VIRGINIA BEACH, VA.- Central Washington University will be represented on the national stage as senior Elise Hopper, senior GNAC Champion Drew Klein, GNAC Champion and freshman standout Colton Magruder, and reigning national champion Emy Ntekpere compete at the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships.  

The championships will be held March 13–14 at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and are hosted by the NCAA. The two-day competition will bring together the nation's top Division II collegiate athletes, with the top 18 marks in each event this season qualifying for the national meet.

Senior Elise Hopper will compete in the 200 meters, entering the championships ranked No. 15 on the NCAA Division II performance list with a time of 24.00 seconds. At the GNAC Championships, Hopper earned a bronze medal with a third-place finish and will look to build on that success on the national stage.

Senior Drew Klein will compete in the men's heptathlon after securing gold at the GNAC Championships with 5,149 points. Klein enters the national meet ranked 13th in NCAA Division II and will look to make his mark against the nation's best.

Freshman Colton Magruder enters the national championships following an impressive performance at the GNAC Championships, where he captured the 60-meter dash title with a time of 6.62 seconds, setting both a personal best and a meet record. Magruder currently ranks fourth on the national performance list and will look to continue his momentum and make history as a freshman on the national stage.

Reigning national champion Emy Ntekpere returns to the championships looking to defend her title after capturing last year's national crown. Ntekpere will compete in both the high jump and triple jump. At the GNAC Championships, she claimed gold in the triple jump with a mark of 12.81 meters (42-0.5) and also won the high jump with a clearance of 1.71 meters (5-7.25). Ntekpere enters the meet ranked third nationally in both the high jump (1.79 meters) and the triple jump (12.81 meters) and will look to repeat as national champion.