Redbirds Set for NCAA West First Rounds

THIS WEEK

Illinois State track & field continues postseason action this week as the Redbirds qualified 10 individual student-athletes and one relay squad to the 2026 NCAA West First Round hosted May 27-30 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The meet will be streamed on ESPN+.

There are two first rounds, one for the east region and one for the west region. The qualifiers out of these two regions will compete in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 10-13.

The top 12 competitors from each individual event and the top 12 teams from each relay event advance from each first round. The list of qualifiers from each event contested in the first rounds will be announced by 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 31. The final list of the championship competition participants will be announced by 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 2.

REDBIRD QUALIFIERS

The Redbirds earned 11 total entries into the NCAA postseason meet, highlighted by four women's qualifiers and six men's individual selections, along with the men's 4x400-meter relay team. The top 48 declared student-athletes in each individual event, and the top 24 relay teams in each region qualified for NCAA First Round competition.

On the women's side, Becca Heitzig enters the NCAA West First Round ranked 22nd in the West Region in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:14.76, while Pauline Schedler qualified 26th in the event at 4:15.89. Mattison Plummer heads into the regional meet ranked 16th in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a mark of 10:07.06, while Macee Rivers qualified 18th in the 100-meter hurdles at 13.19.

Illinois State's men qualified in a variety of events on the track and in the field. Zach Paul enters the NCAA West First Round ranked 21st in the West Region in the 100-meter dash with a school-record time of 10.15, while Reece Curtis qualified 45th in the 200-meter dash at 20.63.

The men's 4x400-meter relay squad of Paul, Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr., Jake Welch, and Reece Curtis qualified 12th in the West Region with a season-best time of 3:05.27. Jaiden Reed will also travel to Arkansas and serve as the alternate for the 4x400 relay.

In field events, freshman Voldy Makabu qualified 30th in the high jump after clearing 2.14m, while Seth Nelson enters the pole vault competition ranked 28th at 5.30m. Garrett Taylor qualified in both the shot put and discus, ranking 32nd in the shot put at 18.33m and 36th in the discus at 56.57m. Jacob Klink also earned a berth in the shot put, ranking 42nd with a mark of 17.96m.

TUNE IN ON THE REDBIRDS

Wednesday, May 27

7 p.m. CT

• Zach Paul - 100m Dash (First Round)

• Seth Nelson - Pole Vault (Semifinals)

• Garrett Taylor and Jacob Klink - Shot Put (First Round)

8:45 p.m. CT

• Reece Curtis - 200m dash (First Round) 

Thursday, May 28

6 p.m. CT

• Macee Rivers - 100m Hurdles (First Round)

6:30 p.m. CT

• Becca Heitzig and Pauline Schedler - 1500m (First Round)

Friday, May 29

1 p.m. CT

• Garrett Taylor - Discus (First Round)

2 p.m. CT

• Voldy Makabu - High Jump (Semifinals)

8:45 p.m. CT

• Zach Paul, Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr., Jake Welch, and Reece Curtis and Jaiden Reed - 4x400 Relay (Quarterfinals)

Saturday, May 30

5:40 p.m. CT

• Mattison Plummer (3000m Steeplechase, quarterfinals) 

ATOP THE VALLEY

Illinois State track and field closed out the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships in historic fashion on May 17, as the Redbird men secured their first MVC outdoor team title since 1999.

Trailing by 14 points after day one, the Redbird men totaled four individual titles, a relay championship and several All-MVC finishes en route to the men's first conference crown this millennium. The men finished 26.5 points ahead of runner-up Northern Iowa and 31 points ahead of third-place Indiana State.

• The Illinois State men's 4x100 relay team of Jaiden Reed, Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr., Reece Curtis and Zach Paul claimed the MVC title in 39.81, moving to No. 2 in program history. The performance marked the fastest time by a Redbird 4x100 relay squad since the 1996 quartet set the school record.

• Paul also captured the MVC championship in the men's 100m dash while breaking his own school record with a time of 10.15, improving his previous mark of 10.19. He is Illinois State's first outdoor champion in the event since 1996.

• Garrett Taylor captured the MVC title in the discus with a throw of 55.48m. Taylor is the first Redbird to win an outdoor title in the event since Illinois State won five straight discus titles from 1996-2000.

• Voldy Makabu added another MVC title for the Redbirds in the high jump after clearing 2.14m, tying for ninth in program history. Makabu also received MVC Co-Men's Freshman Athlete of the Year honors.

• Victor Byaundaombe captured the MVC title in the triple jump and improved his seventh-place mark in program history from 15.32m to 15.33m. This is Byaundaombe's second straight outdoor MVC title in the event.

FRESH SCHOOL RECORDS

Four outdoor school records have been tied or broken so far this season.

• Zach Paul broke his own school record in the 100m dash with a time of 10.15 at the MVC Championships. 

• The men's 4x400m relay squad of Paul, Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr., Jake Welch and Evan Watson broke the school record, which was set earlier this season, by over a second with a time of 3:05.27.

• Seth Nelson broke his own school record in the men's pole vault with a clearance of 5.30m.

• Becca Heitzig broke the women's 1500m school record by nearly two seconds with a time of 4:14.79 at the Pepsi Florida Relays on April 4 and then broke her own record with a time of 4:14.76 at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 17.

For the latest updates on Illinois State Track & Field, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com, follow the Redbirds on X (@RedbirdTFXC) and Instagram (isuredbirdtfxc) and like the team on Facebook (Illinois State Track & Field/Cross Country).

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