SPOKANE, Wash. — Tarleton State Track and Field started off strongly with five individual WAC Champions on the first day of the 2026 WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday at The Podium.

The Texans had a very big showing on the first day of the two-day WAC Championships, positioning themselves for a chance at a team championship in both genders. On Day 1, the Texans notched five individual WAC Champions, set seven school records, two all-time WAC records, two meet records, a facility record, and a national record. The Purple and White also had a pair of athletes post top 25 performances in the world this year.

After the first day, the Texan men are in second place with 46 total points, the squad is just 17.5 points behind the current leader Utah Valley. The Wolverines are projected to finish with 207 points, and the Texans are projected to score 159. On the women's side, Tarleton State ranks third at the moment but has the highest projected score. The Texans' 57 points is 10 behind Utah Valley for first. But with the number of women qualified in the top of Saturday's finals, the Texan women are projected to score 180 points. The projected mark is ahead of both Utah Valley and UT Arlington who are projected 155 and 157 points, respectively. The Texan women will have 27 athletes competing for a chance to score points in Saturday's finals, while 25 men will be competing as well.

Jacob Thomas claimed the first WAC title on the men's side of the competition. Thomas didn't enter the competition until all but four had been eliminated. He was one of two to clear the 4.88-meter bar. At the next height, 5.03 meters, Thomas was the only one to clear the bar and claimed the title. He set his next bar at 5.20 meters which would have once again broke his school record, but he came up just short.

Prestina Ochongor earned back-to-back titles in the women's long jump with a best mark of 6.29 meters. The sophomore won her third WAC long jump title in a row adding to her indoor and outdoor crowns last season. She owns the current all-time WAC record with the second-best jump in the NCAA this season, 6.69 meters, earlier this year.

The Texan women advanced seven into the long jump finals and scored six in the top eight. Mackenzie Hill took home the bronze with a best leap of 5.77 meters. Sofia DeGroot placed fourth with a best jump of 5.76 meters right behind Hill. Sakina Umar placed sixth with her best jump of 5.64 meters followed by Jayana Phillips (5.62 meters) and Daj'Eauna Williams (5.54 meters). Phillips improved her personal best to climb into a tie for ninth best in program history.

Jalen Cadet took home the men's long jump in a tightly fought battle. His first jump of 7.72 meters held on to be enough for him to win the crown in his first WAC Championships. With that jump, Cadet improved his third best mark in school history. Lokesh Sathyanathan placed second just one hundredth of a meter behind with a best leap of 7.71 meters on his fifth attempt. Sir Jonathan Sims placed third posting a 7.61-meter jump. The Texans rounded out the top four with Johnathon Rodgers leaping out to 7.24 meters. Rodgers now ranks seventh in school history.

Tayler Wessely also took home gold in the women's weight throw. The senior shattered her own school record by over a meter and became the first Texan to break 64 feet. Her best toss of 19.53 meters came on her third toss of the competition. Wessely was one of two to throw over 19 meters in the event. Three of her four counted tosses all came over 18 meters, while third place overall was 17.38 meters.

Malak Rashwan placed fourth in the pentathlon, the first event of the weekend. Rashwan claimed 1,010 points with the best time in the 60-meter hurdles of 8.53 seconds. The sophomore was the only competitor to claim more than 1,000 points in any single event. She placed second in the long jump, with a best leap of 5.58 meters. She placed fourth in the shot put with a best toss of 11.62 meters, the eighth best in program history. In total she earned 3,537 points, just 14 points shy of her season best and 16 points shy of her school record.

Sage Barmettler tied for first in the women's pole vault with clearances on her first attempt at each of the first three bars. After she was unable to reach the 3.80-meter mark on the third attempt, she was tied with Utah Valley's Grace Williams. The duo each had a best clearance of 3.65 meters with no misses. The duo competed in a jump-off with neither making it at 3.80 meters and Williams clearing 3.75 meters to claim the gold. Barmettler posted the best finish of her career, earning silver. 

Also in the men's pole vault, Texan newcomer Rhett Williams placed sixth overall in his first WAC Championships. He cleared 4.43 meters on his first attempt and then was unable to the 4.58-meter mark.

Chandler Wilson placed sixth in the women's pole vault with a final clearance of 3.35 meters. Wilson made her first appearance of the indoor slate after missing all of last outdoor season and the whole indoor regular season due to injury.

