Four Titans Earn Qualifying Bids to NCAA Track and Field Championships

National championship meet to be held in Rochester, N.Y. March 14-15

3/9/2025 6:49:00 PM

Men's Selections | Women's Selections

INDIANAPOLIS – The Illinois Wesleyan University men's and women's track and field teams will send a pair from each team to represent the Green and White in Rochester, N.Y. Friday and Saturday, March 14-15, at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships. The NCAA and USTFCCCA announced the final qualifiers list Sunday, March 9 which included senior Carlyssa King (Decatur, Ill.-Maroa Forsyth), junior Evan Lowder (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community), sophomore Imani Ogunribido (Hanover Park, Ill.-Lake Park), and freshman Nick Walker (Metamora, Ill.-Metamora).

Out of IWU's four qualifiers, all three veterans have seen the national stage at least once in their careers while Walker will make his first NCAA appearance in the men's high jump. Lowder and Ogunribido both qualified for the indoor and outdoor championships a season ago in the men's 400m and women's triple jump, respectively, with each earning Second Team All-American honors indoors before both climbed the podium for first team honors in their events outdoors. King qualifies for her first indoor competition after earning a spot at last season's outdoor national championship in the women's hammer throw.

Lowder most recently earned his ticket to the national meet. Sitting 24th in the 400m ahead of this past weekend's final qualifiers, Lowder turned in a meet record in the event at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Final Qualifier meet, Saturday, March 8. The junior's time of 48.04 seconds not only won the event in Wisconsin, but also lowered his school record mark and is good for fifth in Division III this season heading into the championships.

Ogunribido achieved her qualifying mark back in January when she jumped a 12.28m (40'3.5") to better her school record and tie for 24th in Division III all-time. Ogunribido's jump sits in the top-five this season as she ranks fifth going into the championships.

King also earned a trip to the national championship by way of a school record throw in the weight throw. The senior's 17.62m (57'9.75") at the Keck Select in early February broke the previous school record by one centimeter, a mark that has stood since 2018. King ranks 18th ahead of the NCAA meet.

A career day for the freshman at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships, Feb. 28-March 1, saw Walker cruise through four personal-best bars in the high jump on his way to the CCIW title in addition to claiming a qualifying bid to his first NCAA Championship. Walker's 2.05m (6'8.75") clearance sits 12th nationally and ties for third in IWU history.

Illinois Wesleyan's first event of the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships will be the 400m prelims Friday, March 14 at 3:05 p.m. ET while the women's weight throw will follow at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday. Women's triple jump will kick off Saturday's competition at 11 a.m. ET followed by the men's high jump at noon ET. The men's 400m finals will be Saturday at 4:25 p.m. ET. The full meet schedule can be found on the track and field schedule pages of iwusports.com.

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