Completed Event: Track & Field at BU David Hemery Valentine Invite on February 13, 2026 ,
Final
Track & Field
at BU David Hemery Valentine Invite
Five Kansas Athletes Qualify for NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
3/4/2026 1:07:00 PM | Track & Field
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas track and field had five athletes qualify for the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships, the NCAA announced Wednesday. The 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships will take place March 13-14 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark.
John Swabik and Tayton Klein qualified in the men's heptathlon, Ashton Barkdull and Anthony Meacham qualified in the men's pole vault and Mason Meinershagen qualified in the women's pole vault.
Tayton Klein - Klein was the Jayhawks' first Big 12 Champion in the men's heptathlon, scoring a school record 5,923 points. The senior captain set season bests in the 60 meter dash (6.87) and long jump (7.58 m), personal bests in the shot put (13.38 m), 60 meter hurdles (7.96) and pole vault (4.75 m) and closed with the 1,000 meter dash to take the title. Klein's record mark was the top mark in the Big 12 this season, ninth best in the country and 25th best in the world. This marks the first time that Klein has qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship, having also competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championship in each of his first three seasons.Â
John Swabik - Swabik qualified for his first ever NCAA Championship with his personal best 5,864 point heptathlon win at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational. On his way to the victory, Swabik set personal bests in the 60 meter dash (7.06), shot put (13.09 m), high jump (2.03 m), pole vault (4.60 m) and 1,000 meter run (2:39.08). Swabik broke the Kansas record in his first heptathlon he has competed in this season with 5,864 points (later being broken by Klein). That mark was good enough for second best in the Big 12 and 10th best in the country.Â
Anthony Meacham - Meacham won his first Big 12 Indoor Championship with a personal best 5.65 meter clearance in the men's pole vault. The senior won a Big 12 Outdoor Championship in 2024 and has helped the Jayhawks' five straight men's pole vault Big 12 Championships. Meacham's 5.65 meter vault was good for the second highest Big 12 mark this season and tenth best in the country. This will mark the first time that he has qualified for a NCAA Championship.Â
Ashton Barkdull - Barkdull finished with the fifth highest clearance in the country in the men's pole vault when he vaulted 5.71 meters to win the Thane Baker Invitational. The vault put him tied for tenth highest clearance in Kansas history and made him the second best performer ever for the Jayhawks. Barkdull finished as the Big 12 runner-up behind Meacham this season, and won the 2025 Big 12 Outdoor Championship. This will be Barkdull's second NCAA Indoor Championship, finishing 13th in 2024. Barkdull also competed in last season's NCAA Outdoor Championship, clearing a personal best 4.73 meters to finish as the national runner-up.
Mason Meinershagen - Meinershagen qualified for her third NCAA Indoor Championship, in as many seasons, with her 4.47 meters winning vault at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational. She finished third at the Big 12 Championships last weekend, and will now look to finish better than her fourth place finish at last season's NCAA Indoor Championship. Her 4.47 meter clearance was good for second best in the Big 12 and 13th best nationally this season. Meinershagen was the top collegiate finisher in four of the six pole vaults she competed in this season.
The five athletes will travel to Fayetteville, Ark. as the representatives for the Jayhawks at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championship. The events are set to take place March 13-14 kicking off at 11 a.m. both days. More information, including a full participants list and tentative schedule can be found here.
John Swabik and Tayton Klein qualified in the men's heptathlon, Ashton Barkdull and Anthony Meacham qualified in the men's pole vault and Mason Meinershagen qualified in the women's pole vault.
Tayton Klein - Klein was the Jayhawks' first Big 12 Champion in the men's heptathlon, scoring a school record 5,923 points. The senior captain set season bests in the 60 meter dash (6.87) and long jump (7.58 m), personal bests in the shot put (13.38 m), 60 meter hurdles (7.96) and pole vault (4.75 m) and closed with the 1,000 meter dash to take the title. Klein's record mark was the top mark in the Big 12 this season, ninth best in the country and 25th best in the world. This marks the first time that Klein has qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship, having also competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championship in each of his first three seasons.Â
John Swabik - Swabik qualified for his first ever NCAA Championship with his personal best 5,864 point heptathlon win at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational. On his way to the victory, Swabik set personal bests in the 60 meter dash (7.06), shot put (13.09 m), high jump (2.03 m), pole vault (4.60 m) and 1,000 meter run (2:39.08). Swabik broke the Kansas record in his first heptathlon he has competed in this season with 5,864 points (later being broken by Klein). That mark was good enough for second best in the Big 12 and 10th best in the country.Â
Anthony Meacham - Meacham won his first Big 12 Indoor Championship with a personal best 5.65 meter clearance in the men's pole vault. The senior won a Big 12 Outdoor Championship in 2024 and has helped the Jayhawks' five straight men's pole vault Big 12 Championships. Meacham's 5.65 meter vault was good for the second highest Big 12 mark this season and tenth best in the country. This will mark the first time that he has qualified for a NCAA Championship.Â
Ashton Barkdull - Barkdull finished with the fifth highest clearance in the country in the men's pole vault when he vaulted 5.71 meters to win the Thane Baker Invitational. The vault put him tied for tenth highest clearance in Kansas history and made him the second best performer ever for the Jayhawks. Barkdull finished as the Big 12 runner-up behind Meacham this season, and won the 2025 Big 12 Outdoor Championship. This will be Barkdull's second NCAA Indoor Championship, finishing 13th in 2024. Barkdull also competed in last season's NCAA Outdoor Championship, clearing a personal best 4.73 meters to finish as the national runner-up.
Mason Meinershagen - Meinershagen qualified for her third NCAA Indoor Championship, in as many seasons, with her 4.47 meters winning vault at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational. She finished third at the Big 12 Championships last weekend, and will now look to finish better than her fourth place finish at last season's NCAA Indoor Championship. Her 4.47 meter clearance was good for second best in the Big 12 and 13th best nationally this season. Meinershagen was the top collegiate finisher in four of the six pole vaults she competed in this season.
The five athletes will travel to Fayetteville, Ark. as the representatives for the Jayhawks at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championship. The events are set to take place March 13-14 kicking off at 11 a.m. both days. More information, including a full participants list and tentative schedule can be found here.
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