CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 12, 2026) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) will be represented on the national stage as several of the conference’s top performers have qualified to compete at the 2026 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled for March 13 to 14 at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
CIAA student athletes posted nationally competitive marks throughout the indoor season to earn a place in the NCAA Division II national field. The conference will be represented by competitors from Claflin University, Fayetteville State University, Livingstone College, Virginia State University, and Virginia Union University in the 60-meter hurdles, 400-meter dash, one mile run, long jump, high jump, and triple jump.
Virginia Union University will be represented by Antonio Smith in the 60-meter hurdles and Carson Calhoun in the high jump. Claflin University sends a strong contingent to the national championships with Jaevon Riley competing in the 400-meter dash, Morgan Coverson Springs qualifying in the 60-meter hurdles, and Jhnyia Knuckles earning a spot in the triple jump.
Fayetteville State University’s Faith Kiplimo will compete in the one mile run after an outstanding indoor season, while Virginia State University’s Kwame Whitaker secured a national berth in the long jump. Livingstone College’s Sabrena Hogan will also represent the CIAA in the triple jump.
CIAA student athletes competing at the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships include:
Men
- Antonio Smith, Virginia Union – 60-meter hurdles
- Jaevon Riley, Claflin – 400-meter dash
- Kwame Whitaker, Virginia State – long jump
- Carson Calhoun, Virginia Union – high jump
Women
- Morgan Coverson Springs, Claflin – 60-meter hurdles
- Faith Kiplimo, Fayetteville State – one mile run
- Jhnyia Knuckles, Claflin – triple jump
- Sabrena Hogan, Livingstone – triple jump
The championship field was determined by qualifying performances recorded between November 28, 2025 and March 1, 2026. For a full preview and quick guide to the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships can be found
here.
Media Contact:
Anna M. Butzlaff
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
abutzlaff@theciaa.com
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.