Five Wildcats Qualify for NCAA West First Round Meet
5/21/2026 3:23:00 PM | Track & Field
Five members of the Abilene Christian track and field team will represent the university at the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field West First Round, it was announced Thursday.
The meet is scheduled for May 27-30 at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. The NCAA First Rounds are split between two locations with the University of Kentucky hosting the East region in Lexington, Ky. Qualifiers from these two sites will compete in the NCAA Championships on June 10-13 in Eugene, Oreg.
Miguel Hall, A.J. Jenkins, and Rhet Punt are the Wildcats' three male qualifiers, while Chianel Asoburuenwu and Mariana Van Dyk are the female qualifiers.
To qualify for the NCAA First Round, an athlete must be be in the top 48 of his/her respective event in the region. For decathlon and heptathlon, only the top 24 athletes in the country are taken and automatically advance to the NCAA Championships.
Below are ACU's qualifiers and events, along with their ranking in the region heading into the NCAA First Round.
Men
The field will be trimmed down from prelims to the finals at the NCAA First Round with the top 12 competitors in each event advancing to the NCAA Championships.
The meet is scheduled for May 27-30 at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. The NCAA First Rounds are split between two locations with the University of Kentucky hosting the East region in Lexington, Ky. Qualifiers from these two sites will compete in the NCAA Championships on June 10-13 in Eugene, Oreg.
Miguel Hall, A.J. Jenkins, and Rhet Punt are the Wildcats' three male qualifiers, while Chianel Asoburuenwu and Mariana Van Dyk are the female qualifiers.
To qualify for the NCAA First Round, an athlete must be be in the top 48 of his/her respective event in the region. For decathlon and heptathlon, only the top 24 athletes in the country are taken and automatically advance to the NCAA Championships.
Below are ACU's qualifiers and events, along with their ranking in the region heading into the NCAA First Round.
Men
- Junior Miguel Hall - 110M Hurdles, 47th
- Freshman Arthur Jenkins - Triple Jump, 36th
- Junior Rhet Punt - Hammer Throw, 30th
- Redshirt Junior Chianel Asoburuenwu - 100M, T-45th
- Sophomore Mariana Van Dyk - Shot Put, 41st
The field will be trimmed down from prelims to the finals at the NCAA First Round with the top 12 competitors in each event advancing to the NCAA Championships.
Players Mentioned
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