Men's Track and Field to be represented in 4 events at NAIA Outdoor Championships

The Gold Rush will bring a small-but-competitive group to the 2026 edition of the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

This week, the NAIA officially released the qualifying field for the championship meet, which will take place May 20-22 in Asheville, North Carolina, at the Karl Straus Track.

All told, Xavier will be represented in four events and will have a legitimate chance to podium in each.

Jaheene Bell, who will run in the 400-meter hurdle prelims on May 20 at 3:55 p.m. Central, already holds the second-best time in the event. Should Bell earn a spot in the event final, that run is scheduled to begin at 3:20 p.m. Central on May 22.

Freshman sprinter Karri Noel is slated to run in the 400-meter dash, the prelims for which are scheduled for May 21 at 3:20 p.m. Central with the finals to follow on May 22 at 2:45 p.m.

Also on May 21, XULA's highly regarded 4X400 relay team will run in its preliminary race at 7:45 p.m. The finals for that event are scheduled for 4:20 p.m. on May 22.

Mansur Ali, the Gold Rush's most accomplished field athlete, will make his NAIA national meet appearance at 8 a.m. on May 22 when he represents XULA in the discus.

A detailed schedule of events and the complete entry list is available on the NAIA website. All events will be broadcast on Urban Edge, which has created multiple channels to cover all of the action.

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Players Mentioned

Mansur Ali: 6' 6"; Sophomore; 1L

Karri Noel: 5' 8"; Freshman

Jaheene Bell: 5' 10"; Junior; 2L

Players Mentioned

Mansur Ali
: 6' 6"; Sophomore; 1L

Karri Noel
: 5' 8"; Freshman

Jaheene Bell
: 5' 10"; Junior; 2L