CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 1 women's and No. 13 men's track and field teams are set for a three-meet weekend across the country on Friday-Saturday (Feb. 13-14). Most of the team will head back to Fayetteville, Ark. for the Tyson Invitational while the distance runners will split up to two meets, the Crimson Open in Cambridge, Mass. and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston.
The squads are returning to action after taking the last week off to train and recover. The Orange and Blue had a productive January as Sophia Beckmon is still the national leader in the long jump as she improved to 6.85m (22-5 3/4) at the Razorback Invitational on Jan. 30. Elizabeth Ndudi joined Beckmon near the top in the long jump at that same meet as she's now No. 3 in the country, 6.63m (21-9).
Lucie Kienast still owns the No. 2 mark in the national for the pentathlon (4,337) while Rose Yeboah opened up her season in the high jump at 1.94m (6-4 1/4) at the Razorback Invite. Her 1.94m mark broke her own indoor school record and is the No. 2 mark in the nation for 2026.
Over on the men's side Cody Johnston shattered Dean Starkey's indoor program pole vault record with his 5.67m (18-7 1/4) vault at the Razorback Invitational which is No. 8 in the nation so far. Zavien Wolfe also owns the No. 8 triple jump in the country with his 16.39m (53-9 1/4) leap a couple weeks ago. Luuk Pelkmans and Jip de Greef are top-5 heptathletes in the country, Pelkmans is No. 3 (6,151) and de Greef is No. 5 (6,019).
PROJECTED NATIONAL QUALIFIERS (TOP-16 MARKS QUALIFY TO NCAA'S)
WOMEN
#1 Sophia Beckmon – long jump, 6.85m (22-5 3/4)
#2 Lucie Kienast – pentathlon, 4,337*
#2 Rose Yeboah – high jump, 1.94m (6-4 1/4)
#3 Jordan Koskondy – weight throw, 23.09m (75-8 3/4)
#3 Elizabeth Ndudi – long jump, 6.63m (21-9)
#3 Romi Tamir – triple jump, 13.50m (44-3 1/2)
#4 Mia Morello – pole vault, 4.50m (14-9)
#5 Phethisang Makhethe – weight throw, 22.82m (74-10 1/2)
#6 JaiCieonna Gero-Holt – high jump, 1.88m (6-2)
#7 JaiCieonna Gero-Holt – pentathlon, 4,250*
#7 Katharina Graman – triple jump, 13.40m (43-11 3/4)
#8 Mercy Honesty – triple jump, 13.38m (43-10 3/4)
#10 Oluwatomilayo Akintunde – weight throw, 21.83m (71-7 1/2)
#11 Meagan Humphries – pentathlon, 4,197
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MEN
#3 Luuk Pelkmans – heptathlon, 6,151*
#5 Jip de Greef – heptathlon, 6,019*
#8 Cody Johnston – pole vault, 5.67m (18-7 1/4)
#8 Zavien Wolfe – triple jump, 16.39m (53-9 1/4)
#12 Kennedy Ocansey – high jump, 2.18m (7-1 3/4)
#13 Viktor Morozov – triple jump, 16.10m (52-10)
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*- Converted score for flat track
