UNI track and field unveils 2026 outdoor schedule

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI track and field team on Monday announced its schedule for the upcoming 2026 outdoor competition season.

Northern Iowa, which placed third on both the men's and women's sides at last year's Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championships, will open the outdoor season March 26-27 in St. Louis with select runners competing at the WashU Distance Carnival, as well as Wartburg's Outdoor Select at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly.

UNI will make its first of two trips to Lincoln, Nebraska in the outdoor season Apr. 3-4 for the Husker Spring Kickoff, before heading to Des Moines on Apr. 10 for the Jim Duncan Invitational, as well as the Mustang Distance Carnival in Cedar Rapids.

Following a return trip to Lincoln for the Big Red Classic (Apr. 17-18), the Panthers will compete at the 117th running of the historic Drake Relays at Drake Stadium, Apr. 22-25, while also competing just down the road in Indianola at Simpson's Kip Janvrin Open. UNI will close out the outdoor regular season on May 2 at Iowa's Musco Twilight, and on May 8 at the Cyclone Twilight in Ames.

The 2026 MVC Outdoor Championships will return to Terre Haute, Indiana and the Gibson Track and Field Complex, May 16-17. Qualified athletes will head south to College Station, Texas for the NCAA West Regionals, May 27-30 on the campus of Texas A&M University, with the NCAA Outdoor Championships rounding out the season, June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon at Hayward Field.

2025-26 UNI OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE (Times TBA)

Mar. 26-27 | WashU Distance Carnival (St. Louis, Mo.)
Mar. 27-28 | Wartburg Outdoor Select (Waverly, Iowa)
Apr. 3-4 | Husker Spring Kickoff (Lincoln, Neb.)
Apr. 10 | Jim Duncan Invitational (Des Moines, Iowa)
Apr. 10-11 | Mustang Distance Carnival & Open (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
Apr. 17-18 | Big Red Classic (Lincoln, Neb.)
Apr. 22-25 | Drake Relays (Des Moines, Iowa)
Apr. 23-24 | Kip Janvrin Open (Indianola, Iowa)
May 2 | Musco Twilight (Iowa City, Iowa)
May 8 | Cyclone Twilight (Ames, Iowa)
May 16-17 | MVC Outdoor Championships (Terre Haute, Ind.)
May 27-30 | NCAA West Regional (Fayetteville, Ark.)
June 10-13 | NCAA Outdoor Championships (Eugene, Ore.)

UNI track and field action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Track and Field), X (@UNITrackFieldXC) and on Instagram (@uni_tf_xc). Schedules and rosters, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

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