The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Indoor Championship
Meeks wins weight throw bronze on day one of NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships
03.13.2026 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Longhorns advance two to finals on first day of competition in Fayetteville.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Texas Track & Field opened the 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday inside the Randal Tyson Track Center as Giavonna Meeks earned a bronze medal in the women's weight throw to lead the Longhorns on day one of competition.
Meeks captured bronze with a throw of 24.11 meters (79-1.25) on her fifth attempt of the competition. The program record-holder in the event, her mark ranks as the third-best throw in Texas history. All four of her successful attempts on the night rank among the best in program history, and she now owns the top 24 marks by a Longhorn in the event. With the finish, Meeks became the first member of the women's team to earn All-America honors in the weight throw.
In the men's 60-meter hurdles prelims, Kendrick Smallwood advanced to Saturday's final after recording the seventh-fastest time of the day at 7.51 seconds. The mark stands as the third-fastest in program history, and Smallwood now holds the top seven times by a Longhorn in the event and nine of the top 10.
Elise Cooper advanced to the women's 200-meter final after clocking 22.84 seconds in the prelims, the seventh-fastest time of the night. Carleta Bernard finished 15th overall with a time of 23.14.
Tabea Eitel opened the day for the Longhorns in the pentathlon, placing 12th with 3,659 points in her first national championship appearance. She began the day running 8.59 in the 60-meter hurdles, then recorded a career-best clearance of 1.75 meters (5-8.75) in the high jump, the fourth-best mark in the field. After not securing a mark in the shot put, Eitel responded with a 6.20-meter (20-4.25) long jump that ranked sixth in the competition before closing the day with a time of 2:19.23 in the 800 meters.
Kelsey Daniel registered an 11th-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 7.75 meters (25-5.25). He will return to competition Saturday night in the triple jump final.
The championships conclude Saturday with Michael Pinones opening the day for the Longhorns in the men's shot put beginning at 1 p.m. CT. Daniel will compete in the men's triple jump, while Kendrick Smallwood and Elise Cooper will run in their respective finals. The women's 4x400-meter relay will close out competition for Texas. The final day of the 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships will stream live on ESPN+.
Women's Points Scorers
Giavonna Meeks – Weight Throw – 6
Players Mentioned
