The 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships began Thursday in La Crosse. UW-Whitewater is represented by nine Warhawks at the national championship meet. 

Cici Stennett (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) and Kelly Huerta (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) opened the championship slate for UWW in the preliminaries of the 200 meter dash. The duo crossed the line in sync with matching times of 24.84. Huerta claimed 17th as the timers broke the run down into the thousandths while Stennett was 18th. The top nine in the prelims qualify for the finals in the event. 

On deck for Friday ... Jer'Von Anderson (Watertown, Wis./Watertown) will kick off competition in the first field event of the day, the high jump, set to begin at 11 AM. Stennett and Huerta will be back in action as the first round of the 4x100 relays is scheduled for 3 PM. The pair will be joined by Danielle Pouska (Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs) and Alyssa Stacy (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore). The men's 4x100 featuring Traysen Thomason (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater), Kayden Baumgart (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb), Sam Vargas (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) and Caleb Beightol (Belgium, Wis./Cedar Grove-Belgium) will take to the track after the women. 

Stennett and Vargas will have about two hours to recover before returning to the track for the 100 meter dash prelims. 

The championship will conclude Saturday evening.