The Colorado Buffaloes men’s and women’s track and field teams arrived in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 11 ahead of the 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. The event will be hosted by the University of Arkansas at the Randal Tyson Track Center and begins Friday, March 13, with live coverage available on ESPN+.
The national championship is a significant event for collegiate athletes, providing an opportunity to compete against top talent from across the country. For Colorado, three individual athletes and a relay team have qualified to represent the university at this year’s meet.
Competition for the Buffaloes starts with the men’s mile preliminary round at 4:20 p.m. Mountain Time. Isaiah Givens and Justine Kipkoech will compete in separate heats. Givens enters as the top seed after running a nation-leading time of 3:51.73 earlier this season and is also the highest returning finisher from last year’s championships, where he placed fifth. Kipkoech qualified with a season-best time of 3:53.05 and finished ranked No. 12 nationally.
Avery Pearson will race in the women’s 800-meter preliminary at 5:25 p.m., facing competitors including top seed Gladys Chepngetich of Clemson. Pearson set a program record with her qualifying time of 1:59.98 and recently won the Big 12 title in the 600 yards.
The day concludes with Colorado’s men’s distance medley relay team—Kipkoech, Danny Tragarz, Drew Costelow, and Givens—competing after earning their spot with a school-record performance at their last meet. TJ Hansen and Kole Mathison are listed as alternates for this event.
Advancement to finals will depend on placement within heats or fastest times for both individual events, while the distance medley relay will be contested as a final on Friday night when national champions are crowned.
