlon medalist also moves on with a shot put mark of 49-9 1/4 (15.17m, No. 47 seed).

Iowa State has multiple entrants in the men's discus, with Brandon Fischer (190-4, No. 24 seed) and Daniel Norris (188-0, No. 31 seed) earned their spots. Betty Rosvold represents ISU for the women with a season-best 170-5 (No. 39 seed). The trio all medaled at conference and are top 10 ISU performers.

In the hammer, school-record holder Candra King is the No. 11 seed (219-10, 67.02m) and Kamari Brown joins as the No. 48 seed (188-10, 57.56m). Zach Verzani enters as the No. 28 seed for the men with a season best of 212-9 (64.86m).

Justice Miller is the No. 24 seed in the men's javelin. The first-year Cyclone took bronze at Big 12 Championships as Miller threw a PR of 223-6 (68.12m, No. 4 ISU).

The women's 4x400m earns a return trip and will run as the No. 7 seed. Karynne David, Joseph, Emma Vorpagel and Clark clocked a Big 12 bronze-winning 3:31.30 (No. 3 ISU) for the squad's seed time.

Arkansas plays host to NCAA West Prelims May 27-30. The top 48 individuals in each event and top 24 relay squads earned their spots at NCAA Prelims in both the West and East region. All look to be one of 12 to advance to NCAA Championships hosted by Oregon June 10-13.

Iowa State NCAA West Prelims Entries

400m (W): Rachel Joseph

800m (M): Jailan Sohna, Sam Austin

800m (W): Makayla Clark

1,500m (M): Devan Kipyego, Emanuel Galdino

1,500m (W): Riley Beach

3,000m Steeplechase (M): Joash Ruto, Quinton Orr

5,000m (M): Robin Kwemoi Bera, Sanele Masondo, Meshack Kimutai

5,000m (W): Betty Kipkore, Mercyline Kirwa, Mercy Kibet

10,000m (M): Sanele Masondo, Meshack Kimutai, Robin Kwemoi Bera, Rodgers Kiplimo

10,000m (W): Mercyline Kirwa, Betty Kipkore

100m Hurdles (W): Zola N'Douma-Mona, Emma Havighurst