Wildcats Set for Start of NCAA East First Round on Home Turf
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Wildcats are set for the penultimate meet of the season this week on home turf at the 2026 NCAA East First Round at the UK Outdoor Track and Field Complex on May 27-30.
The University of Kentucky will play host to this season’s east first round competition for the second time in three years, previously hosting the event during the 2024 season. The Wildcats are also set to host the event in 2028.
Across the four-day regional meet, UK will be competing in 23 total events, with the men’s events scheduled for Wednesday and Friday and the women’s events slated for Thursday and Saturday.
On the women’s side, 22 Wildcats received a regional qualifying spot to compete for a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. SEC Gold medalists Emmi Scales and Kemarah Howard, both ranking No. 1 in the NCAA in the 100m hurdles and high jump events, highlight the list of qualifiers for Kentucky.
SEC medalists Collins Kiprop Kipngok, Denzel Simusialela and Theo Mudzengerere are among the list of 14 men’s qualifiers for the Wildcats. Ed Bird, Grayson Brashear, Brock Conrad, Grant Harrison, Collins Kiprop Kipngok, Kingi McNair, Theo Mudzengerere and the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams will feature in next week’s regional meet.
In this week’s USTFCCCA national rankings, the Wildcats moved up three spots to No. 9 in the women’s poll and No. 25 on the men’s side.
The 2026 NCAA East First Round will kick off in Lexington, Ky. at the UK Outdoor Track and Field Complex on Wednesday, May 27, starting with the opening round of the men’s regional events at 10 a.m. ET with Brock Conrad in the men’s hammer throw semifinal.
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Event Schedule
| NCAA East First Round: Wednesday, May 27: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Men’s Hammer | 10:00 a.m. | SEMIFINAL | Brock Conrad
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| Men’s Long Jump | 6:00 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | Kingi McNair
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| Men’s 110m Hurdles | 6:00 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | Anthony Waterman
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| Men’s Shot Put | 6:30 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | Grayson Brashear
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| Men’s 100m | 7:00 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | Denzel Simusialela, Miles Jones
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| Men’s 400m | 7:25 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | TK Pahuwa
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| Men’s 400m Hurdles | 8:20 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | Anthony Waterman
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| Men’s 200m | 8:45 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | Denzel Simusialela
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| NCAA East First Round: Thursday, May 28: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Women’s Hammer | 10:00 a.m. | SEMIFINAL | Kate Powers, Meagan Ewers
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| Women’s 100m Hurdles | 6:00 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | Emmi Scales, Camden Bentley, Rukia Nusra Omulisia
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| Women’s 1500m | 6:30 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | Doricah Minsari Isoe, Ally Kruger
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| Women’s Pole Vault | 6:30 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | Kaylee Daniel, Annie Murphy, Chelsea Wetzel, Sarah Ferguson
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| Women’s 400m | 7:25 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | A’Laji Bradley, Hannah Douglas
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| Women’s 800m | 7:50 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | Janet Jepkemboi Amimo, Lyric Olson
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| Women’s 400m Hurdles | 8:20 p.m. | FIRST ROUND | Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera
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| NCAA East First Round: Friday, May 29: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Men’s Discus | 1:00 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | Grayson Brashear
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| Men’s 4x100m | 5:00 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | Kentucky
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| Men’s 3000m Steeplechase | 5:40 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | Collins Kiprop Kipngok
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| Men’s Triple Jump | 6:00 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | Theo Mudzengerere |
| Men’s 110m Hurdles | 6:15 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | TBD |
| Men’s 100m | 6:25 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | TBD
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| Men’s 400m | 6:50 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | TBD
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| Men’s 400m Hurdles | 7:25 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | TBD
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| Men’s 200m | 7:50 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | TBD
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| Men’s 5000m | 8:10 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | Ed Bird
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| Men’s 4x400m | 8:45 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | Kentucky
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| NCAA East First Round: Saturday, May 30: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Women’s High Jump | 2:00 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | Kemarah Howard
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| Women’s 1500m | 5:15 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | TBD
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| Women’s 100m Hurdles | 6:15 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | TBD
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| Women’s 400m | 6:50 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | TBD
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| Women’s 800m | 7:05 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | TBD
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| Women’s 400m Hurdles | 7:25 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | TBD
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| Women’s 5000m | 8:10 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | Ann Lemirisho
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| Women’s 4x400m | 8:45 p.m. | QUARTERFINAL | Kentucky |
