OREM, Utah — The 2023 Outdoor Track & Field Championships are set to begin on Wednesday on the campus of Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas. Utah Valley University's men were picked to finish second while the women were selected fourth in a vote by the league's head coaches. The three-day event is being held at Homer Bryce Stadium.
The championship finals will air live on ESPN+ each day and will begin at 4:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. MT on Thursday and Friday, and at 3:30 p.m. CT/2:30 p.m. MT on Saturday.
The Wolverines enter the championships—their ninth time competing at WAC Outdoors since joining the league in 2013-14—having won 63 individual and relay titles, including 40 by the men. The UVU men have twice won the outdoor team championship, with both coming at home in 2015 and 2019. The women have finished second twice, with both teams taking third last year in Seattle.
Among those defending previous WAC titles is
Everlyn Kemboi, who has had an impressive season to date. Kemboi broke both the 5k and 10k WAC Championship records last season and looks to defend her titles. She leads the country in the 5k and ranks third in the 10k.
Aaron Johnson, who leads the WAC and ranks seventh in the country in the long jump, is in search of his first WAC title in the event and is also slated to run in the 100-meter dash. He won the 100 in 2021 while earning the Outstanding Male Track Performer and Male High Point Award.
Adrian Jones is a two-time 3,000-meter steeplechase conference champion and is scheduled to compete in that event on Friday evening.
Seth Krauss (high jump) and
Larissa Dabb (400m) are defending their 2022 championships while
Kallie Given will contend for a second high jump title, which she first earned in 2018.
Other Wolverines who also lead the WAC this season include Kemboi (1,500),
Maysen Rollo (pole vault),
Kelsi Oldroyd (javelin),
Joel Mendez (3000S), and
Aiden Garnett (high jump).
The championships begin on Thursday morning with the decathlon's 100-meter dash at 9:30 a.m. CT/8:30 a.m. MT. The heptathlon gets underway with the 100-meter hurdles at 10:15 a.m. CT. Thursday will also host both men's and women's hammer, women's pole vault, and men's javelin in the field. On the track, the action begins in the late afternoon with the 1,500-meter heats starting at 4:30 p.m. The only finals on the track on Thursday will be the men's and women's 10k races.
The multis finish up on Friday with both the men's and women's shot put and long jump also being contested. The remainder of the preliminary races will also take place on the track in the late afternoon and evening, concluding with the finals of the steeplechase.
Saturday begins a 10 a.m. CT with the women's discus and concludes in the field with the women's javelin, which is slated for a 4 p.m. start. The finals on the track get underway with the 4x100 relays at 3:30 p.m. and ends with the 4x400 relays, scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
