Adaejah Hodge Breaks Sha’Carri Richardson’s Record at NCAA Championships

Records continued to fall and national champions were crowned on Thursday as the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships delivered another spectacular evening at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

The second day of competition featured two collegiate records, seven individual champions, and a dramatic finish in the men's decathlon, while Washington moved to the top of the women's team standings and Nebraska maintained its lead in the men's race.

Hodge Breaks Sha’Carri Richardson’s NCAA Record:

The performance of the day came from Georgia freshman Adaejah Hodge, who stunned the track world by breaking Sha’Carri Richardson’s long-standing NCAA 100-meter record.

Competing in the semifinal round, Hodge blasted to a wind-legal 10.63 seconds (+1.9 m/s), eclipsing Richardson’s previous collegiate record of 10.75 set in 2019. The mark also moved the British Virgin Islands star to No. 5 on the all-time world list, placing her among the fastest women in history.

Remarkably, Hodge produced the performance just hours after helping Georgia record the fifth-fastest women's 4x100-meter relay performance in collegiate history. She later returned to qualify fastest for the 200-meter final with a time of 21.96, capping one of the most memorable single-day performances in NCAA history.

Women's 100m Semi-Final Leading Results:

Key: Q = Automatic qualifier, q = Time qualifier.

• See Women's 100m Full Results Here

Amanda Moll Reclaims Collegiate Pole Vault Record:

Washington’s Amanda Moll reclaimed her place atop the collegiate pole vault record books with a championship-winning clearance of 4.84 meters.

The mark broke the previous NCAA record and stands as the highest outdoor clearance in the world this year. In a fitting twist, Amanda regained the record from her twin sister Hana Moll, who finished second with a clearance of 4.74m.

The sisters have traded collegiate records over the past two seasons. Amanda entered the 2025 NCAA Championships as the record holder before Hana captured the title and record. One year later, Amanda returned the favor, winning the national title and restoring her name to the top of the all-time collegiate list.

Barton Edges Byrd for Decathlon Crown:

BYU’s Ben Barton completed a memorable two-day performance to capture the men’s decathlon title with 8,169 points.

Barton held off Louisville’s Kenneth Byrd by just nine points in one of the closest decathlon finishes in recent NCAA history. The Cougar standout used a 5.41-meter clearance in the pole vault and a crucial 4:32.60 performance in the 1,500 meters to secure the victory.

Barton becomes BYU’s first NCAA decathlon champion since 1981 and capped a competition that saw him lead after the opening day with dominant performances in the 100 meters, high jump, and 400 meters.

Kirwa Produces Stunning Upset in the 10,000 Meters:

Iowa State’s Mercyline Kirwa delivered one of the biggest surprises of the championships, storming to victory in the women’s 10,000 meters.

Kirwa unleashed a devastating final lap of 1:01.84 to pull away from defending champion Jane Hedengren of BYU and collegiate-record holder Pamela Kosgei of New Mexico. She crossed the line in 31:54.88 to earn her first NCAA title and give Iowa State a memorable distance victory.

Van Der Westhuizen Strikes Gold for Rice:

Rice’s McKyla Van Der Westhuizen saved her best throw for the final round to win the women’s javelin title.

In a dramatic competition that featured three 60-meter throws in the sixth round, Van Der Westhuizen produced a personal-best 60.87m effort to secure victory. The win made her Rice’s first NCAA champion since Jason Colwick won the men’s pole vault in 2009 and the program’s first female NCAA champion since Allison Beckford captured the indoor 400m title in 2002.

Johansson Continues Shot Put Dominance:

Nebraska’s Axelina Johansson added another national title to her impressive collection, winning the women’s shot put with a massive throw of 19.92 meters.

The mark ranks as the third-best performance in NCAA history, trailing only Oregon’s Jaida Ross and Johansson’s own collegiate best. The victory completed a season sweep of the indoor and outdoor NCAA titles and gave Johansson her fourth career NCAA shot put crown.

Her titles now include the 2023 outdoor championship, the 2025 and 2026 indoor championships, and the 2026 outdoor title.

Jones Sets Championship Record in Long Jump:

Stanford’s Alyssa Jones continued her remarkable season by winning the women’s long jump with a championship-record leap of 7.02 meters.

Jones produced the winning jump in the fifth round, adding another milestone to a breakthrough campaign. Just two weeks earlier, she jumped 7.09m at the NCAA West Regional to move to No. 2 on the all-time collegiate list.

Runarsdottir Reclaims Hammer Throw Title:

Texas State’s Elisabet Rut Runarsdottir captured her second NCAA hammer throw title with a personal-best mark of 73.19 meters.

The Icelandic thrower secured victory on her third attempt and successfully added the 2026 crown to the title she won in 2024.

Team Standings After Day Two:

Washington leads the women's team standings with 18 points after six scored events, powered largely by the Huskies’ dominant 1-2 finish in the pole vault courtesy of Amanda and Hana Moll.

On the men's side, Nebraska remained in first place with 28 points after seven events. Kansas State moved into second with 20 points, overtaking Oregon as the race for the team title continues.

With sprint finals, distance finals, and several field event championships still to come, both team competitions remain wide open heading into the final days of competition at Hayward Field.

• SEE NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS