AUBURN, Ala. — The Auburn track & field team begins the road to the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with the NCAA East Preliminaries in Lexington, Kentucky, May 27-30 at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track and Field Facility on the UK campus.
Auburn earned a total of 32 bids by 28 athletes who will compete in 19 individual events along with two relays to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 10-13 at Hayward Field. The men’s team will send 16 competitors, while the women’s team will send 12.
The Tigers will have five All-Americans and three national champions competing on the men’s side, including sprinters Kayinsola Ajayi and Azeem Fahmi who won a pair of 4x100m relay national titles the last two years along with 2026 outdoor national champion hurdler Ja’Kobe Tharp. Sprinter Israel Okon and thrower Matthew Rueff round out the Auburn men’s All-Americans vying to return to Eugene.
On the women’s side, three field athletes All-Americans will be competing in Lexington, including pole vaulter Alyssa Quinones-Mixon, thrower Megan Hague, and Marley Raikiwasa.
To qualify for the East preliminaries, the student-athletes must have finished the season ranked within the top 48 of their individual events or as a member of the top 24 relay team on their respective regional qualifying list (East or West).
The East and West Preliminaries will take the top 12 finishers in each event, with all 24 competing at the NCAA Championships. The West Preliminaries will take place at Texas A&M University in Bryan-College Station, Texas.
AUBURN MEN’S EAST FIRST ROUND QUALIFIERS
100m - Kayinsola Ajayi, Israel Okon, Tyler Davis, Omari Lewis, Azeem Fahmi
200m - Israel Okon, Mekhi Dupree
1500m - Max Hardin
10,000m - Nickson Chebii
110m Hurdles - Ja’Kobe Tharp
400m Hurdles - Devin Nugent, Njabulo Mbatha
4x100m Relay
Long Jump - Daramola Ibukun
Shot Put - Matthew Rueff, Kai Twaddle-Dunham
Discus - Seth Allen, Kai Twaddle-Dunham
Hammer - John Leonard
AUBURN WOMEN’S EAST FIRST ROUND QUALIFIERS
200m - Reese Webster
1500m - Camila Gomes
100m Hurdles - Danae Nembhard
400m Hurdles - Zuriel Reed
4x100m Relay - Nembhard, Webster, Efetobore, Richardson
Pole Vault - Alyssa Quinones-Mixon
Shot Put - Megan Hague, Camryn Massey, Marley Raikiwasa
Discus - Camryn Massey, Marley Raikiwasa
Hammer - Norah Lind
Javelin - Sophia Mazzoni