EMPORIA, Kan. – The Washburn men's and women's track and field team opened the first day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with two All-Americans, two qualifiers for Saturday's finals and a top-five multi-athlete through four events on Thursday in Emporia.

Melanie Neudinger earned All-American honors after placing sixth in the long jump scoring three team points for the Ichabods. Neudinger's fourth jump of the afternoon of 6.06m (19-10.75) was a personal best securing her first All-American award as an Ichabod.

Adriel Holloway wrapped up her second All-American award as an Ichabod after placing 12th in the hammer throw with a mark of 55.59m (182-04). Holloway was a first-team honoree after finishing second in the same in event in 2024.

The Ichabods had two participants who qualified for Saturday's finals, as Lexie Fontaine (1500m) and Jake Muller (400m hurdles) moved on after their qualifying runs on Thursday. Fontaine was the fifth-fastest qualifier in the 1500m with a school-record and personal-best mark of 4:24.35. Muller ran a time of 51.91 to be one of eight to reach the finals on Saturday.


In the heptathlon, Washburn's Naiuri Krein turned in a strong all-around performance in the heptathlon sitting in fifth after the first four events.

Krein opened the competition with a season-best time of 14.62 in the 100-meter hurdles, earning 892 points. She followed with a clearance of 1.60m (5-03) for another season best in the high jump, adding 736 points. Her best finish of day one came in the shot put, where she recorded a personal-best mark of 13.33m (43-08.75) to place third overall, collecting 749 points. Krien has 3,222 points entering Friday's final day 371 behind the leader.