Kentucky T&F will be well-represented at the NCAA Championships in Eugene

Kentucky track & field hosted the 2026 NCAA East First Round earlier this week. The Wildcats came out of it with 20 individual qualifiers for the NCAA Championships next month.

Throughout the four-day event (Thursday-Saturday) at the UK Outdoor Track and Field Complex, Kentucky saw 12 from the women’s team and eight more from the men’s team punch their tickets to the NCAA Championships, which will be held from June 10-13 at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR.

On the women’s team, freshman Kemarah Howard secured a national qualifying spot in the women’s high jump semifinal (1.82m/5-11.5). The 100m hurdles team of Emmi Scales, Rukia Nusra, and Camden Bentley locked up an NCAA Championships spot while the 4x400m relay team, consisting of A’Laji Bradley, Hannah Douglas, Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera, and Cha’iel Johnson, punched the Wildcats’ final ticket to the national championships.

Additionally, Hannah Douglass (400m), Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera (400m hurdles), and Jepkemboi Amimo (800m) will join them at the Championships. Sarah Ferguson punched her ticket on Thursday in the pole vault.

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#HurdleU is Eugene bound 😼🎟️👊

Watch Emmi Scales, Rukia Nusra Omulisia and Camden Bentley punch their ticket to the NCAA Championships 🎥#WeAreUK | #UKTF pic.twitter.com/E3t7eYfpAz
— UK Track & Field (@KentuckyTrack) May 31, 2026

On the men’s side, Kingi McNair (long jump) and Grayson Brashear (shot put) locked up their spots on Wednesday. McNair jumped 7.72 meters, the fourth-best mark in school history, while Brashear set a personal record in the shot put with a 18.91-meter launch. On Friday, the 4x100m relay team, consisting of Anthony Waterman, Miles Jones, Oscar Baltan Vivero, and TK Pahuwa, ran the sixth-fastest time in school history at 39.01 to secure the final qualifying spot.

Collins Kiprop Kipngok secured a spot in the Championships through the 3000m steeplechase, while Theo Mudzengerere was the final men’s qualifier in the triple jump with a distance of 15.83m/52-3.25. Waterman also ran in the 110m hurdles, posting a time of 13.45 to make the Championships.

NCAA East First Round results

NCAA East First Round: Wednesday, May 27: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME
Men’s Hammer	10:00 a.m.	SEMIFINAL	27. Brock Conrad – 62.18m
Men’s Long Jump	6:00 p.m.	SEMIFINAL	9. Kingi McNair – 7.72m (PR) (No. 4 UK All-Time) (National Qualifier)
Men’s 110m Hurdles	6:00 p.m.	FIRST ROUND	8. Anthony Waterman – 13.43 (Q) (PR) (No. 2 UK All-Time)
Men’s Shot Put	6:30 p.m.	SEMIFINAL	7. Grayson Brashear – 18.91m (PR) (National Qualifier)
Men’s Pole Vault	6:30 p.m.	SEMIFINAL	33. Grant Harrison – 5.05m
Men’s 100m	7:00 p.m.	FIRST ROUND	11. Miles Jones – 10.13 (Q)14. Denzel Simusialela – 10.16 (Q)
Men’s 400m	7:25 p.m.	FIRST ROUND	20. TK Pahuwa – 45.72 (Q)
Men’s 400m Hurdles	8:20 p.m.	FIRST ROUND	8. Anthony Waterman – 49.89 (Q)
Men’s 200m	8:45 p.m.	FIRST ROUND	Denzel Simusialela – DNF

NCAA East First Round: Thursday, May 28: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME
Women’s Hammer	10:00 a.m.	SEMIFINAL	18. Kate Powers – 60.33m30. Meagan Ewers – 58.15m
Women’s 100m Hurdles	6:00 p.m.	FIRST ROUND	1. Emmi Scales – 12.69 (Q)7. Camden Bentley – 12.93 (Q) (PR) (T-No. 6 UK All-Time)8. Rukia Nusra Omulisia – 12.96 (Q) (PR) (No. 8 UK All-Time)
Women’s 1500m	6:30 p.m.	FIRST ROUND	17. Ally Kruger – 4:13.94 (Q) (PR)21. Doricah Minsari Isoe – 4:15.42 (Q)
Women’s Pole Vault	6:30 p.m.	SEMIFINAL	10. Sarah Ferguson – 4.27m (PR) (No. 4 UK All-Time) (National Qualifier)13. Annie Murphy – 4.22m (PR) (No. 5 UK All-Time)33. Chelsea Wetzel – 3.92m33. Kaylee Daniel – 3.92m
Women’s 400m	7:25 p.m.	FIRST ROUND	9. Hannah Douglas – 51.22 (Q)15. A’Laji Bradley – 51.55 (Q)
Women’s 800m	7:50 p.m.	FIRST ROUND	2. Janet Jepkemboi Amimo – 2:01.08 (Q)30. Lyric Olson – 2:06.26
Women’s 400m Hurdles	8:20 p.m.	FIRST ROUND	2. Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera – 55.42 (Q)

NCAA East First Round: Friday, May 29: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME
Men’s Discus	1:00 p.m.	SEMIFINAL	36. Grayson Brashear – 52.20m
Men’s 4x100m	5:00 p.m.	SEMIFINAL	12. Kentucky – 39.01 (National Qualifier) (No. 6 UK All-Time)
Men’s 3000m Steeplechase	5:40 p.m.	SEMIFINAL	4. Collins Kiprop Kipngok – 8:25.83 (National Qualifier)
Men’s Triple Jump	6:00 p.m.	SEMIFINAL	8. Theo Mudzengerere – 15.93m (National Qualifier)
Men’s 110m Hurdles	6:15 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	10. Anthony Waterman – 13.45 (National Qualifier)
Men’s 100m	6:25 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	14. Miles Jones – 10.14Denzel Simusialela – DNS
Men’s 400m	6:50 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	19. TK Pahuwa – 45.55 (PR) (No. 3 UK All-Time)
Men’s 400m Hurdles	7:25 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	24. Anthony Waterman – 56.86
Men’s 5000m	8:10 p.m.	SEMIFINAL	17. Ed Bird – 13:59.57
Men’s 4x400m	8:45 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	20. Kentucky – 3:05.98

NCAA East First Round: Saturday, May 30: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME
Women’s High Jump	2:00 p.m.	SEMIFINAL	1. Kemarah Howard – 1.82m (National Qualifier)
Women’s 1500m	5:15 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	14. Doricah Minsari Isoe – 4:13.8916. Ally Kruger – 4:17.07
Women’s 100m Hurdles	6:15 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	1. Emmi Scales – 12.69 (National Qualifier)6. Rukia Nusra Omulisia – 12.88 (PR) (No. 5 UK All-Time) (National Qualifier)10. Camden Bentley – 12.93 (T-PR) (T-No. 6 UK All-Time) (National Qualifier)
Women’s 400m	6:50 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	10. Hannah Douglas – 50.88 (National Qualifier)18. A’Laji Bradley – 51.56
Women’s 800m	7:05 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	11. Janet Jepkemboi Amimo – 2:01.17 (National Qualifier)
Women’s 400m Hurdles	7:25 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	4. Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera – 55.13 (National Qualifier)
Women’s 5000m	8:10 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	22. Ann Lemirisho – 16:03.87
Women’s 4x400m	8:45 p.m.	QUARTERFINAL	3. Kentucky – 3:26.81 (National Qualifier) (No. 6 UK All-Time)