INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- The NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country Committee announced today the participants in the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships, featuring Jacob Balcome, Yaih Marial, Lauryn Schutz, and Ali Clifford of UW-River Falls.

The championships will be held March 13-14 at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama with the Southern Athletic Association and the Birmingham CrossPlex serving as hosts. 

For each men's individual event contested, including the heptathlon, the top 20 declared student-athletes were accepted into the championships.  For each women's individual event contested, including the pentathlon, the top 20 declared student-athletes were accepted into the championships. 

The Falcons are coming off the 2026 WIAC Indoor Championships (Feb. 27-28), in which Jacob Balcome and Yaih Marial led the men's team with individual event titles, Balcome in the heptathlon and Marial in the high jump. The women's team concluded the meet in sixth place with 30.50 total points followed the men's team who earned 27 total points over the weekend. 

2026 NCAA DIVISION III INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date(s): March 13-14
Site: Birmingham CrossPlex // Birmingham, Ala.
Live Coverage: Video // Results

FALCON NOTES

• Jacob Balcome, the reigning NCAA Division III Indoor Men's Heptathlon national champion, enters the meet as the top seed after setting a UW-River Falls record at the WIAC Indoor Championships at UW–Platteville. His mark also established a facility record. Balcome will be making his third consecutive appearance at the indoor national meet.
• Yaih Marial is now a two-time indoor national qualifier in the high jump, entering the meet tied for 10th after clearing 2.06 meters (6'9") at the conference championships. At the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships, in the same Birmingham CrossPlex complex, Marial finished ninth out of 20 competitors. 
• The women's throwing duo of Lauryn Schutz and Ali Clifford will both be making their first career appearances at the national championships.
  • Schutz enters the meet ranked sixth with her program-record mark of 17.97 meters, set earlier this season at a UW–River Falls home meet. Clifford recently strengthened her national qualifying position with a personal-best 17.69-meter throw at the UW-La Crosse Final Qualifier on Saturday, which ranks second in program history behind Schutz.

SCHEDULE
Friday, March 13
10 a.m. - Men's Heptathlon (Jacob Balcome)
3 p.m. - Women's Weight Throw (Lauryn Schutz, Ali Clifford)

Saturday, March 14
10 a.m. - Men's Decathlon (Jacob Balcome)
3:45 p.m. - Men's High Jump (Yaih Marial)