CARMEL, Ind. – The 2026 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship is set to be held on Friday-Saturday, April 24-25 at Pat Deacon Stadium at Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky.

MEN'S PREVIEW (Championship History)
In the men's competition, Rose-Hulman was picked to repeat as conference champions in the preseason coaches' poll (Preseason Poll). The Engineers earned six first-place votes cast by the coaches. They are hoping to pick up the double after winning the indoor crown in the winter.

RHIT has a well-rounded team with top-50 performers in springs, distance, jumps, and throws. Pole vaulter Kolton Nanko currently sits at 21st nationally with a jump of 4.90m, which is the fourth-best jump all-time in the HCAC. Antoine Cooper has also had a great season for the Engineers and ranks 39th in Division III in the discus with a mark of 48.36m. On the track, Joshua Pohle has the division's 35th-best 10000m time at 30:34.71 and Andrew Shields ranks 47th with a 400m time of 48.19.

Manchester is led by two top-50 performers in Gavin Byerly and Kenneth Redd Jr. Byerly ranks 18th nationally in the steeplechase with a time of 9:15.73, while Redd's long jump mark of 7.00m places him 48th in DIII.
Hanover, Mount St. Joseph, Franklin, Anderson, and Bluffton each have one top-50 performer this season. 

Representing the Panthers is thrower Tommy Wilmoth, who has the 12th-best mark in the shot put at 17.22m. The Lions' also claim a 12th-ranked competitor in Diego Yun whose 52.90 400m hurdle time puts him among the division's best. The Grizzlies top competitor is thrower Joe Johnson who ranks 21st nationally with a javelin throw of 60.22m. The Ravens', meanwhile, have a dominant thrower in Michael Sweigart. Sweigart is a top-50 performer in the hammer throw, discus, and shot put with respective marks of 59.94m, 48.52m, and 15.66m. Those marks sit at fifth, 35th, and 50th, respectively in Division III. The final HCAC competitor in the top-50 is the Beavers' Coen North whose 57.58m mark in the javelin ranks him 37th. 

Poll Results
 

1.	Rose-Hulman	79 (6)
2.	Manchester	74 (2)
3.	Hanover	64 (1)
4.	Mount St. Joseph	57
5.	Franklin	48
6.	Anderson	41
7.	Transylvania	34
8.	Berea	23
9.	Bluffton	18
10.	Earlham	12

WOMEN'S PREVIEW (Championship History)
Two-time reigning champion Rose-Hulman was selected as the favorite in the women's championship and will be looking to double-up on its indoor title this winter (Preseason Poll). RHIT received seven first place votes and 79 points in the voting.

The Engineers have had dominant performances from Rose Talbert and Jocelyn Onstot, who are both top-50 performers nationally in multiple events. Talbert is currently 10th in the nation in the 400m dash at 55.47 and 18th in the 400m hurdles at 1:02.80. Meanwhile, Onstot currently holds the 26th best steeplechase time at 11:05.58 and her 1500m run sits right outside of the top-30 at 32nd with a time of 4:34.89. RHIT's 4x100m relay also set a new conference record this year at 48.64.

Manchester also has a pair of top-50 contenders with Katrina Sejour ranking 16th in all of Division III with a mark of 51.85m and Chesnee Miller ranking 40th in the 1500m at 4:35.56.

Transylvania's Olivia Sparks has climbed the HCAC top-10 lists this year and currently ranks second all-time in both the 200m and 400m. Her respective times of 24.92 and 56.11 place her 47th and 17th nationally. The Pios also have Ella Detjen in the top-50 nationally in 5000m with a time of 17:08.09

Mount St. Joseph also claims two top-50 competitors, both in throwing events. Sienna Slaughter ranks 26th in the hammer throw at 51.10m, while Sophie Rawlings sits at 43rd in the shot put with a mark of 12.96m.

Franklin is the final HCAC school with a top-50 competitor as freshman phenom Grace Tincher ranks seventh in the long jump with a new HCAC record-setting mark of 5.78m.

Poll Results
 

1.	Rose-Hulman	79 (7)
2.	Manchester	75 (3)
3.	Transylvania	63
4.	Mount St. Joseph	55
5.	Berea	44
6.	Franklin	43
7.	Earlham	38
8.	Hanover	26
9.	Anderson	17
10.	Bluffton	10

HOW TO WATCH
Admission to HCAC Championships:

• General Admission - $10 per day 
• HCAC Students/Faculty/Staff with ID - Free
• Children 11 and Under - Free

For more information on HCAC indoor track & field, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the HCAC's home on the internet at www.heartlandconf.org. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference news by following @HCACDIII on Twitter and by liking the "HCAC DIII" Facebook page.