NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- The 2026 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships got underway on Thursday at the Carleton College Recreation Center in Northfield with the women's pentathlon and the start of the men's heptathlon.
Concordia's Lauren Pearson won the pentathlon competition with a total of 3,472 points. Pearson got the meet off to a fast start by setting a new program record in the 55-meter hurdles, winning the race in 8.46 seconds. Pearson went on to place second in the high jump, fourth in the 800 meters, fifth in the shot put, and eighth in the long jump. St. Olaf's Claire Stein placed second in the pentathlon with 3,426 points, followed by Bethel's Ellie Hernes in third with 3,226 points.
With four of seven events scored, a trio of Johnnies leads the men's heptathlon standings. Bailey Evans has 2,933 points heading into Friday, with Josh Pretasky at 2,556 points, and Noah Besemann right behind at 2,542 points. Evans placed first in each of the first four events of the meet. The heptathlon will conclude with the 55-meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1,000-meter run on Friday morning.
COMPETITION CONTINUES
The 2026 MIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships continue in full on Friday. The heptathlon finishes on Friday at 10:00 a.m. Friday's field events start at 4:00 p.m., and track events will follow at 4:30 p.m.
Saturday's final session starts with field events at 11:45 a.m. Track events begin at 1:00 p.m. The final set of events - the men's and women's 4x400 relay - will begin at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Daily tickets are required to attend the MIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. All tickets will be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at the venue; however, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device at any time, including while at the venue. Tickets are available for purchase on the MIAC's HomeTown Ticketing site.
Single-day adult tickets will be $13, and student tickets are $4. (Note: additional HomeTown Ticketing convenience and credit card fees will be added during checkout, with estimated totals being $13.70 for adult / $4.43 for student per single-day ticket.) Children ages five and under do not require a ticket. Those eligible for student tickets include individuals currently enrolled in college, high school, middle school, and elementary school. Student ID is required where applicable.
Spectators traveling to Northfield are encouraged to review the campus parking map.
Fans unable to attend in person will be able to follow the action with live updates via Fast Finish Results. Select track events will also be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network. Select field events will be streamed on the Carleton Athletics YouTube page. A full slate of links and info can be found on the championship home page.
| CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE | LIVE RESULTS | MEET PROGRAM |
AWARDS
The top three finishers in each event automatically earn All-Conference honors, and the 4th-through-6th place finishers will receive Honorable Mention distinction.
The MIAC championship trophies will be presented to the first-place women's and men's teams at the conclusion of the meet on Saturday afternoon.
Individual awards will be voted on by coaches following the meet and will be announced - along with the complete list of All-Conference and honorable mention recipients - next week.
CHAMPIONSHIP APPAREL
Official championship apparel is available for online purchase via the MIAC Shop powered by UNRestricted MKTG. The online MIAC Shop features officially licensed short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeve t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts to commemorate the 2026 men's and women's conference championship meets. Respective team champion apparel will be added and available for purchase shortly after the meet.