Wednesday, May 27
Lexington, KY
Tulane University
at
NCAA Championship First Round
Photo by: Wyatt Streett
Tulane Quintet Ready for NCAA East First Round
May 26, 2026 | Track & Field
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Competition for the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships First Round begins tomorrow as five Tulane athletes trek up to Lexington, Kentucky, for action in the four-day east regional. The east regional site is hosted by the University of Kentucky at the UK Outdoor Track and Field Complex. In action for the Green Wave will be Cara Salsberry and Blezzin Kimutai on the women's side and Silas Kiptanui, Tommy Rice, and Rogerio Amaral on the men's side.
The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin with a pair of first round regionals, east and west. The top-48 declared student-athletes for each individual event have advanced to the first round along with the top-24 declared relay teams.
The four-day competition begins on Wednesday, May 26 with a pair of Wave runners in action. Rogerio Amaral and Tommy Rice will hit the track in the men's 10,000m at 8:10 p.m. CT. The following day will see Tulane's women in action for the first time on the weekend as Cara Salsberry begins the day at 9:00 a.m. CT with the women's hammer throw. Blezzin Kimutai will race in the Thursday nightcap, the women's 10,000m at 8:10 p.m. CT. On Friday, the spotlight will shine on Silas Kiptanui as he competes in the men's 3,000m steeplechase at 4:40 p.m. CT. He is the American Conference champion in the event and will be the lone Tulane athlete in action on Friday. The first round concludes on Saturday with just Salsberry competing for the Wave. She will see action in the women's discus at 12:00 p.m. CT.
The top-12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 10-13. All four days of action this weekend will be streamed on ESPN+. Streams begin at 5:00 p.m. CT on the first two days and 4:00 p.m. CT on each of the final two days. Field events will be sprinkled in during each of the nightly broadcasts. Live results can be found here.
Salsberry is the program's record holder in the hammer with a mark of 59.54m, a distance that ranks 39th in the east. She is also 44th in the region for the discus with a clip of 51.75m, which she tossed two weeks ago in the American Outdoor Championships to elevate her second-best mark in program history. Salsberry is the lone field competitor for the Tulane in the first round and the only Wave athlete competing in multiple events. She won bronze medals in both events at the American Outdoor Championships. Kimutai sits 28th in the region for the 10,000m with her program-record mark of 33:28.35 from earlier this year in the Bryan Clay Invitational.
For the men, Kiptanui's time of 8:25.16 in the 3,000m steeplechase is the fourth-best mark in the east and fifth overall in Division I. The mark is the Tulane program record as well. Kiptanui claimed two golds at the American Outdoor Championships, adding one in the 5,000m alongside his victory in the steeplechase. Amaral and Rice each qualified with their respective marks at the Bryan Clay Invitational earlier this year in the 10,000m. Amaral ran a 29:10.35 to rank 43rd in the east, and Rice is 45th with a time of 29:12.80.
This is the fourth season in a row that Tulane is sending athletes to the east regional. Kiptanui will be making his second-straight appearance in the 3,000m steeplechase, where he finished third last season. Tulane will look to advance at least one athlete to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for also a fourth-straight year. Kiptanui will aim to return as he finished 10th in the steeplechase last season.
TICKETS
Tickets for the football, volleyball and men's and women's basketball campaigns can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL TULANE ATHLETICS APP
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane cross country and track & field on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
GREEN WAVE CLUB
Giving to the Green Wave Club provides Tulane Athletics with the resources student‑athletes need to excel in competition and in the classroom. Your support directly improves the lives of current and future Green Wave student‑athletes and enhances Tulane's competitiveness in intercollegiate athletics. Make a gift today by calling (504) 865‑5356, emailing greenwaveclub@tulane.edu, or visiting GreenWaveClub.com.
The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin with a pair of first round regionals, east and west. The top-48 declared student-athletes for each individual event have advanced to the first round along with the top-24 declared relay teams.
The four-day competition begins on Wednesday, May 26 with a pair of Wave runners in action. Rogerio Amaral and Tommy Rice will hit the track in the men's 10,000m at 8:10 p.m. CT. The following day will see Tulane's women in action for the first time on the weekend as Cara Salsberry begins the day at 9:00 a.m. CT with the women's hammer throw. Blezzin Kimutai will race in the Thursday nightcap, the women's 10,000m at 8:10 p.m. CT. On Friday, the spotlight will shine on Silas Kiptanui as he competes in the men's 3,000m steeplechase at 4:40 p.m. CT. He is the American Conference champion in the event and will be the lone Tulane athlete in action on Friday. The first round concludes on Saturday with just Salsberry competing for the Wave. She will see action in the women's discus at 12:00 p.m. CT.
The top-12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 10-13. All four days of action this weekend will be streamed on ESPN+. Streams begin at 5:00 p.m. CT on the first two days and 4:00 p.m. CT on each of the final two days. Field events will be sprinkled in during each of the nightly broadcasts. Live results can be found here.
Salsberry is the program's record holder in the hammer with a mark of 59.54m, a distance that ranks 39th in the east. She is also 44th in the region for the discus with a clip of 51.75m, which she tossed two weeks ago in the American Outdoor Championships to elevate her second-best mark in program history. Salsberry is the lone field competitor for the Tulane in the first round and the only Wave athlete competing in multiple events. She won bronze medals in both events at the American Outdoor Championships. Kimutai sits 28th in the region for the 10,000m with her program-record mark of 33:28.35 from earlier this year in the Bryan Clay Invitational.
For the men, Kiptanui's time of 8:25.16 in the 3,000m steeplechase is the fourth-best mark in the east and fifth overall in Division I. The mark is the Tulane program record as well. Kiptanui claimed two golds at the American Outdoor Championships, adding one in the 5,000m alongside his victory in the steeplechase. Amaral and Rice each qualified with their respective marks at the Bryan Clay Invitational earlier this year in the 10,000m. Amaral ran a 29:10.35 to rank 43rd in the east, and Rice is 45th with a time of 29:12.80.
This is the fourth season in a row that Tulane is sending athletes to the east regional. Kiptanui will be making his second-straight appearance in the 3,000m steeplechase, where he finished third last season. Tulane will look to advance at least one athlete to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for also a fourth-straight year. Kiptanui will aim to return as he finished 10th in the steeplechase last season.
TICKETS
Tickets for the football, volleyball and men's and women's basketball campaigns can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL TULANE ATHLETICS APP
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane cross country and track & field on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
GREEN WAVE CLUB
Giving to the Green Wave Club provides Tulane Athletics with the resources student‑athletes need to excel in competition and in the classroom. Your support directly improves the lives of current and future Green Wave student‑athletes and enhances Tulane's competitiveness in intercollegiate athletics. Make a gift today by calling (504) 865‑5356, emailing greenwaveclub@tulane.edu, or visiting GreenWaveClub.com.
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