Women’s 4x400 Breaks School Record, Three More Individuals Qualify for NCAA Championship

TF '26 women's 4x400 relay NCAA West Preliminary

Women’s 4x400 Breaks School Record, Three More Individuals Qualify for NCAA Championship

May 31, 2026 | Track & Field

A grand total of 25 Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Championship set for June 10-13

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The women's 4x400 relay team broke the school record as the last K-State qualifiers during the NCAA West Preliminary on Saturday (May 30) as three more women punched their individual tickets at John McDonnell Field.

Seven women had qualifying marks while the men's team had a program-high 14 qualifiers for a total of 21 Wildcats set to compete at the NCAA Championship on June 10-13 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Two alternate sprinters in both the men's and women's relays account for a grand total of 25 Cats heading to the national stage.

The relay, consisting of true freshmen Desirae Riehle, Delaney Brinker and Anastasiia Kretova and senior Vanessa Mercera, ran the fastest time this season in 3:28.74 to finish in 8^th place, the first time a relay team has qualified since 2022. The team surpassed the previous record of 3:31.20 from 2015 while shaving four seconds off the relay's previous best time of 3:32.77 during the Drake Relays.

"Unbelievable day, we punched a lot more tickets to Eugene," head coach Travis Geopfert said. "Tonight it was capped off, the energy and passion brought by our team carried that four-by-four to the school record. 3:28.74 punched our ticket to Eugene, broke the school record by three seconds. Three true freshmen on that relay, three true freshmen on that relay."

Mercera also qualified in the 400-meter hurdles quarterfinals with a 5^th place time of 55.78 seconds. Qualifying in two events, this will be the first outdoor NCAA Championship for Mercera who previously competed in the NJCAA Championship for consecutive years in 2022-23 in the heptathlon.

Freshman Destini Smith led the women in the triple jump with a personal best in 3^rd place at 13.81m (45' 3.75"), an improvement of six inches with a wind aide of 3.3. Junior Daniela Wamokpego will compete in a consecutive championship after a jump of 13.39m (43' 11.25") in 10^th place. Oregon's Sharifa Davronova won the event with a distance of 13.92m, wind aide 2.6.

Other women in the triple jump included senior Tesia Thomas jumped a personal best of 13.19m (43' 3.25"), her best by four inches, as finished just short of the top-12 in 15^th place. Senior Aaliyah Lindsay jumped in her second event of the week, finishing in 19^th place at 13.07m (42' 10.75"). Lindsay qualified for the long jump on Thursday with a distance of 6.55m (21' 6") in 4^th place.

On Friday, the men's relay ran a qualifying time in 3:05.16 for 12^th place, with seniors Bongumusa Nkosi, Cyrus Ways, freshman Heath Grant and junior Nen Matlock, marking the first time both K-State men's and women's relays qualified for the outdoor championship since 2022.

On the men's side, two decathletes; Dorian Charles and Emil Uhlin, two throwers; Riley Marx and Gary Moore Jr., six jumpers; Tah Chikomba, Croix DaCunha, Uroy Ryan, Aaron Antoine, Apalos Edwards and Selva Prabhu as well as the men's 4x400 relay and alternate legs is K-State's most men to qualify in program history, and the most since 2013 when nine men competed.

Seven qualifiers on the women's side, three jumpers; Aaliyah Lindsay, Destini Smith and Daniela Wamokpego, sprinter Vanessa Mercera and the women's 4x400 relay and alternate legs are the most since the 2021 season when 10 Cats competed.

FROM THE TRACK
Head Coach Travis Geopfert
On the men's 4x400 also qualifying on Friday with the last available spot…
"Perseverance and grit was that four-by-four. Our four-by-four got through, we battled some injuries this year, and some adversity this year, and my hats off to those young men. You know, the anchor leg you always fight, you always go through, and Nen Matlock fought all the way through, and it mattered, we were the last team to get in, and we got it done, and to have a dog in the fight in the four-by-four at the National Championships, when it comes down to the end, is a really, really big deal."

On the team effort heading into the NCAA Championship…
"We got 25 athletes going to the National Championships in Eugene. Just proud of the team, proud of the coaches. I appreciate the support staff, you know, our athletic trainers, all the medical people, just awesome."

NCAA West Preliminary
John McDonnell Field
Fayetteville, Ark.

Women's High Jump
25. Zoey Brinker, 1.81m (5' 11.25")

Women's Triple Jump
3. Destini Smith, 13.81m (45' 3.75")(3.3)(PR)*
10. Daniela Wamokpego, 13.39m (43' 11.25")(1.8)*
15. Tesia Thomas, 13.19m (43' 3.25")(2.0) (PR)
19. Aaliyah Lindsay, 13.07m (42' 10.75")(2.1)
30. Taylor Mayo, 12.89m (42' 3.5")(1.9)

400-Meter Hurdles (Quarterfinal)
5. Vanessa Mercera, 55.78*
18. Jourdin Edwards, 57.94

Women's 4x400 Relay (Quarterfinal)
8. 4x400 Relay, 3:28.74 ^*
(D. Riehle, D. Brinker, A. Kretova, V. Mercera)

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