BIRMINGHAM, AL --- It was a banner opening day for the New Jersey Athletic Conference at the 2026 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday, as NJAC athletes delivered a national title, two national runner-up finishes, and a meet record across a packed schedule of preliminary and final events at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
WOMEN
Stockton's Elaina Styer set the tone early, putting together a dominant pentathlon performance to finish second overall with 3,765 points — surpassing her seed total of 3,747 — and claiming national runner-up honors along with First Team All-America recognition.
TCNJ's Lucia Garcia-Beltran was one of the day's most versatile performers, advancing to two finals on Saturday. The sprinter ran 7.51 in the 60 meters to place fourth in the preliminary round that saw the top four separated by just .004 of a second. She then returned in the 200 meters to clock 24.29 and finish sixth to qualify for Saturday’s final. Rowan's Nyla Jones was equally impressive in the 60 meter hurdles, clocking 8.64 to place eighth in the prelims and secure her spot in Saturday's final.
Rowan's Gabriella Pagano competed in the women's 5,000 meters, finishing 19th overall in 17:23.45, while Ramapo's Dale Leonard ran 2:15.29 to place 19th in the 800 meters.
MEN
Rowan's Seth Clevenger won the men's 5,000 meters in 13:35.55, claiming the national championship, setting a new meet record and earning First Team All-America honors.
Stockton's Ahmad Fogg provided the men's highlight in the field events, soaring to a mark of 7.46m in the long jump to finish second overall and earn national runner-up honors and First Team All-America recognition. Rowan's Bright John was right behind him, placing fifth at 7.08m to earn First Team All-America honors as well.
On the track, three NJAC sprinters advanced to Saturday's men's 200 meter final. Rowan's Rajahn Dixon was the top qualifier among them, running 21.13 to place third in the prelims. TCNJ's Maxim Rychkov (21.23, 4th) and Rowan's Eli Hendricks (21.29, 6th) also punched their tickets to the final, while Rowan’s Evan Corcoran wrapped up his season with a Second Team All-America recognition (14
th overall; 21.62). Rychkov added another finals qualification in the 60 meters, clocking 6.68 to place fourth in the prelims. Rowan’s Masai Byrd placed 17th at 6.88 seconds.
In the men's 60 meter hurdles, Rowan had three competitors and came away with two finalists. Jason Agyemang (7.95) placed fourth and Kwaku Nkrumah (7.97) placed fifth to both advance to Saturday's final, while Valentin Augustin finished 18th at 8.37.
TCNJ's 4x400 relay team of Noah Traverso, Nathaniel Adams, Anthony Senatore and Maxim Rychkov ran 3:16.11 to finish eighth in the prelims and advance to Saturday evening’s final.
Rowan's distance medley relay — Blaik Slavinski, Matthew Niedbalski, Teddy Wilson and Seth Clevenger — finished ninth overall in 10:00.78.
Looking Ahead to Saturday
The NJAC's presence in Saturday's finals is extensive. Clevenger, fresh off his championship performance in the 5,000, returns for the men's 3,000 meters at 5:50 PM.
Garcia-Beltran chases hardware in two events — the 60 meter final at 10:55 AM and the 200 meter final at 5:15 PM. Jones runs the women's 60 hurdles final at 10:30 AM.
On the men's side, Agyemang and Nkrumah are back in the 60 hurdles final at 10:40 AM, while Rychkov returns for both the 60 meters (11:10 AM) and the 200 meters (5:25 PM). Dixon and Hendricks join him in the 200 final.
The TCNJ 4x400 relay also returns to the track at 6:30 PM.
In the field, Fogg and Rowan's Joshua Justin compete in the men's triple jump at 11:00 AM, while Rowan sends five athletes — David Brown, Jamile Gantt, Noah Wampole, Isaiah Davenport and Arrington Rhym — into the men's high jump at 3:45 PM, joined by Rutgers-Camden's Jayden Deleon.
TCNJ's Allison Lavin competes in the women's shot put at 2:00 PM, and Jayvee Dumas continues his heptathlon as well.
