DENTON, Texas – Rice held the top spot in both sets of standings following the opening day of the 2026 American Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday at the Norma Knobel Hunt Stadium at North Texas.

The Owls led the men’s standings with 31 points following the first three scored finals, with Wichita State in second place with 25 points and North Texas in third place with 22 points. Rice scored 23 points on the women’s side to take a narrow advantage over Charlotte (20 points) and Memphis (17 points).
 
Lauralyn Clifford from UTSA claimed the first event victory of the meet in the women’s hammer throw. Clifford bested top seed Sarah Pulliam from Charlotte with a first round throw of 60.72m (199-2.0) to capture the conference title. Pullium was the runner-up with a third-round effort of 60.40m (198-2.0), followed by Tulane’s Cara Salsberry in third with a throw of 59.19m (194-2.0).
 
Jason Patrick picked up the first win of the weekend for host North Texas in the men’s hammer throw, clearing 66.05m (216-8.0) on his fifth attempt for a personal best to take the event win. Sultan Bakare from Rice checked in second with a 64.24m (210-9.0) showing and Charlotte’s Thomas Hinton placed third with a 61.78m (202-8.0).
 
Rice’s McKyla Van der Westhuizen defended her title in the women’s javelin throw, shattering the meet record with a fifth attempt of 57.34m (188-1.0). Van der Westhuizen joined Memphis’ Ashley Pryke (2017-19) as the only three-time women’s javelin champion in conference history.
 
Ty Hampton completed the Rice double in javelin, taking his second men’s title in three years after besting teammate Jack Greaves. Hampton’s final round throw of 74.26m (243-7.0) bested the second-round attempt of Greaves in 71.82m (235-7.0). North Texas’ Akeel Hanchard placed third with a throw of 63.49m (208-3.0).
 
Following the first day of competition in the heptathlon, Rice’s Julia Johannesdottir led the field with 3,443 points, while UTSA’s Ryan Heeren set the pace in the decathlon with 3,891 points.
 
In the women’s 1500-meter preliminaries, Wichita State’s Vivien Kipkorir secured the top spot with a time of 4:29.24. Other qualifiers for the finals included North Texas’ London Maxwell (4:30.95), East Carolina’s Abrielle Schweitzer (4:32.27), Tulsa’s Matilda Laidlaw (4:35.35), Tulane’s Dana Rojas Vazquez (4:35.81), Florida Atlantic’s Teegan Anderson (4:36.06), East Carolina’s Katrina Ford (4:36.11), Tulane’s Jasper Newton (4:36.19), Charlotte’s Eliza Keith (4:36.47), East Carolina’s Navaya Zales (4:36.66), South Florida's Mercy Angaamchaab (4:37.71) and Rice’s Heidi Nielson (4:37.84).
 
Charlotte’s Maddon Muhammad finished as the top seed in the men’s 1500-meter preliminaries with a time of 3:51.85. Joining Muhammad in the final will be Tulsa’s Sean Korsmo (3:51.90), Wichita State’s Kelvin Kipyego (3:52.06), Tulane’s Gilbert Rono (3:52.61), Rice’s Jackson Moran (3:52.86), Tulane’s Rogerio Amaral (3:55.08), North Texas’ Joseph Wienen (3:55.80), Tulane’s Illia Kunin (3:56.23), South Florida’s Karim Belmahdi (3:56.40), Charlotte’s Carson Williams (3:56.50), Tulsa’s Charlie Krasnoff (3:56.60) and Charlotte’s Moritz Kleesiek (3:56.73).
 
East Carolina’s Kelly Ufodiama remained undefeated in her American career during the women’s 200-meter prelims, clocking a time of 22.57. Joyasia Smith of Charlotte (22.98), Aariyana Williams of North Texas (23.14), Brianna Clayton of East Carolina (23.31), Saniya Friendly (23.39) and Riana Green of Rice (23.48), Dejona Simpson of Memphis (23.58) and Lynette Scutari of South Florida (23.59) will join Ufodiama in the final.
 
Rashun Fountain of East Carolina captured the top time in the men’s 200-meter opening heats with a time of 20.41. South Florida’s Jaleel Croal (20.43) and Cayden Broadnax (20.49), North Texas’ Nehemiah Ray (20.51), Charlotte’s James Harris (20.56), Wichita State’s Josh Parrish (20.63), East Carolina’s Ja’Darien Parker (20.66) and South Florida’s Nathan Metelus all punched tickets to the final heat.
 
In the women’s 400-meter hurdles, UTSA’s Selma Ims posted the top qualifying time once again with a season best of 57.27. Also headed to the final will be Rice’s Sydney Freeman (57.64), Memphis’ Judy Elful (58.26), North Texas’ Lailah Hudson (58.48), UTSA’s Fatoumata Kabo (59.13), Charlotte’s Amaya Hopkins (59.17) and Alinah Sarratt (59.27) and Temple’s Kei-Mahri Hanna (59.44).
 
Jason Parrish from Wichita State held down the top spot in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, flying down the track with a time of 50.43. South Florida’s Joshua Crum (50.81), North Texas’ Tyler Moore (50.98), Rice’s Edward Bocock (51.02), South Florida’s Devontie Archer (51.45), Tulsa’s Colin Madison (51.46), North Texas’ Clarence McGill (51.73) and Rice’s Christian Edgar (51.96) will also head to the championship heat.
 
In the final women’s event of the night, Wichita State’s Lucy Ndungu claimed her first American championship in the women’s 10000-meter run, blazing past much of the field with a winning time of 34:45.25. Defending champion Blezzin Kimutai from Tulane placed second with a time of 35:11.33 and Ximena Lopez from North Texas rounded out the top three with a 35:36.97 showing.
 