The track event prelims started out hot for the Texans with the school record falling in both the men's and women's 60-meter hurdles. Ca'terrin Cox broke his school record he set earlier this season clocking in in 7.79 seconds, 0.03 seconds faster than his previous record. Cox also had the best qualifying time on the men's side. Malak Rashwan broke her record once again with the top time heading into the finals in 8.45 seconds. She shaved a hundredth of a second of her old school record and Egyptian national record time. Freshman Jamiyah Hill was the other Texan to qualify for Saturday's finals running the second-fastest time in school history crossing in 8.85 seconds. Hill was eighth in the prelims.

JayBrion Jones stole the show in the 60 meters. The freshman showed off his blazing speed breaking the Texan program record crossing in 6.54 seconds. Jones now owns the fifth fastest time in the NCAA this season. His mark is tied for the 22nd fastest in the world this year.

The Texans are sending a pair to the finals in addition to Jones. David Mvundura improved his personal best to 6.68 seconds to finish third in the prelims. He now owns the third fastest time in program history. Less than a half hour after posting the top time in the hurdles, Cox placed fifth in the 60 meters in 6.78 seconds, his new personal best. He now ranks sixth in program history in the event.

Just a few minutes after Jones posted the fifth best time in the NCAA, Victoria Cameron decided to one-up that mark and tied for the fastest women's 60 meters in the NCAA this season. She posted the top time in the prelims, broke her own meet, and WAC All-time records and broke her school record for the first time this season. Cameron blazed out ahead of her competition to clock in at 7.09 seconds, tied for the 12th fastest in the world this year.

Lauren Roy would have set the new WAC Championships meet record, had Cameron not broken it before her. Roy crossed in 7.19 seconds to claim the second fastest qualifying time and the 12th fastest in the NCAA this year. Prestina Ochonogor posted the third-best time in the prelims and the third fastest in program history crossing in 7.31 seconds. The Texans rounded out the top four with Nellie Wartanian posting the fifth fastest time in school history in 7.43 seconds. In total, five Texans will head to Saturday's final with the quartet being joined by Amandine Estival who posted the sixth fastest time in the preliminary round.

In the men's 400, four Texans will be heading to the finals. Camden Hawkins posted the top time in the prelims cruising in the final meters to cross in 48.27 seconds. Tristan Galvan placed fifth with a qualifying time of 48.93 seconds. Galvan now holds the ninth fastest personal best in program history. Also earning a spot in the finals was Tim Price Jr. (49.12 seconds) and Ray Ochoa (49.12 seconds) with the seventh and eighth slots.

The Texans will be sending a pair to the women's 400 finals. Emma Holmes entered the event with the best time of the season in the WAC. She posted the third-best qualifying time crossing in 54.85 seconds. Amandine Estival posted the sixth-fastest time crossing in 56.84 seconds.

Christian Simmons posted the second-fastest time in the men's 800. He will be the Texans only representative in the finals. Simmons crossed in 1:53.28, just under two seconds shy of the program record.

David Mvundura broke yet another school record in the men's 200 meters. He broke out fast and clocked in a new personal best by nearly half a second in 20.76 seconds. Mvundura owns the top time heading into the finals. He will be joined by Cadet who posted the second fastest qualifying time. The senior crossed in 21.21 seconds, improving his personal best and third best mark in school history.

Roy broke the Texans second all-time WAC record of the day blazing around the track in 22.94 seconds in the 200. The senior also set the new facility record and WAC Championships meet record as the first woman to cross in under 23 seconds. She now climbs back into the top 10 in the NCAA with the mark.

Four Texans occupied the top five times in the 200-meter prelims. Holmes posted the third-best qualifying time and the fifth best in program history in 24.03 seconds. Nellie Wartanian was right behind her clocking in at 24.06 seconds, the sixth fastest time in program history. Estival also earned a slot in the finals recording the fifth best time in 24.24 seconds.

In the final event of the night, both Texan relay squads placed fifth in the Distance Medley Relay. The Texan men crossed in 10:30.26 while the women finished in 12:14.88. The women posted the third fastest time in program history. The men climbed into the top 10 in school history with the 10th-fastest time in the event.

The 2026 WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships will wrap up on the second and final day on Saturday at The Podium. The Texans first event of the day is women's high jump. The track events will be streamed on ESPN+ beginning at 4:30 p.m. CT.