University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
WashU Distance Carnival
Panther distance runners open 2026 outdoor season
3/27/2026 10:11:00 PM | Track and Field
ST. LOUIS --- The UNI track and field team opened the 2026 outdoor competition schedule on Friday with a select group of distance runners competing in the Gateway City at the WashU Distance Carnival at Francis Olympic Field.
Amelia Hill led the UNI women in the women's 5,000-meter run in the 100-woman field with a time of 16:41.92, the third-fastest outdoor mark in program history. Melody Ochana took 29th place in 17:13.51, while Meghan Wheatley finished in 53rd (17:38.37).
In the men's 5,000-meter run, a trio of Panthers all set new career-best times in a crowded 220-man field with Ethan Olds leading UNI with a time of 15:07.10 in 102nd place. Drew Dombrosky followed in 105th place in 15:07.79 with Caleb Kass taking 123rd (15:12.89).
Colin Lillie meanwhile took home 16th place in the men's 10,000-meter run with a career-best time of 30:06.10.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Saturday to continue the opening weekend of the 2026 outdoor season at the Central Invitational in Pella. Competition is scheduled to begin at Ron & Joyce Schipper Stadium at 10 a.m. CT.
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.
Players Mentioned
