CLEVELAND, OH – The 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held Friday-Saturday, May 1-2, at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Heading into this year's meet, the Ohio Wesleyan women, who are seeking their league-leading 15th NCAC title and first since 2016, and the Wittenberg men, who are aiming for their fifth championship crown and first since 2002, were selected as the favorites based on pre-championship balloting by the league coaches.
 
In the men's poll, Wittenberg topped the field after totaling 80 points and garnering eight of the nine first-place votes, while Wabash collected the final first-place vote to earn second with 73 points. John Carroll claimed third with 63 points, followed by Ohio Wesleyan (54) in fourth,  DePauw (41) in fifth, Kenyon (35) in sixth, Denison (25) and Oberlin (25) shared seventh and Wooster (9) rounded out the nine-team field.
 
Wittenberg enters the outdoor championship positioned to contend for the league title under 11-year head coach Paris Hilliard. The Tigers hold at least one top-five conference mark in 14 events, drawing on a roster that blends experienced returners with standout first- and second-year athletes.
 

• Wittenberg owns multiple top-five marks in the sprint events, led by sophomore Jack Kittle (Chagrin Falls, OH/Chagrin Falls), who ranks first in the conference in the 200-meter dash (21.38) and adds the NCAC's second-fastest mark in the 400-meter dash (47.03). The Tigers hold two top-five conference times in each of those events. Sophomore Elijah Simmons (Jacksonville, FL/Groveport Madison (OH)) adds depth to the sprints, posting the NCAC's top mark in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.48.
• The Ohio Tigers’ distance crew runs through junior Lukas Rieben (Clayton, OH/Northmont), who owns the NCAC's top mark in both the 5,000-meter run (14:50.57) and the 10,000-meter run (30:27.10), while also adding a top-five conference time in the 1,500-meter run at 3:58.60.
• Wittenberg owns the conference’s top times in both hurdle events, as sophomore Kory Davis (Brookville, OH/Brookville) leads the NCAC in the 110-meter hurdles (14.15) and junior Owen Bier (Elyria, OH/Midview) paces the conference in the 400-meter hurdles (54.46). The squad has depth in both events, holding two top-five conference marks respectively.
• In the relays, Wittenberg has posted the conference's fastest time in both the 4x100 (41.16) and 4x400 (3:11.93).
• The Tiger’s field event strength begins in the pole vault, in which first-year Matthew Keaton (Westerville, OH/North) leads the NCAC with a clearance of 4.40 meters, and the Tigers hold three of the conference's top-five marks. First-year Antonio Weaver (Columbus, OH/Independence) paces the conference in the long jump with a mark of 7.21 meters, while first-year Jeremiah Owusu (Columbus, OH/Thomas Worthington) ranks third in the high jump, clearing 1.91 meters, and first-year Daniel Walker (Milford, OH/Milford) adds a fourth-best shot put mark of 14.50 meters.

 
In the women's poll, Ohio Wesleyan earned the top spot with 60 points and four of the eight first-place votes. DePauw followed in second with 56 points and two first-place votes, while John Carroll claimed third with 52 points and the final two first-place votes. Wittenberg took fourth with 36 points, followed by Denison (35) in fifth, Kenyon (25) in sixth, Oberlin (16) in seventh, and Wooster (8) in eighth.
 
Ohio Wesleyan enters the outdoor championship positioned to take over the league lead and earn its 15th crown. Under 24-year head coach Kris Boey, the Battling Bishops own at least one top-five NCAC mark in 16 events, drawing strength from a deep roster of experienced returners and emerging first- and second-year competitors.
 

• Sophomore Katherine Dortmund (Westerville, OH/Columbus St. Francis DeSales) anchors a deep sprint and hurdle group, ranking second in the NCAC in the 100-meter dash (12.00) and tying for third alongside classmate Kennedy Elfers (Powell, OH/Olentangy Liberty) in the 200-meter dash (25.38), giving the Battling Bishops two top-five marks in the event. Dortmund also leads the conference in the 100-meter hurdles, posting the NCAC's top mark of 13.84. First-year Layla Bauknect (Galena, OH/Olentangy Berlin) rounds out the hurdle group with the fourth-fastest conference mark in the 400-meter hurdles at 1:06.09.
• Junior Brianna Montgomery (Gibsonburg, OH/Gibsonburg) provides strength in the middle distances, ranking third in the NCAC in the 1,500-meter run (4:42.05) and adding a fourth-best mark in the 800-meter run (2:19.07).
• The Battling Bishops have a strong presence across the distance events with junior Zoe Ward (Columbus, OH/Worthington Christian) leading the NCAC in the 5,000-meter run (17:15.80) and junior Elsa Hoam (Fredericktown, OH/Fredericktown) topping the league in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:14.66). Junior Sophie Cotts (Granville, OH/Granville) adds the third-best mark in the 10,000-meter run (36:19.45).
• Ohio Wesleyan has posted the conference's fastest time in the 4x100-meter relay (46.99) and the third-best mark in the 4x400-meter relay (3:57.20).
• The Bishops have made their mark in the high jump, where Bauknect and first-year Audrey Spooner (Marysville, OH/Marysville) are tied for second in the conference at 1.56 meters, with OWU holding four of the NCAC's top-five marks. Junior Addie Beck (Wadsworth, OH/Wadsworth) leads the conference in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.55 meters, while first-year Claire Campbell (Marshall, IL/Marshall) adds the fifth-best triple jump at 10.58 meters.
• In the throws, senior Emily Davis (Brimfield, OH/Mogadore Field) leads OWU, owning the NCAC’s top mark in the discus throw (42.06 meters) and ranking second in the hammer throw (44.23 meters).

 
 

2026 NCAC Outdoor Track & Field Pre-Championship Coaches Polls
WOMEN				MEN
Rank	School (1st place votes)	Points		Rank	School (1st place votes)	Points
1	Ohio Wesleyan (4)	60		1	Wittenberg (8)	80
2	DePauw (2)	56		2	Wabash (1)	73
3	John Carroll (2)	52		3	John Carroll	63
4	Wittenberg	36		4	Ohio Wesleyan	54
5	Denison	35		5	DePauw	41
6	Kenyon	25		6	Kenyon	35
7	Oberlin	16		7	Denison	25
8	Wooster	8		7	Oberlin	25
				9	Wooster	9