INDIANAPOLIS, Calif. – After a season filled with record-breaking performances, conference titles, and nationally ranked marks, 14 Sunbirds are officially headed to the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Fresno Pacific will send one of its strongest national contingents in program history as the Blue and Orange prepare to compete against the nation's best.
As stated by the NCAA, for each individual event contested, the top 22 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition, the top 16 declared relay teams, one per institution, were accepted, and for the heptathlon and decathlon the top 16 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition.
Leading the way for the women is Avril Mendoza, who qualified in the 400m hurdles along with both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. After returning from an injury, Mendoza enters nationals ranked sixth in the country in the 400m hurdles after a dominant season on the track. The Sunbird was the final PacWest Athlete of the Week after recording a lifetime best in the 400m, ranking fourth in the nation at the time.
Standout sophomore Cyan Haslip will also represent the Sunbirds in multiple events after earning the PacWest Outstanding Athlete of the Meet honor at the PacWest Championships. Haslip qualified in the 100m hurdles and the 4x100 relay and enters nationals ranked 12th in the nation in the hurdles. Joining the relay squad are Nydia Chance and Shaniya Randolph, two explosive sprinters who helped power Fresno Pacific throughout the season. Chance qualified individually in the 100m and sits 22nd nationally, while Randolph enters nationals as the reigning PacWest Champion in the 200m.
The women's 4x400 relay will feature Emma O'Neil alongside Kenahdi Haslip and Randolph. Haslip captured the PacWest title in the event and consistently delivered clutch performances all season long.
In the field events, Chavez Grey heads to nationals after an outstanding conference meet that saw him crowned PacWest Champion in both the discus and shot put. Grey enters the national meet ranked 19th in the country in discus. Teammate Dejan Mileusnic also secured a spot in the javelin, carrying the nation's 14th-best mark into championship competition.
Freshman sensation Tevž Podlipnik has emerged as one of the top athletes in Division II, entering nationals ranked No. 1 in the nation in the javelin with his 72.05m mark at the West Coast Relays. Shane Bagley joins him atop the national rankings, heading into nationals ranked first in Division II in the pole vault after a record shattering performance (18 ft 4.5 in) at the Stanford Invite. Malachi Carrasco continued his incredible year in the high jump by winning the PacWest Championship title and earning the nation's sixth-best mark heading into nationals.
On the track, Jonathan Tseko-Biffle and Rome Johnson will compete in the 400m hurdles after putting together strong qualifying campaigns throughout the season. Biffle enters the meet ranked 16th nationally. Last, but definitely not least, Shemar Palmer rounds out the Sunbirds' national qualifiers as one of the premier sprinters in Division II. The PacWest Champion in both the 200m and 400m enters nationals ranked second in the nation in the 200m and sixth in the 400m, giving Fresno Pacific a legitimate title contender on the national stage.
The NCAA DII Track and Field Championships will be held May 21-23rd in Emporia, Kansas.
To view the full NCAA Championships announcement, CLICK HERE.
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