Wichita State’s Elkana Kipruto ran the second sub-30 minute men’s 10000-meter final in championship history, clocking a 29:44.15 to win going away in the event final. Tulsa’s Shay McEvoy (30:29.44) and Ben Brown (30:29.49) were the next two finishers across to round out the medalists.
 
Day two of the 2026 American Track & Field Championships are set to begin at 10:00 a.m. CT with the 110 decathlon hurdles on Friday. ESPN+ coverage will resume at 5:15 p.m. CT.
 
2026 American Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships
 
Men’s Teams Scores (Through Day 1)
1. Rice, 31
2. Wichita State, 25
3. North Texas, 22
4. Tulsa, 17
5. Tulane, 10
6.Memphis, 6
    Charlotte, 6 

Women’s Teams Scores (Through Day 1)
1.    Rice, 23
2.    Charlotte, 20
3.    Memphis, 17
4.    Tulane, 14
5.    North Texas, 12
6.    Wichita State, 11
7.     UTSA, 10
8.    South Florida, 5
9.    East Carolina, 4
10.  Tulsa, 1
 
THURSDAY, MAY 14

Field Events
11:00 a.m. Women Hammer – Lauralyn Clifford, UTSA – 60.72m (199-2.0)
1:30 p.m. Men Hammer – Jason Patrick, North Texas – 66.05m (216-8.0)
3:00 p.m. Women Javelin – McKyla Van Der Westhuizen, Rice – 57.34m (188-1.0)
5:30 p.m. Men Javelin – Ty Hampton, Rice – 74.26m (243-7.0)

Decathlon
11:00 a.m. 100m Dash – Alex Mannel, Rice – 10.63
11:40 p.m. (est.) Long Jump – Luke Ivy, Rice/Ryan Heeren, UTSA – 7.24m (23-9.0)
12:40 p.m. (est.) Shot Put – Rikard Throgen-Hedin, Wichita State – 14.48m (47-6.25)
1:40 p.m. (est.) High Jump – Cole Smither, Wichita State – 2.05m (6-8.75)
3:40 p.m. (est.) 400m Dash – Ryan Heeren, UTSA – 50.51

Heptathlon
10:30 a.m. 100m Hurdles – Julia Johannesdottir, Rice – 13.27
11:15 a.m. (est.) High Jump – Alice Taylor, Rice – 1.85m (6-0.75)
1:45 p.m. (est.) Shot Put – Sofie Groeninger, Tulane – 14.20m (46-7.25)
3:00 p.m. (est.) 200m Dash – Sasha Gregory, Charlotte – 24.05

Track Events
6:30 p.m. Women 1500m Run Trials
6:45 p.m. Men 1500m Run Trials
7:00 p.m. Women 200m Dash Trials
7:15 p.m. Men 200m Dash Trials
7:30 p.m. Women 400m Hurdles Trials
7:40 p.m. Men 400m Hurdles Trials
7:50 p.m. Women 10000m Run Final – Lucy Ndungu, Wichita State – 34:45.25
8:35 p.m. Men 10000m Run Final – Elkana Kipruto, Wichita State – 29:44.15

FRIDAY, MAY 15

Field Events
1:30 p.m. - Women's Shot Put
2:00 p.m. - Women's Long Jump
3:30 p.m. - Men's Shot Put
4:30 p.m. - Women's Pole Vault
5:00 p.m. - Men's Long Jump

DECATHLON
10:00 a.m. 110m Hurdles
10:45 a.m. (est.) Discus
12:00 p.m. (est.) Pole Vault
3:00 p.m. (est.) Javelin
4:00 p.m. (est.) 1500m Run

HEPTATHLON
11:00 a.m. Long Jump
12:15 p.m. (est.) Javelin
1:30 p.m. (est.) 800m Run

Track Events
5:25 p.m. Women 100m Hurdles Trials
5:45 p.m. Men 110m Hurdles Trials
6:00 p.m. Women 800m Run Trials
6:15 p.m. Men 800m Run Trials
6:30 p.m. Women 400m Dash Trials
6:45 p.m. Men 400m Dash Trials
7:00 p.m. Women 100m Dash Trials
7:15 p.m. Men 100m Dash Trials
7:30 p.m. Women 3000m Steeplechase Final
7:45 p.m. Men 3000m Steeplechase Final
 
SATURDAY, MAY 16

Field Events
1:30 p.m. - Women's Discus
2:30 p.m. - Men's High Jump
2:30 p.m. - Women's Triple Jump
3:30 p.m. - Men's Pole Vault
3:30 p.m. - Men's Discus
4:30 p.m. - Women's High Jump
4:30 p.m. - Men's Triple Jump

Track Events
4:30 p.m. Women 400m Relay Final
4:40 p.m. Men 400m Relay Final
4:50 p.m. Women 1500m Run Final
5:00 p.m. Men 1500m Run Final
5:10 p.m. Women 100m Hurdles Final
5:20 p.m. Men 110m Hurdles Final
5:30 p.m. Women 400m Dash Final
5:35 p.m. Men 400m Dash Final
5:45 p.m. Women 100m Dash Final
5:50 p.m. Men 100m Dash Final
6:00 p.m. Women 800m Run Final
6:05 p.m. Men 800m Run Final
6:15 p.m. Women 400m Hurdles Final
6:20 p.m. Mne 400m Hurdles Final
6:30 p.m. Women 200m Dash Final
6:35 p.m. Men 200m Dash Final
6:45 p.m. Women 5000m Run Final
7:10 p.m. Men 5000m Run Final
7:35 p.m. Women 1600m Relay Final
7:45 p.m. Men 1600m Relay Final