The DI indoor track and field championships are almost here. Before they start, let\u2019s recap some of the top performances from freshmen who could contend for titles.<\/p>\n
Top women\u2019s freshmen performances<\/p>\n
Jane Hedengren, BYU<\/p>\n
The only freshman to set a collegiate record this season is BYU\u2019s Jane Hedengren. Hedengren opened her indoor season with a collegiate-record setting 14:44.79 in the 5000 meters. With that race, she became the second-fastest American woman.<\/p>\n
WHAT TO KNOW: 2026 DI Indoor track and field championships<\/a><\/p>\n Adaejah Hodge, Georgia<\/p>\n The SEC is arguably the hardest conference championship to win in the sport. The 200 meters was even harder to win with a two-time defending conference champion running in the race. Yet, Georgia\u2019s Adaejah Hodge did just that as a freshman, taking the 200 meter crown in 22.32 seconds, defeating last year\u2019s champion in the process. Hodge\u2019s time also made her the fifth-fastest woman in the indoor 200 meters all time.<\/p>\n Freshman Adaejah Hodge runs 22.32 to move to 5th in NCAA HISTORY to win SEC 200m final ahead of JaMeesia Ford (22.61)! pic.twitter.com\/HSh6Fl2MWT<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) March 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Kemarah Howard, Kentucky<\/p>\n Kentucky\u2019s Kemarah Howard is another freshman to win an SEC title, winning the high jump title with a 1.87-meter clearance. Howard won a tiebreaker after clearing 1.87m on her first attempt and missing only one jump during her series leading up to the winning height.<\/p>\n SELECTIONS:\u00a02026 NCAA Division I men\u2019s and women\u2019s indoor track and field championships selections<\/a><\/p>\n Sadie Engelhardt, NC State<\/p>\n NC State\u2019s Sadie Engelhardt is only a freshman, but she already has victories over professionals in her early career. She ran 4:23.84 at the ASICS Sound Invite, finishing second in a field with multiple pros.<\/p>\n JaiCieonna Gero-Holt, Illinois<\/p>\n It was a jam-packed weekend for Illinois\u2019 JaiCieonna Gero-Holt at the Big Ten Championships. Gero-Holt competed in the open high jump and pentathlon during the championship meet. She finished fifth in the high jump and second in the pentathlon with a new PR of 4400 points.<\/p>\n B1G Silver for JaiCieonna \ud83e\udd48<\/p>\n Her 4,400 point pentathlon today is now the second-best mark in school history and the current NCAA No. 3 mark. #WhyNotILL<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/cLsNSs7x9L<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Illinois Track & Field and Cross Country (@IlliniTrackXC) February 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n RECORD TRACKER:\u00a0Every track and field record broken in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Top men\u2019s freshmen performances<\/p>\n Jonathan Simms, Georgia<\/p>\n Georgia\u2019s Jonathan Simms started his collegiate career with a bang at the Clemson Invite. He ran 44.62 in his debut 400 meters, the No. 4 all-time mark in collegiate history and a world U20 record.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8WORLD RECORD ALERT\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n Freshman Jonathan Simms crosses the line at 44.62 in the men’s 400m dash setting a 2026 World Record! \ud83e\udd2f<\/p>\n Simms’ finish is also tied for No. 4 in Collegiate History, No. 2 in UGA History and a new Facility Record.\ud83d\ude31#GoDawgs<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/wpasZusP6W<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Georgia Track + Field (@UGATrack) January 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Luuk Pelkmans, Illinois<\/p>\n Illinois\u2019 Luuk Pelkmans had another impressive debut, putting up the nation\u2019s No. 3 regular season heptathlon in the first seven-event circuit of his career. Pelkmans scored 6127 points in late January at the Fighting Illini Challenge.<\/p>\n SLEEPERS:\u00a0Sleeper teams to watch during the men’s indoor track and field postseason<\/a><\/p>\n Alan Hanna, Kansas State<\/p>\n The standout debuts continue with Alan Hanna of Kansas State. He cleared 2.25 meters in the high jump at his first meet, the Thane Baker Invitational. It\u2019s a mark that stood tied for the national lead until conference championship weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n Freshman Alan Hanna breaks the meet and facility records in the Mens high jump with a clearance of 2.25m (7\u2019 4.25\u201d) \ud83d\udcaa pic.twitter.com\/37K3ZH3yRe<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 K-State T&F\/XC (@KStateTFXC) January 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Tshephang Dankuru, Texas State<\/p>\n During the conference championship weekend, we saw Texas State\u2019s Tshephang Dankuru win the Sun Belt title in the high jump. He cleared 2.22 meters in the win, a top-seven mark entering championships.<\/p>\n