| 2026 NJAC INDOOR TRACK & FIELD PARTICIPANTS AT THE NCAA INDOOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS |
| WOMEN'S PARTICIPANTS |
| Date |
Time |
Name |
Institution |
Event |
Seed |
Result/Notes |
| March 13 |
10:20 AM |
Elaina Styer |
Stockton |
Pentathlon |
3,747 points |
3,765 Points -- 2nd overall
NATIONAL RUNNER-UP
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN |
| March 13 |
1:30 PM |
Nyla Jones |
Rowan |
60 Meter Hurdles |
8.69 |
8.64 -- 8th in prelims
Finals on March 14 at 10:30 AM |
| March 13 |
2:00 PM |
Lucia Garcia-Beltran |
TCNJ |
60 Meters |
7.48 |
7.51 -- 4th in prelims
Finals on March 14 at 10:55 AM |
| March 13 |
3:45 PM |
Dale Leonard |
Ramapo |
800 Meters |
2:12.37 |
2:15.29 -- 19th overall |
| March 13 |
4:15 PM |
Lucia Garcia-Beltran |
TCNJ |
200 Meters |
24.30 |
24.29 -- 6th in prelims
Finals on March 14 at 5:15 PM |
| March 13 |
4:45 PM |
Gabriella Pagano |
Rowan |
5,000 Meters |
16:45.30 |
17:23.45 -- 19th overall |
| March 14 |
2:00 PM |
Allison Lavin |
TCNJ |
Shot Put |
13.65 m |
|
| MEN'S PARTICIPANTS |
| Date |
Time |
Name |
Institution |
Event |
Seed |
Result/Notes |
| March 13 |
10:00 AM |
Jayvee Dumas |
TCNJ |
Heptathlon |
4,888 points |
|
| March 13 |
11:30 AM |
Ahmad Fogg |
Stockton |
Long Jump |
7.54 m |
7.46m -- 2nd overall
NATIONAL RUNNER-UP
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN |
| March 13 |
11:30 AM |
Bright John |
Rowan |
Long Jump |
7.30 m |
7.08m -- 5th overall
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN |
| March 13 |
1:45 PM |
Jason Agyemang |
Rowan |
60 Meter Hurdles |
7.87 |
7.95 -- 4th in prelims
Finals on March 14 at 10:40 AM |
| March 13 |
1:45 PM |
Kwaku Nkrumah |
Rowan |
60 Meter Hurdles |
7.88 |
7.97 -- 5th in prelims
Finals on March 14 at 10:40 AM |
| March 13 |
1:45 PM |
Valentin Augustin |
Rowan |
60 Meter Hurdles |
8.11 |
8.37 -- 18th overall |
| March 13 |
2:15 PM |
Maxim Rychkov |
TCNJ |
60 Meters |
6.72 |
6.68 -- 4th in prelims
Finals on March 14 at 11:10 AM |
| March 13 |
2:15 PM |
Masai Byrd |
Rowan |
60 Meters |
6.79 |
6.88 -- 17th overall |
| March 13 |
4:30 PM |
Rajahn Dixon |
Rowan |
200 Meters |
21.15 |
21.13 -- 3rd in prelims
Finals on March 14 at 5:25 PM |
| March 13 |
4:30 PM |
Maxim Rychkov |
TCNJ |
200 Meters |
21.19 |
21.23 -- 4th in prelims
Finals on March 14 at 5:25 PM |
| March 13 |
4:30 PM |
Eli Hendricks |
Rowan |
200 Meters |
21.31 |
21.29 -- 6th in prelims
Finals on March 14 at 5:25 PM |
| March 13 |
4:30 PM |
Evan Corcoran |
Rowan |
200 Meters |
21.50 |
21.62 -- 14th overall
SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICAN |
| March 13 |
5:05 PM |
Seth Clevenger |
Rowan |
5,000 Meters |
13:32.09 |
13:35.55 -- 1st overall
NATIONAL CHAMPION
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN |
| March 13 |
5:50 PM |
Noah Traverso |
TCNJ |
4x400 Relay |
3:11.82 |
3:16.11 -- 8th in prelims
Finals on March 9 at 6:30 PM |
| Nathaniel Adams |
| Anthony Senatore |
| Maxim Rychkov |
| March 13 |
6:30 PM |
Blaik Slavinski |
Rowan |
Distance Medley Relay |
9:45.25 |
10:00.78 -- 9th overall |
| Matthew Niedbalski |
| Teddy Wilson |
| Seth Clevenger |
| March 14 |
11:00 AM |
Ahmad Fogg |
Stockton |
Triple Jump |
15.17 m |
|
| March 14 |
11:00 AM |
Joshua Justin |
Rowan |
Triple Jump |
14.99 m |
|
| March 14 |
3:45 PM |
David Brown |
Rowan |
High Jump |
2.19 m |
|
| March 14 |
3:45 PM |
Jamile Gantt |
Rowan |
High Jump |
2.10 m |
|
| March 14 |
3:45 PM |
Noah Wampole |
Rowan |
High Jump |
2.10 m |
|
| March 14 |
3:45 PM |
Jayden Deleon |
Rutgers-Camden |
High Jump |
2.09 m |
|
| March 14 |
3:45 PM |
Isaiah Davenport |
Rowan |
High Jump |
2.09 m |
|
| March 14 |
3:45 PM |
Arrington Rhym |
Rowan |
High Jump |
2.06 m |
|
| March 14 |
5:50 PM |
Seth Clevenger |
Rowan |
3,000 Meters |
7:54.87 |
|