The University of Oregon track and field team has secured 23 entries for the upcoming 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships, which will take place on March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The men’s team will be represented by 15 entries, while the women’s team will have eight opportunities to score.
Among the qualifiers, Silan Ayyildiz, Elliott Cook, and Tomas Palfrey each earned spots in both the mile and 3,000-meter events. Cook and Palfrey are part of a group of five men competing in the 3,000 meters alongside Benjamin Balazs, Simeon Birnbaum, and Connor Burns. On the women’s side, Ayyildiz is joined by Wilma Nielsen and Juliet Cherubet in the mile.
Final selections were made based on being among the top 16 declared athletes in each event or top 12 relay teams.
Silan Ayyildiz is making her third appearance at the NCAA Indoor Championships with Oregon and her fourth overall. She recently won two Big Ten Indoor titles (mile and 5,000 meters) and set a school record at the NB Indoor Grand Prix. “Third appearance at the NCAA Indoor Championships at Oregon; fourth overall … two-time 2026 Big Ten Indoor champion (mile and 5,000 meters); runner-up at 3,000 meters … lowered own school record with time of 8:42.29 at the NB Indoor Grand Prix … qualifying mark of 8:42.66 at the BU Valentine Invitational … clocked a season-best 4:25.11 to win the mile at the Razorback Invitational … anchored DMR that was the 2025 NCAA Indoor runner-up; finished fourth in last year’s mile,” according to her profile.
Peyton Bair returns as reigning NCAA heptathlon champion after scoring a personal best this season to become one of only four performers in NCAA history to reach his point total indoors.
Benjamin Balazs makes his first championship appearance after running a lifetime best that moved him to second all-time in Oregon history for indoor 3,000 meters.
Simeon Birnbaum qualified for his second championship after winning both Big Ten titles in distance events this year.
Connor Burns debuts after recording one of Oregon’s fastest times ever for an indoor season opener over 3,000 meters.
Aiden Carter enters following his conference title win in heptathlon with career-best marks across multiple events.
Diana Cherotich broke her own school record twice this season en route to qualifying for her first national meet in the women’s 5,000 meters.
Juliet Cherubet joins as Big Ten champion over 3,000 meters and holds top-three program marks both in that event and the mile.
Elliott Cook is making his third trip to nationals with lifetime bests that rank him among Oregon’s all-time leaders for both distance races he’ll contest.
Matthew Erickson returns as defending champion over 800 meters after becoming just the second man from Oregon to run under one minute forty-six seconds indoors.
James Harding also competes again nationally after strong performances this winter including a sub-1:47 effort over two laps indoors.
Abdel Laadjel qualified for his first championships with personal records placing him high on Oregon’s all-time lists for long-distance events.
Kobe Lawrence set an indoor school record this year en route to qualifying for shot put nationals on his first attempt past twenty meters indoors.
Liisa-Maria Lusti makes her debut after winning pentathlon at Razorback Invitational with a performance ranking second all-time among Ducks athletes indoors.
Aaliyah McCormick will compete for a fourth time nationally following another conference title win over hurdles where she set a new personal best below eight seconds.
Wilma Nielsen returns as reigning national champion in women’s mile with one of collegiate history’s fastest times this winter.
Tomas Palfrey qualified individually for both distance races while breaking an Oregon school record during his first-ever completed indoor race over three kilometers.
Ben Smith reached nationals by setting new lifetime bests that now rank him second on Oregon’s all-time list for indoor shot put.
Both men’s (Birnbaum, Fuad Omer, Cook, Palfrey) and women’s (Ayyildiz, Lakely Doht-Barron, Samantha McDonnell, Nielsen) distance medley relays also advanced based on their performances earlier this month.
For further updates about University of Oregon cross country and track & field programs visit their social media channels @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram or X.
