Men's Track and Field NAIA Nationals Preview
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The Doane men's track and field team will send a strong and experienced group to the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, scheduled for May 20-22 at Karl Straus Track in Asheville, North Carolina. The Tigers qualified competitors across the throws, hurdles, middle distance, jumps, relays and the decathlon, with several athletes entering the meet ranked among the nation's top performers.
Leading the way for Doane is senior thrower Cale Bessler, who enters the national championships as one of the top contenders in the men's shot put. Bessler owns the second-best mark in the NAIA this season at 17.60 meters and will also compete in the discus throw, where he enters ranked 10th nationally with a season-best toss of 51.56 meters.
Senior Christopher Brown gives the Tigers another national contender in the discus, entering Asheville ranked fifth nationally after recording a season-best mark of 52.68 meters. Sophomore Andrew Englund rounds out Doane's discus qualifiers with a season-best throw of 49.86 meters (17th).
Senior Andrew Schmitz enters the men's hammer throw among the NAIA's elite after recording a season-best mark of 60.81 meters, ranking fifth nationally. Schmitz will also compete in the shot put, where he enters ranked 16th nationally with a mark of 16.50 meters. Junior Tad Dimmitt joins Schmitz in the hammer throw field after reaching a season-best mark of 55.78 meters (17th).
Senior Michael Grigsby qualified for nationals in the men's 1,500 meters after posting a season-best time of 3:52.47 (15th), giving Doane representation in one of the championship's premier distance events.
Freshman Thomas Smith enters the men's 110-meter hurdles ranked 16th nationally after clocking a season-best time of 14.39 during the outdoor season.
The Tigers will also be represented in the high jump, where junior Jackson Kessler enters the championships after clearing 2.04 meters (18th) during the season. Junior Peyton Herrick qualified alongside Kessler with a season-best mark of 2.03 meters (22nd).
Senior Zach Fye will represent Doane in the demanding decathlon (16th), entering the national championships with top marks across all 10 events. Fye's season-best performances include 12.45 in the 100 meters, 6.52 meters in the long jump, 12.42 meters in the shot put, 1.73 meters in the high jump and 52.39 in the 400 meters on the opening day of competition. He continues Thursday in the 110-meter hurdles (16.17), discus throw (38.33m), pole vault (3.90m), javelin throw (46.80m) and 1,500 meters (4:46.79).
Doane also qualified its men's 4x400-meter relay team of Caleb Mulder, Orion Ulmer, Connor Bradley and Joaquin Gutierrez, which enters nationals ranked 12th after posting a season-best time of 3:12.61.
With national contenders in the throwing events and experienced athletes spread throughout the lineup, the Tigers head to Asheville looking to challenge for All-America honors and make an impact on the national stage at the NAIA Outdoor Championships.
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