#9 Vols Total 16 NCAA Championship Entries After 11 Tickets Punched On Friday

#9 Vols Total 16 NCAA Championship Entries After 11 Tickets Punched On Friday

May 29, 2026 | Track & Field

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tennessee men's track & field posted 11 qualifying marks for the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Friday at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, bringing the team's total to 16 entries that will compete at the national meet June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon. UT's 16 tickets punched were the most of any team in the East Region and the most by a Tennessee team during the Duane Ross era.

To advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, athletes must finish among the top 12 in their respective events at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds.

Field events got Friday's action underway with Grant Campbell securing his second berth to the outdoor national meet in the high jump. The junior from Maryville cleared 2.16 meters (7-1) to tie for eighth place.

Junior thrower Aron Alvarez Aranda punched his third consecutive ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the discus, heaving a lifetime-best mark of 61.71 meters (202-5) on his third and final attempt. His performance ranks second in school history, and he will seek to become UT's first three-time All-American in the men's discus.

Tennessee kicked off Friday's running events with the men's 4x100-meter relay, as the All-SEC quartet of Traunard Folson, Davonte Howell, T'Mars McCallum and Elijah Clark turned in a season-best time of 38.37 to win its heat and finish second overall in the East Region. The mark ranks second in school history.

The Vols had two qualifiers each in the men's 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles. Folson and Howell advanced to Eugene in the 100 with times of 10.04 and 10.06, respectively, while Folson and McCallum clocked season-best marks of 20.21 and 20.23, respectively, to qualify for nationals in the 200.

Marc Anthony Ibrahim and Calvin Wetzel each individually qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time in their careers in the 400-meter hurdles. Ibrahim posted a season-best 48.98, improving his standing as the No. 6 performer in school history, while Wetzel clocked a lifetime-best 50.04. Both athletes placed third in their respective heats to automatically advance to Eugene.

Vol sophomore Ethan Edgeworth booked his first trip to nationals in the 5,000-meter run, qualifying on time with a mark of 13:41.62. His performance placed sixth in the region and gives the Vols two entries in the distance events, joining Zouhair Redouane, who qualified in the 10,000-meter run on Wednesday.

The men's 4x400-meter relay squad capped the night with a school-record performance to punch its ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Andre Jackson II, Premier Wynn, Ibrahim and Harry Barton combined for a time of 3:01.06, setting the program record and finishing fifth overall at the East Preliminary Rounds.

UP NEXT: Tennessee rounds out the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. ET with the women's discus and concluding at 8:45 p.m. with the women's 4x400-meter relay.