PRIMER: NCAA Outdoor Championships

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State men and No. 18 women are NCAA Championships bound with 13 entries, one off the program high set in 2024. It is the third-straight year ISU has totaled 10-plus outdoor entries.

The women head to nationals with a program-high eight entries in six events, and the men five entries in four events.

NCAA Outdoor Championships

June 10-13, Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon

Live Results | Event Schedule | ESPN Links | Notes

Day one for the men will be televised on ESPN and ESPN2, and the remaining days will be on ESPN2. A devoted stream for each field event is accessible on ESPN+.

With seeding based off NCAA West Prelims finishes, Betty Kipkore is the No. 2 seed in the 5,000m after setting a new best of 15:14.28 for the facility record and third-fastest ISU performance. Mercyline Kirwa joins as the No. 10 seed. The duo will double with the 10,000m, with Kirwa the No. 4 seed and Kipkore the No. 5 seed.

Joash Ruto earns the No. 5 seed after taking down the Arkansas 2002 facility record with a 3,000m steeplechase season best of 8:26.87.

Rachel Joseph heads to Eugene as the No. 6 seed in the 400m after a 50.32 in quarterfinals. Joseph has now dipped below 51 seconds six times this outdoor season alone, while the top four times of her career were raced this postseason including her PR of 50.08.

Joseph now owns the top 31 400m times in Iowa State history, has broken or reset the outdoor 400m ISU record nine times and has broken an individual ISU record 22 times in her career.

Robin Kwemoi Bera is the No. 7 seed heading into the 5,000m. Bera also earned qualification in the 10,000m and is the No. 11 seed. Sanele Masondo joins Bera in the 10K as the No. 19 seed. Bera and Masondo rank top five in ISU history in the 10K, while Bera ranks second in the 5K.

Makayla Clark in the No. 14 seed nationally in the 800m after a new personal best of 2:01.01 for the ticket to nationals. That time put the senior .13 seconds off the 1990 program record while Clark makes her fourth trip to NCAA Championships.

The women's 4x400m is NCAA Championships bound for the second-straight year and enters as the No. 17 seed. Brooklyn Sandvig, Joseph, Emma Vorpagel and Clark ran to a school-record 3:28.81 at regionals to advance. Joseph had the fastest split among all teams with 49.02.

No. 18-seed Sydney Willits takes her fourth trip to nationals in the long jump, and third outdoors. Willits leapt to a season-best 21-1 1/4 (6.43m) at Drake Relays.

Jailan Sohna is the first freshman since 1984 to qualify for nationals in the 800m, and will run as the No. 18 seed after running a lifetime-best 1:46.48 (No. 8 ISU).

Like NCAA West Prelims, NCAA Championships will be a four-day format with men competing on the first and third day and the women on the second and fourth. The long jump, 5,000m and 10,000m are a final, while the 400m, 800m, steeplechase and 4x400m will have semifinals and a final. In the steeple, 12 will advance while nine advance in the 400m, 800m and 4x400m.

Iowa State Schedule (All Times Central)

Wednesday

7:38 p.m. – 3,000m Steeplechase Semifinals (M): Joash Ruto (Heat 2 of 2)

8:58 p.m. – 800m Semifinals (M): Jailan Sohna (Heat 1 of 3)

9:56 p.m. – 10,000m Final (M): Sanele Masondo, Robin Kwemoi Bera

Thursday

8:40 p.m. – Long Jump Final (W): Sydney Willits

8:41 p.m. – 400m Semifinals (W): Rachel Joseph (Heat 1 of 3)

8:58 p.m. – 800m Semifinals (W): Makayla Clark (Heat 3 of 3)

9:56 p.m. – 10,000m Final (W): Mercyline Kirwa, Betty Kipkore

10:36 p.m. – 4x400m Semifinals (W): Heat 1 of 3

Friday

*7:24 p.m. – 3,000m Steeplechase Final (M)

*8:14 p.m. – 800m Final (M)

8:55 p.m. – 5,000m Final (M): Robin Kwemoi Bera

Saturday

*8:02 p.m. – 400m Final (W)

*8:14 p.m. – 800m Final (W)

8:55 p.m. – 5,000m Final (W): Betty Kipkore, Mercyline Kirwa

*9:21 p.m. – 4x400m Final (W)

*Requires advancement

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Robin Kwemoi Bera

Makayla Clark

Rachel Joseph

Betty Kipkore

Mercyline Kirwa

Sanele Masondo

Joash Ruto

Brooklyn Sandvig

Jailan Sohna

Emma Vorpagel

Sydney Willits

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics