Iowa State track and field athletes achieved several top-15 national rankings during the final day of the DeLoss Dodds Invite in Manhattan, Kansas. Performances included strong showings in the mile, hurdles, and relays, while USC dominated the women's long jump. The Cyclones also competed at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston.
On January 31, 2026, Iowa State concluded competition at the DeLoss Dodds Invite hosted by Kansas State University, posting marks among the top 15 in the nation across multiple events. In the women's mile invite, Betty Kipkore led with a facility and meet record of 4:37.32, ranking fourth in Iowa State history, followed by Mercyline Kirwa at 4:37.86 (sixth in ISU history) and Mercy Kibet at 4:38.43 (seventh). Rachel Joseph set a meet and facility record in the women's 400m invite with 52.87, currently 15th nationally, while Jenna James placed third at 54.06.
In the hurdles, all Iowa State competitors advanced to finals and improved times. Emma Havighurst finished second in the women's 60m hurdles final with a personal record of 8.45, moving to seventh on the ISU all-time list. Riyah Burns recorded a PR of 8.50, just 0.01 off the list. On the men's side, Daylin Williams took second in the final at 7.80, fifth in program history, with Jack Latham, Alec Carr, and Grayson Hartman also posting season bests in the top seven.
The women's 4x400m relay team of Jenna James, Rachel Joseph, Makayla Clark, and Emma Vorpagel won with 3:37.43, the third-fastest in school history and a meet record. In the heptathlon, Tristan Rheingans scored 4,898 points, nearing the ISU top 10, with personal bests in shot put, high jump, and 1,000m.
At the same meet, USC's jumps squad dominated the women's long jump, with three Trojans setting personal records over the weekend. Meanwhile, in Boston at the John Thomas Terrier Classic, Devan Kipyego clocked 3:54.37 in the mile invite, the top collegiate time and tenth nationally among Division I runners. Emanuel Galdino ran 3:59.83. Robin Kwemoi Bera posted 7:43.87 in the men's 3,000m invite, second in ISU history and ninth nationally.
Overall, Iowa State achieved 12 top-10 program performances and seven event wins across the weekend.
