Several Ohio Valley Conference track and field teams are preparing for the 2026 OVC Indoor Championships set for February 24-25 in Louisville, Kentucky. The event marks the first time at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center, with teams like Eastern Illinois, UT Martin, SIUE, and Southeast Missouri highlighting key athletes and recent performances. Last year's winners were Little Rock for men and Southeast Missouri for women.
The Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships will take place February 24-25 at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center in Louisville, Kentucky, starting at 8:00 a.m. This venue, which opened in 2021, hosts the event for the first time. The championships represent the 46th for men, beginning in 1976, and the 40th for women, starting in 1985.
Teams across the conference are finalizing preparations. Eastern Illinois University heads to Louisville after strong showings at the Illinois Last Chance, where Mason Booker placed second in the 60m hurdles with 8.53 seconds, David Tuala second in the 60m dash at 7.02 seconds, and Icone Logo second in triple jump at 13.99m. In 2025 OVC results, Eastern Illinois men finished third with 134 points and women fifth with 55.5 points, earning 10 medals including three golds. Returning athletes include Daniel Lacy, the 2025 400m champion at 48.17 seconds, and Abby Venhaus, silver medalist in long jump at 5.81m.
Eastern Illinois placed five athletes on the OVC preseason watch list: Daniel Lacy as male track athlete to watch, Shawn Lacy, Sam Bradbury as male field athlete, Brenda Torres as female track athlete, and Abby Venhaus as female field athlete. Current leaderboards show EIU athletes in top spots, such as Layla Bonilla first in triple jump at 12.24m, Abby Venhaus first in long jump at 5.97m, and Daniel Lacy second in 60m at 6.77 seconds.
The University of Tennessee at Martin enters with multiple top-10 conference rankings. Khalid White ranks third in 400m at 48.40 seconds, a school record, and 10th in 200m at 22.06. In distance events, David Stukey and Angus Monro lead the mile at 4:05.61 and 4:06.07, both school records. UT Martin holds three of the top eight in 3k, with Monro third at 8:12.64, also a school record. Isaac Boles tops 60m hurdles at 7.92 seconds, breaking his own school record three times. The 4x400m relay team ranks fourth at 3:17.75, a school record.
Southeast Missouri State University teams travel to Louisville after sweeping all six OVC weekly awards announced Monday. SIUE Cougars are also gearing up for the meet. Last year, Little Rock men won by 22.5 points, while Southeast Missouri women secured their third straight and 10th overall title by 34.5 points.
Live results, streams, and schedules are available through OVC channels.