NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Nebraska Wesleyan University track and field program wasted no time making its presence felt on the national stage.
In the first Week 1 Checkpoint of the 2026 outdoor season released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the Prairie Wolves earned national rankings on both sides. The men's program checked in at No. 14 in the country with 125.27 Track & Field Rating Index points, and the women's program landing at No. 22 nationally with 81.71 TFRI points.
Nebraska Wesleyan currently holds six individual marks inside the national top 10 for their respective events.
Regionally, the picture is equally strong. In the first edition of the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Rankings, the NWU men sit third with 598.97 TFRI points, while the women's program checks in fourth at 424.16 points, placing the Prairie Wolves among the elite programs in one of the most competitive regions in the country.
The EventSquad rankings, however, tell the most compelling story of Nebraska Wesleyan's early-season form.
The USTFCCCA's #EventSquad format ranks programs based on the cumulative season-best marks of a team's top four athletes in a given event, requiring depth and consistency across the board rather than relying on a single standout performer. In the first edition of the Division III Outdoor Track & Field Event Squad Rankings, the Prairie Wolves placed seven event groups inside the national top 10, two of which sit at No. 1 in the entire country.
The men's shot put group leads the nation. Sam Clements, Colin Wojtkiewicz, Gavin Kelch and Garett Reiger have combined for an average mark of 15.29 meters, placing them atop the national rankings in the event.
On the women's side, Nebraska Wesleyan holds the top spot in two separate throwing events. The discus squad of Kaelyn Means, Ava Larmon, Anna Lundahl and Elizabeth Hightower leads the nation with an average mark of 42.59 meters. Means headlines the hammer throw group as well, joined by Lyndsie Bosquez, Makenna Meyer and Tiernan Stanton, who sit first nationally at 48.01 meters. The early-season production from the women's throws corps has been nothing short of remarkable.
Beyond the throwing events, the men's program is showing its range. The 100-meter squad of Ghaith Taha, Steven Dalmeida, Tyrell Fennell and Max Lyon ranks ninth nationally with an average mark of 10.89 seconds, while the 400-meter group of McClain Meyer, Barrett Mayfield, Gavin Vlcan and Danny Richardson also sits ninth at 49.61 seconds. The men's hammer throw group of Wojtkiewicz, Jonathan Lee, Drake Ferris and Garett Regier rounds out Nebraska Wesleyan's top-10 appearances, checking in 10th nationally at 47.79 meters.
The Prairie Wolves will look to carry that momentum into competition when they travel to Seward, Nebraska on Monday, April 6 for the Concordia Invitational. For schedule information and live updates throughout the season, visit nwusports.com.
