UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State concludes the indoor portion of its 2026 campaign when it sends 12 athletes to compete in the 2026 NCAA men’s and women’s indoor track and field championships.
The two-day event will take place at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It begins Friday, March 13 and concludes on Saturday, March 14, with Friday’s events beginning at 11 a.m. and Saturday’s at 1 p.m. This marks the second time this season the Nittany Lions will compete in Fayetteville, after their performance in February’s Tyson Invitational.
TUNE IN LIVE
Live Results (Friday and Saturday)
Event Schedule (Friday and Saturday)
Watch Live (Friday Afternoon)
Watch Live (Friday Evening)
Watch Live (Saturday Afternoon)
Watch Live (Saturday Evening)
MEET THE QUALIFIERS
Nine men and three women will represent Penn State in the two-day national championship meet. The group of 12 includes the program record holders in the men’s and women’s 800m, two competitors in men’s shot put and a women’s pentathlete fresh off setting a program record.
Handal Roban leads the quartet of Nittany Lions competing in the men’s 800m, as his program-record time of 1:44.73 paced the qualifying field of 16. Allon Clay, Yukichi Ishii and Niko Schultz will join him.
The women’s 800m features Hayley Kitching, whose 1:59.22 earlier this season set a program record and is the second-fastest time in the qualifying field. Her freshman teammate Boh Ritchie qualified as well after her 2:01.60 came in 13th.
Ryan Henry’s performance at the Big Ten indoor championships qualified him for nationals, with his mark of 65-5.00 (19.94m) topping the field in Indianapolis and placing seventh among qualifiers. Dylan Lambrecht joins Henry after claiming the last spot in the field.
Maddie Pitts broke the program record in women’s pentathlon when she scored 4,384 in Indianapolis, earning a bronze medal and placing fifth among the qualifying field. She joins Kitching as the only Nittany Lions to return to nationals after qualifying in 2025.
Other competitors include Ajani Dwyer (in the men’s 60m and 200m), Jake Palermo (in the men’s 400m) and the men’s distance relay team of Clay, Roban, Schultz and Nick Sloff (who placed 10th among qualifiers).
SCHEDULE OF NOTABLE EVENTS (all times ET)
Friday, March 13
- 12:15 p.m.: Women’s Pentathlon Finals – 60m Hurdles (Maddie Pitts)
- 1:00 p.m.: Women’s Pentathlon Finals – High Jump (Pitts)
- 3:10 p.m.: Women’s Pentathlon Finals – Shot Put (Pitts)
- 4:10 p.m.: Women’s Pentathlon Finals – Long Jump (Pitts)
- 6:00 p.m.: Women’s Pentathlon Finals – 800m (Pitts)
- 6:45 p.m.: Men’s 60m Qualifying (Ajani Dwyer)
- 7:10 p.m.: Men’s 400m Qualifying (Jake Palermo)
- 7:25 p.m.: Women’s 800m Qualifying (Hayley Kitching, Boh Ritchie)
- 7:35 p.m.: Men’s 800m Qualifying (Handal Roban, Allon Clay, Yukichi Ishii, Niko Schultz)
- 9:00 p.m.: Men’s 200m Qualifying (Dwyer)
- 9:30 p.m.: Men’s Distance Medley Relay Finals (Clay, Roban, Schultz, Nick Sloff)
Saturday, March 14
- 2:00 p.m.: Men’s Shot Put Finals
- 5:40 p.m.: Men’s 60m Finals
- 6:00 p.m.: Men’s 400m Finals
- 6:10 p.m.: Women’s 800m Finals
- 6:20 p.m.: Men’s 800m Finals
- 6:40 p.m.: Men’s 200m Finals
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Follow along with the team on our social media pages: Facebook (PennStateTFXC), X and Instagram (both @pennstatetfxc). Live updates on race day regarding weather, start times and other important notes will be posted on X.