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Freshman high jumper Slade Smith, glides over the bar. Smith placed fifth in the final men’s high jump rankings with a jump of 6 feet 8.25 inches.
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Sophomore pole vaulter Adam Wooldridge soars while competing at the 2026 MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Ichabod’s in the men’s pole vault earned half a point for the team’s overall score.
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Sophomore jumper Mellanie Neudinger reaches for a second place finish in the long jump. Neudinger competed in women’s long jump, 200-meter dash and 4×100-meter relay.
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Senior distance runner Donald Kibet leads his teammates senior distance runner Tommy Roehl; and sophomore distance runner Lukas Mehl, in the 10,000-meter run. Kibet took home gold in the race with a standout performance and a finishing time of 29 minutes and 58.63 seconds.
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Freshman sprinter Bryce Cochran competes in the men’s 400 meter dash. Two Ichabod men competed in the 400.
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Senior distance runner Lexi Fontaine hands off the baton to Augustin Kereser, senior sprinter, in the women’s 4×400 meter relay. Ichabod women placed fourth in the 4×400 just shy of medal contention.
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Senior thrower Adriel Holloway winds up for her fourth throw of the day. Holloway placed fifth with a throw of 45 feet 5.00 inches in the women’s shot put.
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Senior triple jumper Justin Forde reaches for a first-place finish. Forde achieved a personal record at the meet of 54 feet 7.25 inches and increased his lead as the No. 1-ranked triple jumper in Division II nationwide.
The Washburn track and field men finished seventh overall while women finished fifth overall at the 2026 MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship held in Pittsburg, Kan.
Athletes that earned all-MIAA honors are Mellanie Neudinger, sophomore jumper; Donald Kibet, senior distance runner; Tommy Roehl, senior distance runner; Naiuri Krein, senior multieventer; Justin Forde, senior triple jumper; Lexie Fontaine, senior distance runner; and Kyla Lochtefeld, senior distance runner.
Kibet won the men’s 10,000-meter run and doubled back two nights later with a fourth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run.
“I’m racing because of my teammates, because they support me during the race,” Kibet said.
Support is a key to success that multiple athletes mention when reflecting on their seasons and athletic careers.
“I’m very grateful that, like, I took the decision to come to the United States four years ago … I met so many people, and I will cherish that for my whole life,” Krein said.
Krein placed second in the heptathlon, earning all-MIAA honors. Heptathlon athletes compete in seven disciplines and attempt to achieve the highest number of points. Events included in the heptathlon are 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200-meter dash, long jump, javelin and 800-meter run. These eventers prove their speed, strength and technical skills.
Despite the high score Krein earned, the women’s team was only able to achieve a fifth-place ranking.
“This weekend in general just didn’t reflect everything we’ve been doing during the season. So it’s one of those things [in] sports that I think … makes sports so entertaining and so good. [There] is this unpredictable point and the unpredictable happened,” Krein said. “This is not just about winning. You win or you learn, and that was a learning experience.”
The team learned and plans to implement stronger training going forward for a better place in the future.
“I’m ready for another year of training and improvement. I’m excited to see where the team can go next year,” Lochtefeld said.
Looking forward, the team hopes to place higher in the MIAA conference meets for the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Edited by Ojashwi Shrestha and Stuti Khadka
