Kansas State Track and Field Qualifies 16 Athletes for NCAA Indoor Championships
The road to a national title is officially paved for the Kansas State Wildcats. Following a high-octane indoor season, the program has officially qualified 16 field athletes to compete at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. The championships will take place on March 13–14 at the renowned Randal Tyson Track Center.
A Deep and Talented Kansas State Wildcats Roster
Fans hoping to experience the action in person can purchase single-day tickets. For those watching from home, both days of competition will be streamed live on ESPN+.
𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘’𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍!
— K-State T&F/XC (@KStateTFXC) March 4, 2026
We’re sending a 16 athletes to the Big Stage
📄https://t.co/PL0YjeqP0z pic.twitter.com/WqW2lUtlQ2
In the NCAA indoor championship format, only the top 16 competitors in the nation for each event earn a spot in the field. That makes Kansas State’s 16 qualifiers a remarkable accomplishment. Nine men and seven women have earned their place among the nation’s best. And many of them compete in the field events, where the Wildcats have built a long-standing reputation for excellence.
The men’s group includes high jumpers Alan Hanna and Devin Loudermilk, long jumpers Tah Chikomba and Uroy Ryan, and triple jump specialists Aaron Antoine, Trevon Hamer, and Selva Prabhu. The throws unit will also be represented by Kade McCall and Gary Moore Jr. in the weight throw.
The women’s qualifiers include high jumper Sharie Enoe, along with long jumpers Chisom Nwafor and Maud Zeffou-Poaty. Destini Smith and Daniela Wamokpego will compete in the triple jump. Meanwhile, Monique Hardy will represent the Wildcats in the weight throw. Vanessa Mercera rounds out the group as Kansas State’s qualifier in the pentathlon.
The Wildcats’ impressive list of qualifiers has also translated into strong national rankings. According to the Week 6 rankings released by the USTFCCCA on March 3, Kansas State’s men’s team currently holds the No. 5 spot in the nation with 110.00 points.
The women’s squad is also firmly inside the national top 10, sitting at No. 10 with 75.22 points. Within the Big 12 Conference, Kansas State’s men lead the way in the national rankings. They hold a clear edge over the Texas Tech Red Raiders. They currently sit ninth in the national standings with 89.11 points.
Big 12 Championships Sparked the National Push
Kansas State’s path to the NCAA championships gained serious traction during the Big 12 Indoor Championships. The Wildcat men delivered a powerful performance, finishing as conference runners-up with 124 points. The women’s squad also impressed, finishing fourth with 78.5 points.
The men’s 60-meter hurdles final included a scoring error involving the seventh-place finisher from Texas Tech. Despite the mistake, conference officials confirmed that the final team standings would remain unchanged, preserving Kansas State’s runner-up finish.
On the field and track, however, the Wildcats left little doubt about their strength. Six Kansas State athletes captured individual conference titles, marking the program’s most conference champions since 2016. The four men’s champions also tied the program’s highest total since 1993, back when Kansas State competed in the Big 8 era.
Monique Hardy highlighted the throws group by winning the women’s weight throw title with a mark of 21.89 meters, or 71 feet 10 inches. On the men’s side, Kade McCall earned his first indoor title with a throw of 22.63 meters, or 74 feet 3 inches, matching his personal best.
For the first time since 2016, Kansas State swept both the men’s and women’s long jump titles. Junior Maud Zeffou-Poaty captured the women’s championship with a personal-best jump of 6.62 meters.
On the other hand, sophomore Uroy Ryan won the men’s event with a personal-best leap of 7.90 meters. Senior Devin Loudermilk added another gold medal in the high jump by clearing 2.25 meters to earn his second conference title in three seasons.
The meet concluded with a dramatic moment on the track as the men’s 4x400 relay team of Nen Matlock, Heath Grant, Bongumusa Nkosi, and Tavon Underwood crossed the finish line in 3:05.59 to secure the conference title.
The last time the Wildcats sent a comparable group was in 2011. It was when five athletes competed, and the team finished tied for 18th with 12 points. In program history, the men’s best finish remains a tie for fifth place in 1966 with 9.5 points. Meanwhile, the highest-scoring performance came in 2006 when Kansas State scored 17 points to finish 11th.
The women’s squad is also approaching historic territory. Their seven qualifiers represent the largest indoor championship group since 2015, when eight Wildcats competed and finished 18th with 12 points. Historically, the women’s best finish came in 1984 with a fifth-place result and 14 points. The program record for points is 26, set in 2016 during an eighth-place finish.
More from Kansas State On SI
Stay up to date with the Wildcats by bookmarking Kansas State On SI and following us on X/Twitter.
Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.