The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA West Preliminaries
Dunn earns NCAA Championships berth to highlight opening day of NCAA West Prelims for No. 18 Men’s Track & Field
05.27.2026 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Smallwood, Blackwood, Brinkley Jr. and Popelka advance to Friday quarterfinals as Dunn secures first NCAA Championships appearance.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Texas' Shaiquan Dunn secured his first NCAA Outdoor Championships berth to lead No. 18 Men's Track & Field on the opening day of the NCAA West Prelims on Wednesday at John McDonnell Field.
Dunn earned his trip to Eugene iin the men's shot put with a personal-best throw of 18.81m (61-8.5) on his opening attempt to finish ninth overall. Michael Piñones placed 18th in the event with a mark of 18.29m (60-0.25).
Kendrick Smallwood opened the day for Texas on the track by winning his heat of the men's 110-meter hurdles in 13.31 to advance to Friday's quarterfinals. Smallwood posted the second-fastest time of the opening round and now owns the top 16 times in Texas history in the event.
Texas swept the top two times of the opening round in the men's 400-meter hurdles as Kody Blackwood and Chris Brinkley Jr. both advanced to Friday's quarterfinals. Blackwood won the opening heat in 49.53 before Brinkley capped the event with a career-best 49.80 to win heat six.
Logan Popelka also advanced on the track, earning a time qualifier in the men's 400 meters after clocking 46.17 to finish fourth in his heat and 21st overall.
In the men's long jump, Kelsey Daniel narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Championships, placing 13th with a leap of 7.65m (25-1.25), just 0.03 meters shy of the final qualifying position.
Jayden Jones closed out the day for the Longhorns in the men's 200 meters, posting a time of 21.06.
Sam Abati was scheduled to compete in the men's pole vault, but the event was postponed by rain and will now be held on Thursday, May 28 at 2:40 p.m.
No. 18 Texas Women's Track & Field opens competition Thursday, with Giavonna Meeks set to begin action for the Longhorns in the women's hammer throw at 9 a.m. in the fourth of four flights. The Longhorns' track events are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. with the first round of the women's 1500 meters.
Schedule for Thursday, May 28
9:00 a.m. – Women's Hammer First Round (4 Flights)
Top 12 Advance to Eugene
- Flight 4, Position 11: Giavonna Meeks
2:40 p.m. – Men's Pole Vault Semifinals (2 Flights)
Top 12 Advance to Eugene
- Flight 1, Position 18: Sam Abati
6:30 p.m. – Women's 1500m First Round (4 Heats)
Top 24 Advance: Top 5 Each Heat Plus Next 4 Best Times
- Heat 1, Lane 7: Isabel Conde de Frankenberg
- Heat 2, Lane 5: Elizabeth Pickett
- Heat 2, Lane 7: Mia Perez
7:00 p.m. – Women's 100m First Round (6 Heats)
Top 24 Advance: Top 3 Each Heat Plus Next 6 Best Times
- Heat 2, Lane 5: Abigail Wolfe
- Heat 4, Lane 2: Naomi London
- Heat 5, Lane 6: Carleta Bernard
7:25 p.m. – Women's 400m First Round (6 Heats)
Top 24 Advance: Top 3 Each Heat Plus Next 6 Best Times
- Heat 1, Lane 6: Elise Cooper
- Heat 4, Lane 2: Ramiah Elliott
- Heat 6, Lane 6: Bayleigh Minor
8:20 p.m. – Women's 400m Hurdles First Round (6 Heats)
Top 24 Advance: Top 3 Each Heat Plus Next 6 Best Times
- Heat 2, Lane 6: Mackenzie Collins
- Heat 6, Lane 6: Amelliah Birdow
- Heat 6, Lane 8: Anouk Krause-Jentsch
8:45 p.m. – Women's 200m First Round (6 Heats)
Top 24 Advance: Top 3 Each Heat Plus Next 6 Best Times
- Heat 6, Lane 3: Holly Okuku
