CLINTON, Miss. — Mississippi College track and field will send seven student-athletes to compete at the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled for May 21-23 at Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas.
The Choctaws and Lady Choctaws will be represented by five men and two women at the national meet, which begins Thursday and concludes Saturday.
On the men's side, freshman Brodie Roberts will compete in the 100 meters after posting a school-record time of 10.29 seconds at the MC Spring Classic on March 7. The Denham Springs, Louisiana, native enters the national championships as the No. 19 seed and the fourth-ranked freshman in the field. Roberts will make his first NCAA championship appearance.
Freshman Schyler Chambers qualified in the triple jump after recording a mark of 15.49 meters at the Joe Walker Invitational on April 10. The Canton, Mississippi, native is seeded eighth nationally and ranks as the No. 2 freshman in Division II. Chambers also competed at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships earlier this year, finishing 15th in the triple jump. He is the Gulf South Conference indoor champion and holds the conference indoor record in the event.
Senior Gabe Hodson will compete in the 800 meters after breaking his own school record with a time of 1:47.60 at the Joe Walker Invitational. The Raceland, Louisiana, native enters as the No. 7 seed in the field. Hodson is the reigning GSC champion, conference record holder and the 2026 GSC Track Athlete of the Year. He earned indoor All-America honors with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships.
Senior Christian Balcer earned his first national championship berth in the 1,500 meters after running 3:45.02 at the Joe Walker Invitational. The Hurley, Mississippi, native is seeded 21st in the field.
Freshman Jake McMillian qualified for the decathlon after scoring a school- and GSC-record 6,974 points at the conference championships. The Madison, Mississippi, native enters as the No. 14 seed and the fifth-ranked freshman in the nation. McMillian was named the GSC Field Athlete of the Year.
For the Lady Choctaws, senior Lauren Wallace returns to the national stage in the 1,500 meters. The Hoover, Alabama, native posted a time of 4:21.92 to earn the No. 11 seed. Wallace is an indoor All-American in the mile after placing eighth at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships and previously earned second-team All-America honors in the 1,500 meters at Welch Stadium in 2024 with an 11th-place finish. She owns school records in the outdoor 800 meters, 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters. This marks her sixth NCAA national championship appearance across cross country and track and field.
Senior Bre Bell will make her first national championship appearance in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The Lexington, Mississippi, native clocked a school-record 10:30.14 and enters the field as the No. 15 seed. Bell was the runner-up at the GSC Championships.
The top eight finishers in each event earn first-team All-America honors, while places nine through 12 receive second-team All-America recognition.
