Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
NCAA First Round
Spartan Track & Field Travels to Lexington for NCAA First Round
5/26/2026 5:23:00 PM | Track and Field
NCAA EAST FIRST ROUND
Date: May 27 – 30
Location: UK Track & Field Complex | Lexington, Ky.
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Live Results
 EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State track & field will send 18 entries to Lexington, Kentucky, to compete in the First Round of the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The four-day regional meet will be hosted by the University of Kentucky at the UK Track & Field Complex, beginning on Wednesday, May 27 and running through Saturday, May 30.
 THE SCHEDULE
The four-day meet follows a split gender format. The men's competition will take place on May 27 and May 29, while the women's events will be contested on May 28 and May 30.
Action kicks off on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. ET with the men's hammer throw, while track events begin at 6:00 p.m. ET with the first round of the men's 110m hurdles. Thursday's schedule mirrors the start times for the women's field and preliminary rounds.
 PREVIOUSLY FOR MSU
The Spartans head to Lexington following a highly competitive, point-scoring weekend at the 2026 Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Senior standout Kate Stewart-Barnett put on an absolute clinic in the women's 3000m steeplechase, cruising to victory with a season-best time of 9:44.32 to beat the rest of the field by over 13 seconds and secure her third consecutive Big Ten outdoor crown. Stewart-Barnett also showed true veteran grit by returning to the track on Sunday to finish ninth in a tight 1500m final (4:25.86). The distance squad found additional podium success from Sophia Lucki, who captured big points on Saturday with a sixth-place finish in the steeplechase.
The Spartan field and multi-event athletes left a major mark on the score sheet in Lincoln. In the women's field events, senior leader Elle Adrian got the Spartans on board on the opening day of competition, braving the elements in the hammer throw to register a mark of 58.62m and secure an eighth-place podium finish for the Green & White. On the men's side, sophomore thrower Dillon Morlock anchored Sunday's final session by fighting the wind in the shot-put ring, reaching the finals with a throw of 19.44m to secure a fifth-place finish. Dalton DeBeau added to the tally by throwing his way to seventh place in the discus. In the women's multi-events, junior Tess Roman delivered a standout performance in the heptathlon, capturing a fourth-place finish with 5 points to highlight a well-rounded team effort.
 SPARTAN OUTLOOK: THE QUALIFIERS
Women
A deep roster of Spartans earned their spots in the regional field this weekend, blending a strong contingent of field and track athletes ready to chase a spot in the national finals.
In the women's field events, school-record holder Adrian leads the charge with an elite regional seed, preparing to compete in the hammer throw at 10:00 a.m. ET to begin the action on Thursday. Roman will compete in the women's javelin throw for MSU at 1:00 p.m. ET, before the meet transitions into the evening portion for the Spartans. Throwers Rylan Finstrom and Jessica Stieb will spearhead the Spartan throws in the prelims of the women's shot put, while Sophia Mettes enters the weekend with a top-10 seed in the pole vault over at the vertical jumps runway, with both events slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET.
On the track for the Spartan women, Olivia Millen kicks things off in the first round of the women's 1500m on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed closely by Sydnee Sinn competing in the women's 800m first-round action beginning at 7:50 p.m. ET. Preliminary action for the women will wrap up Saturday evening with the women's 3000m steeplechase, headlined by Big Ten steeplechase champion Kate Stewart-Barnett as a regional favorite slated for Saturday at 5:40 p.m. ET, with Sophia Lucki joining her in the competing field.
Men
The men's field contingent brings serious firepower to Lexington, with a slew of Spartan throwers qualifying for the preliminary rounds. Thrower Xaiver Griffiths starts the day for the men on Wednesday in the hammer throw prelims beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET. Standard-bearer Dillon Morlock leads the Green & White in the shot-put prelims, where he holds the school record with a massive 20.07m mark. His brother, Colby Morlock, provides a potent secondary punch in the same shot-put ring on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET. To wrap up the opening day's action, Adam Blue will navigate the pole vault runway, while distance runner Timothy Cherry begins his postseason journey in the prelims of the men's 1500m run, with both competitions starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Action for the Spartan men resumes on Friday in the discus ring, where thrower Dalton DeBeau aims to continue his late-season surge in the discus cage at 1:00 p.m. ET. In the jumps, Brady Schultz returns to the NCAA postseason system in the high jump on Friday at 2:00 p.m. ET. On the track, Andrew Nolan leads the Spartan attack in the 3000m steeplechase on Friday at 5:40 p.m. ET. Friday evening will conclude for Michigan State when freshman distance runner Thomas Westphal makes his NCAA postseason debut in the men's 5000m, scheduled to begin at 8:10 p.m. ET.
NCAA ADVANCEMENT PROCEDURE
From the preliminary pool in Lexington, the top 12 individual finishers and top 12 relay teams in each contested event will secure advancement to the NCAA Championship finals in Eugene, Oregon.Â
ON DECK
Following the conclusion of the preliminary action in Lexington, qualifying Spartans will earn a ticket to the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The national finals will be hosted at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, from Wednesday, June 10 through Saturday, June 13.
Wednesday, May 27
Xavier Griffiths – Hammer – 10 a.m.
Colby Morlock –  Shot Put  – 6:30 p.m.
Dillon Morlock – Shot Put  – 6:30 p.m.
Tim Cherry – 1500m – 6:30 p.m.
Adam Blue – Pole Vault – 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 28
Elle Adrian – Hammer – 10 a.m.
Tess Roman – Javelin – 1 p.m.
Olivia Millen – 1500m  – 6:30 p.m.
Jessica Stieb – Shot Put  – 6:30 p.m.
Rylan Finstrom –  Shot Put – 6:30 p.m.Â
Sophia Mettes – Pole Vault – 6:30 p.m.
Sydnee Sinn – 800m – 7:50 p.m.
Friday, May 29
Dalton DeBeau – Discus – 1 p.m.
Brady Schultz – High Jump (21st) – 2 p.m.
Andrew Nolan – 3000m Steeplechase – 5:40 p.m.
Thomas Westphal – 5000m – 8:10 p.m.
Saturday, May 30
Kate Stewart-Barnett – 3000m Steeplechase– 5:40 p.m.
Sophia Lucki – 3000m Steeplechase – 5:40 p.m.
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