EMPORIA, Kan. – The Northwest Missouri State University track and field squads opened the first day of the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships with seven athletes and a relay team qualifying for the finals, while also securing two All-America distinctions.
 
Drew Atkins put the Bearcat men on the board first, capturing fourth place in the 10,000-meter run to secure five team points. With his performance, the Northwest men sit in an eighth-place tie alongside Felician University and MIAA rival Pittsburg State. 
 
On the women's side, Melanie Roland dominated the 400-meter dash prelims, clocking the field's top qualifying time.
 
2026 NORTHWEST OUTDOOR ALL-AMERICA HONORS
First Team
Drew Atkins – Men's 10,000m Run, 4th place 
 
Second Team
Krysta Abel – Women's 100m Dash, 9th place
 
NCAA DIVISION II OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS – DAY ONE 
(W) 100m Prelim: Sophomore Krysta Abel claimed a time of 11.72, which secured her ninth place. Abel's finish earned her Second-Team All-America honors. Jaurdin Mallory placed 13th with a time of 11.79. 
 
(M) 400m Prelim: Junior Truman Hare crossed the finish line with a qualifying time of 46.49, capturing fifth. Hare will compete in the finals Saturday at 4:35 p.m.
 
(W) 400m Prelim: Melanie Roland and Kennedi Cline both qualified for finals by capturing top-five finishes in the prelims. Roland secured first place with a time of 53.05, while Cline claimed fifth with a time of 53.50. Cline's time ranks as a new personal best and reset her own fifth-fastest time in school history. Both athletes will compete in Saturday's finals at 4:45 p.m.
 
(M) 400m Hurdles Prelim: Junior Danny Jantzen crossed the finish line with a qualifying time of 51.44, earning him fifth. Jantzen is set to run in the finals Saturday at 5:40 p.m. 
 
(W) 400m Hurdles Prelim: Senior Kendall Tietjen placed 15th with a time of 1:00.36.
 
(M) 1,500m Prelim: Senior Maxime Touron claimed a qualifying time of 3:49.16, placing fourth in the prelims. Senior Aziz Mohammed secured eighth with a qualifying time of 3:49.74. Touron and Mohammed will both compete in the finals scheduled for Saturday at 3:55 p.m.
 
(M) 10,000m Run: Junior Drew Atkins captured fourth overall with a time of 29:28.19, securing his first NCAA track and field all-America distinction.
 
(W) 3,000m Steeplechase Prelim: Senior Kiki Witt qualified for the finals with a fourth-place finish in the prelims with a time of 10:27.08. Witt is set to run in the finals tomorrow, Friday, at 7:30 p.m.

(W) 4x100m Relay Prelim: Northwest's relay team, consisting of Krysta Abel, Kennedi Cline, Jaurdin Mallory, and Hallie Henfling, placed fourth with a qualifying time of 45.14. The squad will run in the finals on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Up Next:
Northwest will be back in action for day two of the NCAA Championships tomorrow, Friday, May 22 in Emporia, Kan. Friday's events will begin with a continuation of the combined events at 9:30 a.m., along with field events set for 1:30 p.m. and running events scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
 
Day Two Northwest Schedule of Events:
Riley Witt and Maxime Touron – (M) 800m Prelims (6 p.m.)
Marie Dea – (W) 800m Prelims (6:10 p.m.)
Kiki Witt – (W) 3,000m Steeplechase Final (7:30 p.m.)
Danny Jantzen, Logan Arellano, Christian Lanphier, Truman Hare – (M) 4x400m Prelims (7:50 p.m.)
Marie Dea, Kennedi Cline, Jadyn Barnes, Melanie Roland – (W) 4x400m Prelims (8:10 p.m.)
 
Top 10 Northwest Women's 400M Dash
Tiffany Hughey - 5/25/24 - 52.03
Melanie Roland - 5/3/26 - 52.15
Luisarys Toledo - 5/5/24 - 53.23
Chloe Saenz - 5/22/25 - 53.38
Kennedi Cline - 5/21/26 - 53.50
Venus Harris - 1987 - 53.70
Hiba Mahgoub - 5/27/21 - 53.85
Ashton Nibert - 5/2/14 - 54.36
Marie Dea - 4/18/26 - 55.37
Alexis Boyd - 5/1/15 - 55.56