Several Mid-American Conference universities are preparing their men's and women's track and field teams for the 2026 MAC Indoor Championships, hosted by Central Michigan University. The event runs February 27-28 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, with competition starting at 10 a.m. each day and streamed on Chippewa All-Access. Teams like Kent State and Ohio highlight top-seeded athletes aiming for medals.
The 2026 Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships will take place February 27-28 at Central Michigan University's Jack Skoog Indoor Track Facility in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Hosted by Central Michigan, the two-day event features men's and women's competitions, beginning at 10 a.m. both days, though some previews note a 1 p.m. start on Friday for certain sessions.
Kent State Golden Flashes enter as strong contenders. The men's team, ranked 76th nationally by the USTFCCCA Track and Field Rating Index—the highest in the MAC—seeks its second indoor conference title in three seasons. Ayden Bath leads with top seeds in the heptathlon, high jump, and second in the 60-meter hurdles; his personal-best heptathlon score of 5,734 ranks 15th nationally. Sean Callahan Jr. is the top seed in the 60-meter dash with a 6.66-second personal record. Baidy Ba holds the MAC-leading 3,000-meter time of 8:05.5, nearing the school record. Other key entrants include Jack Dillen (second in heptathlon), Amare Hall (second in long jump), and defending weight throw champion Donovan Crawford (third).
On the women's side, Kent State, ranked 120th nationally and second in the MAC, aims for its first indoor title since 2014. Shelby Grover tops the pentathlon and long jump seeds, while Alexa Nestor is second in pentathlon and third in 60-meter hurdles. Amryne Chilton leads the 200-meter dash and is second in the 60-meter dash. Gabrielle Hammonds holds the fastest 60-meter hurdles time in the MAC since 2019 at 8.35 seconds.
Ohio University's women's team features Emilee Baumann in pole vault, Ellie Greenwell and Kaitlyn Stewart in the mile and distance medley relay, Kelsi Harris in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, and Jada Irwin and Sydney Huckstep in the 400 meters and 4x400 relay. University of Toledo's Rockets kick off their championship season, while Akron and Northern Illinois teams also prepare, with NIU's women listing athletes like Aniya Barton and Stella Oyebode.
Top performers may qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, if they rank in the national top 16.