The first month of 2026 is in the books, and while it’s cold outside, the indoor track and field season is heating up! Here’s a recap of some of the most exciting performances of the past month.
The NCAA records
Remember, this is a recap of the most exciting indoor performances of January. That means the Millrose Games performances that included three collegiate records on Feb. 1 won’t be included, even though they occurred on the final weekend of January.
That said, we still had one collegiate record set during the first month of the year. Arkansas’ Sanu Jallow-Lockhart ran 1:24.19 across 600 meters to move atop the all-time leaderboard.
Razorback Sanu Jallow-Lockhart breaks 600m collegiate record in 1:24.19 at Arkansas Invitational
— Arkansas TF/XC (@RazorbackTF)
RECORD TRACKER: Every track and field record broken in 2026
One of the most impressive 800m weekends in NCAA history
The end of the month was great for 800-meter runners. On the women’s side, Clemson’s Gladys Chepngetich ran the No. 2 all-time 800, finishing in 1:58.81 at the John Thomas Terrier Classic. She moved less than half a second behind Athing Mu.
On the men’s side, we saw an all-time 800-meter race at the Penn State National Open. Penn State’s Handal Roban finished in 1:44.91, in front of Georgetown’s Tinoda Matsatsa in 1:45.12 and his fellow Nittany Lion Allon Clay in 1:45.17. Those are the third, fourth and sixth-fastest 8800-meterfinishes in NCAA history.
👀What an 800m race from Roisin Willis and Isabelle Boffey.
— FloTrack (@FloTrack)
🇺🇸 Willis the New Balance pro runs 1:57.97 to set a new AMERICAN RECORD in the 800m.
🇬🇧 Boffey clocks a 1:57.43 for the win. and coverage presented by
A great weekend for the Ducks
At two different meets, Oregon had two different women put on all-time performances on the weekend of January 21.
At the Dr. Sander Scorcher, Wilma Nielsen ran 4:26.74 in the mile, the fastest collegiate mile time in history through the third week of January. At the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Silan Ayyildiz ran what was at the time the eeighth-fastest3000 meters, finishing in 8:42.29.
There might not be a better women’s duo in the sport right now than the one in Eugene.
SCHEDULE: The top indoor track and field meets to watch in 2026
Top-10 all-time women’s high jump
Texas Tech’s Temitope Adeshina won the indoor high jump title last year, and she already looks in championship shape. She cleared 1.97 meters on her second attempt at the Razorback Invitational. She’s the 10th woman in NCAA history to clear that height.
Temitope doing Temitope things 😤
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF)
1.97m (6-5.50) - New Tech record, indoor PB, =MR and now new National record 🇳🇬
A 16-foot women’s pole vault clearance
Washington’s Hana Moll became the second woman to clear 16 feet in the pole vault with her 4.88-meter clearance at the UW Invite. On her birthday, Hana joined her sister Amanda — and collegiate record holder — in the pole vault record books.
Hana Moll makes 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝟏𝟔‼️
— Washington Track & Field and Cross Country (@UWTrack)
She joins sister Amanda as the only two women to clear 16-feet in NCAA HISTORY!!! And the 9th woman in world history to make 16 indoors.
Oh, and it’s her birthday 🥳
World-leading triple jump
Clemson’s Shantae Foreman triple jumped a school-record 14.17 meters at the Orange & Purple Invite on her first attempt. The jump put Foreman into the world lead.
FAST START: Eight track and field performances you may have missed from December
Two athletes, two events, two top-10 marks
Minnesota’s Anthonett Nabwe had a busy day at the Jack Johnson Classic. She first competed in the weight throw, where she threw over 23 meters three times, including an NCAA-leading 24.28 meters.
The shot put began only 75 minutes after the weight throw. In the shot put, Nabwe landed a 17.18-meter mark on her second attempt. That’s the eighth-best mark in the NCAA this season.
Nabwe’s performance follows Akaoma Odeluga’s performance at the Rod McCravy Memorial meet. The Ole Miss thrower landed a 22.95-meter weight throw and 117.92-metershot put at the meet. Those marks are the fourth and sixth-best distances in the country this season.
Odeluga and Nabwe are the only two women with top-10 marks in both the shot put and weight throw.
Anthonett Nabwe 🇱🇷 with a new No. 1 weight throw mark! 〽️👀
— Minnesota Cross Country, Track & Field (@GopherCCTF)
The winning mark of 24.28m (79-8) is a new University Fieldhouse record!
A freshman dazzles in his debut
Georgia freshman Jonathan Simms had a blazing collegiate debut at the Clemson Invite. Simms ran 44.62 in the 400 meters, the No. 4 all-time mark in men’s collegiate history. The time set a world U20 indoor record. He then ran the 4x400 meter relay for Georgia and split an impressive 44.35.
🚨WORLD RECORD ALERT🚨
— Georgia Track + Field (@UGATrack)
Freshman Jonathan Simms crosses the line at 44.62 in the men's 400m dash setting a 2026 World Record! 🤯
Simms' finish is also tied for No. 4 in Collegiate History, No. 2 in UGA History and a new Facility Record.😱
Marco Langon continues to set the tone for March
Villanova’s Marco Langon has his eyes set on a title in March, but in the meantime, he’s been making his mark building up to the championships. Langon ran 7:34.56 in the 3000 meters at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix — the fourth-fastest 3K in collegiate history.
An impressive mile at altitude
The fastest indoor men’s mile in Colorado history now belongs to Isaiah Givens. At the Potts Invitational, Givens ran a 3:57.52 mile for a new Colorado soil mile record. That time was run at altitude, which converts to 3:51.73 at sea level.
Isaiah Givens does it again.
— Colorado Buffaloes Track & XC (@CUBuffsTrack)
He breaks the CU mile record and sets new records at the Ford Practice Facility and on Colorado soil, running 3:57.52 which converts to 3:51.52.
An all-time 1000 meters
South Carolina’s Jaouad Khchina ran 2:17.36 over 1000 meters for the No. 2 mark in NCAA history. It was the first 1K of Khchina’s collegiate career at Clemson’s Orange & Purple Invite.
Defending Shot put champ impresses
The two-time defending NCAA indoor men’s shot put champion showed why he’s the favorite again this year at the Bob Pollock Invitational. Ole Miss’ Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan shot put 21.18 meters in an impressive series. He landed 5-of-6 throws, none shorter than 20.71 meters. There’s only been one other shot put beyond 20 meters this season.
Strong field series from Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, who sent each of his five legal throws today at least 20.71m/67' 11.5" 👀
— Ole Miss Track & XC (@OleMissTrack)
1️⃣ 20.71m / 67' 11.5"
2️⃣ 20.73m / 68' 0.25"
3️⃣ 𝟮𝟭.𝟭𝟴𝗺 / 𝟲𝟵' 𝟲"
4️⃣ 20.88m / 68' 6"
5️⃣ X
6️⃣ 20.87m/68' 5.75" x
An all-time performance in the heptathlon
Oregon’s Peyton Bair scored 6371 points in his first heptathlon of the season. Bair achieved personal bests in the 1000 meters, pole vault, high jump, long jump and 60 meters en route to the fifth-most points in NCAA history in the heptathlon.
Top triple jump series of the season
The most impressive performances from a men’s triple jump field this month occurred at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational hosted by Kansas State. Three of the top-four leaders in the event this season reached their season’s best. The top triple jumper of them all was Oklahoma’s Brandon “BJ” Green Jr.
Green landed a 116.81-meterjump on his third attempt, previously landing a 116.70-meterjump on attempt number two. Both jumps would lead the NCAA. Green landed four jumps in his series, all over 16 meters.
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