DAYTON – University of Dayton track and field has announced its schedule for the 2026 outdoor season.
There are eight events scheduled for the regular season ahead of the A-10 Outdoor Championships on May 2 and 3 in Fairfax, Virginia. Several Flyer athletes will be eyeing qualification for the NCAA East Regional Meet in Lexington, Kentucky, May 27-30.
COACH'S QUOTE
"Our outdoor track & field schedule is designed to support our development throughout the season by incorporating both highly competitive and developmental meets. Having this balance allows our athletes to gain valuable experience competing at a high level while also focusing on building consistency and continued improvement. As the season progresses, I look forward to seeing our team's growth and how they transition to the outdoor environment. I am also excited for the opportunity to compete against some of the top programs in the country."
"As we transition into the outdoor season, our schedule has a range of opportunities for our Student-Athletes that we are excited to have lined up. The progression of our season with increasingly competitive meets will help us be most prepared for the A-10 Championship Meet. We are looking forward to seeing this young group continue to develop after a great indoor season, as we had athletes make big strides indoors, and outdoor opens the door for even bigger performances."
SEASON OPENERS
The outdoor season will officially begin on Friday, March 20, when the Flyers head to Oxford, Ohio, for the Blizzard Buster, hosted by Miami University. The next weekend, Feb. 27-28, the team will be split up between the Don McGarey Invitational in Kennesaw, Georgia, hosted by Kennesaw State University, and the Yellow Jacket Collegiate Outdoor Open at Cedarville University.
HEATING UP
The Flyers will begin April by returning to the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational at the University of Cincinnati on April 3 and 4. The following weekend, UD will be represented at two meets in Tennessee, with athletes competing at the Tennessee Invitational in Knoxville, hosted by the University of Tennessee, and at the Fast Break Invitational, hosted by Lee University. The Flyers will then travel to Indiana State University for the Gibson Invitational, April 16-18, before going to the University of Louisville for the Clark Wood Invitational the following weekend.
ATLANTIC TEN OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Atlantic Ten Championships will return to the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 2nd and 3rd. The Flyers look to build on their third-place finish at the indoor championships. Indoor medalists
Raegan Ernst,
Jadyn Haywood,
Rebekah Conrad,
Simone Bessong, and
Camryn Thompson will all look to once again earn some hardware in the outdoor season.
At last season's outdoor championships, the Flyers finished fifth.
Jadyn Haywood returns to the outdoor championships after being crowned champion in both the 100m and 200m last season. Three of the four members of last year's runner-up 4x100m team will return as well.
Daniela Peralta,
Jameson Pillifant, and Thompson will all hope to turn last year's top-five finishes into medals this time around.
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