Podium finishes and a school record highlighted Asbury University’s appearance at the 2026 National Christian College Athletic Association Indoor Track and Field National Championships, where both the men’s and women’s teams placed 11th overall.
The meet brought together athletes from 20 other Christian institutions from across the country, making for a competitive playing field. Last year, the men placed 9th and the women 10th of 18 teams, meaning this year’s result is a testament to a team that is consistently fighting in the top half of competitors.
One of the highlights for the men’s team was two of their athletes earning NCCAA All-American honors. This award is given when the NCCAA “recognizes outstanding student-athletes within the [conference] as among the best in their sport nationwide, based on performance during the season and at national championships.”
Freshman Matthew Wilson made an immediate impact in his first national championship appearance. Clearing 3.80 meters in the pole vault, Wilson secured a third-place finish and one of the All-American recognitions. As an underclassman on the national stage, this accomplishment is not only significant for his collegiate career, but an exciting indicator for what might come in the next couple of years.
Sophomore Manny Dut earned the second All-American honor with a podium performance of his own, finishing third in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.52 seconds. He currently holds the university record for indoor 400 meter, as well as the outdoor record for 200 meter, so he will be one to watch for the remainder of the season.
For the women’s team, sophomore Emma Groff had an honorable performance by breaking a school record for clearing 2.80 meters in pole vault and placing 6th overall. This achievement also earned her Asbury Student Athlete of the week, which is presented by Bluegrass Orthopedics Sports Medicine.
Also notably, freshman Emma Le Duc finished fifth in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 11:15:5. With five more meets and two more championships, viewers should be on the lookout to watch her run this event again.
With underclassmen accounting for all of the achievements mentioned, the results at nationals reflect not only current achievement but also promise for the program to grow across the seasons ahead. For a team that competed for the first time in 2023, the Eagles leave Cedarville with national recognition, program milestones and momentum heading forward.
