KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The top 16 student-athletes who have qualified for the 2026 NAIA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field National Championship as multi-event qualifiers have been announced.
This year, the qualifiers will meet in Asheville, N.C., at the Karl Straus Track for their final competition of the season.
| NAME (2025 finish) | CLASS | INSTITUTION | SCORES |
| Lizzy Grandle | JR | Eastern Oregon | 5160 |
| Lindsey Strutz (11) | SR | Aquinas (Mich.) | 4860 |
| Caitlyn O’Brien | JR | Ave Maria (Fla.) | 4844 |
| Emma Barnes | SR | Montreat (N.C.) | 4824 |
| Avery Poppe (8) | SO | Viterbo (Wis.) | 4811 |
| Amelie Steins (12) | JR | Dakota State (S.D.) | 4796 |
| Annemarie Koerner (9) | JR | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 4787 |
| Haley Bellamy (4) | SR | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 4768 |
| Katelyn Christensen | SR | Carroll (Mont.) | 4621 |
| Joana Vakasobuduru | SR | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 4556 |
| Chaney Nelson (10) | JR | Doane (Neb.) | 4556 |
| Ayla Janzen | SO | Montana Tech | 4528 |
| Casey Olson | JR | Dakota State (S.D.) | 4505 |
| Maria Connealy | JR | Benedictine (Kan.) | 4505 |
| Lucy Carey | SO | Hastings (Neb.) | 4476 |
| Claire Nichol | JR | Trinity Western (B.C.) | 4397 |
The current heptathlon record holder is Kim Vanderhoek of Simon Fraser (B.C.) in 2012 with a score of 5,626.
Six qualifiers for the 2026 championship also competed in the 2025 championship: Lindsey Strutz, Avery Poppe, Amelie Steins, Annemarie Koener, Haley Bellamy and Chaney Nelson. All of those returning from the 2025 championship have qualified with a higher mark than what they set at the previous national championship, except for Haley Bellamy who set a new personal best in 2025.
Central Methodist (Mo.) and Dakota State (S.D.) are the only two schools that qualified two athletes in the heptathlon. CMU with three and DSU with two.
Open Qualifiers: The final qualifiers list for the championship will be announced on Wednesday, May 13, at 10 a.m. CT on NAIA.org.
Follow the Championship: Event Schedule
Broadcast Information: Urban Edge Network | NAIA Network | Links to mobile and smart TV apps at NAIA.org/Watch
More helpful links: Visitors Guide | Purchase Tickets
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The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced final rosters and entry lists for the 2026 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship.