University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI opens NCAA West Preliminary track and field meet with four top-25 finishes
5/27/2026 5:00:00 PM | Track and Field
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --- Day one of the 2026 NCAA Division I Track and Field West Preliminary Meet got underway at a rainy John McDonnell Field on Wednesday afternoon with five Panther athletes in action across three events.
Kicking the afternoon off in the men's long jump, Carter Morton, the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) champion, took 14th place with a leap of 24' 11 2/4 on his first attempt. Parker Kiewiet, ranked second all-time in the men's outdoor long jump in Panther history, finished in 24th with a jump of 24' 3 ¾.
In the men's shot put, David Russell, who placed fifth in the event at the MVC Outdoor Championships earlier this month, posted a 19th place finish in the 48-man field after a 59' 10 ½ toss on his second attempt. Carson Lienau meanwhile, ranking fourth all-time in the outdoor shot put in program history, took 23rd with a toss of 59' 2 ¼ on his second throw.
Northern Iowa rounded out the opening day of action in the first round of the men's 800-meter run as Derek Woods finished in 37th place with a time of 1:49.45. Woods, a sophomore from Cedar Falls, narrowly qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Meet as the 48th and final runner to make the field.
UP NEXT
The 2026 NCAA Division I Track and Field West Preliminary Round continues on Thursday with Katy Stephens in action for UNI in the women's long jump at 6:30 p.m. CT, as well as Joey Perry in the women's 400-meter hurdles at 8:20 p.m. CT. Live coverage of the meet can be found on ESPN+.
2026 NCAA WEST PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Wednesday, May 27
- Men's Long Jump
- 14th - Carter Morton (24' 11 ¼)
- 23rd - Parker Kiewiet (24' 3 ¾)
- Men's Shot Put
- 19th - David Russell (59' 10 ½)
- 23rd - Carson Lienau (59' 2 ¼)
- Men's 800m
- 37th - Derek Woods (1:49.45)
Thursday, May 28
- 6:30 p.m. CT - Women's Long Jump (First Round) [Stephens]
- 8:20 p.m. CT - Women's 400m Hurdles (First Round) [Perry]
Friday, May 29
- 2 p.m. CT - Men's High Jump (Semifinals) [Hardin]
- 5 p.m. CT - Men's 4x100m Relay (Quarterfinals) [Chigudu, Kiewiet, Meyers, Nevitt]
Saturday, May 30
- 2 p.m. CT - Women's High Jump (Semifinals) [Stephens, Perry]
- 5:40 p.m. CT - Women's 3,000m Steeplechase [Hill]
- 7:25 p.m. CT - Women's 400m Hurdles (Quarterfinals) ***
- 8:45 p.m. CT - Women's 4x400m Relay (Quarterfinals) [Perry, Jones, Wiseman, Randecker]
*** Pending qualification
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.
