Bolivar, Mo. – The SBU track and field team sets a new school record with 10 student-athletes qualifying for the 2025-26 NCAA Outdoor National Championships. These 10 will compete across nine different events in Emporia, Kansas from Thursday, May 21^st to Saturday, May 23^rd.
 
Those to qualify include Stephanique Dean, Laura Dixon, Madison Davis, Brianna Lord, Savannah Manthey, Alexis Turner, Olivia Littleton, Gavin Duchscherer, Marcus Jones, and Angel Dickerson
 
Dean, the GLVC Track Athlete of the Year, will be competing in the most events (3) out of any Bearcat that qualified. Her top event will be in the 200m dash where she ranks 3^rd out of the 22 for this singular event. She is not far behind in the 100m dash ranking 6^th, just .19 seconds away from the top time. Dean joins Dixon, Davis, and Lord in the 4x400m relay squad. Their GLVC record breaking time of 3:39.29 enters this Championship ranked 8^th out of the 16 squads that qualified, putting them right on the line of making the Finals and All-American status.
 
Staying on the track, but for 25 laps, is Olivia Littleton who earns her first National Championship appearance. Littleton had a record-breaking run in the 10,000 meter run with a time of 34.55.32 earning her the 17^th fastest time at this years' Championship.
 
Moving over the throws area is junior Savannah Manthey and freshman Alexis Turner competing in the Javelin event. Manthey who has won back-to-back GLVC titles in this event, makes her second straight appearance at Nationals. Last year, Manthey took 5^th place and enters this Championship with the 4^th best throw in the Nation. Turner sees her first National Championship entering this Championship with the 9^th best mark, nearing the All-American status.
 
On the men's side, SBU had three qualify across four different events. Junior Angel Dickerson qualifies for Nationals in his first year with the Bearcats in two different events. His best event comes in the long jump, where he ranks 2^nd out of the 22 that qualified. His mark of 7.68m is currently a school record. Dickerson has a time of 10.28 seconds in the 100m dash which ranks him 17^th entering this championship.
Sophomore Marcus Jones makes his first outdoor National Championship appearance following up on his indoor Championship appearance. Jones will compete in the 400m dash entering with a season best time of 46.63 ranking 21^st in the Nation.
 
The final Bearcat to qualify is senior Gavin Duchscherer making his first appearance at the National Championship. After a 3^rd place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the GLVC Championships and an SBU school record, he has the 20^th best time at this years' Championships.
 
Full list of events & times to compete are below:
Thursday:
Angel Dickerson: Long Jump Finals – 2:30pm
Marucs Jones: 400m Prelims – 5:40pm
Angel Dickerson: 100m Prelims – 6:10pm
Stephanique Dean: 100m Prelims – 6:25pm
Gavin Duchscherer: 3k Steeplechase Prelims –6:40pm
Olivia Littleton: 10k Finals – 8:50pm
Friday:
Stephanique Dean: 200m Prelims – 5:45pm
(TBD) 3K Steeplechase Finals – 7:15pm
4x400m Relay Prelims – 8:10pm
Saturday:
Savannah Manthey & Alexis Turner: Javelin Finals – 3:00pm
(TBD) Men 400m Finals – 4:35pm
(TBD) Men 100m Finals – 4:55pm
(TBD) Women 100m Finals – 5:05pm
(TBD) Women 200m Finals – 6:20pm
(TBD) Women 4x400m Relay Finals – 7:30pm