EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men's and Women's Track & Field heads to Little Rock, Arkansas, to compete at the 2026 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
 
The Screaming Eagles have been impressive during the spring season as they own the league's top times in the men's 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters as well as the women's 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
 
USI has dominated the men's 1,500 meters during the outdoor season, with four of the OVC's top six performers wearing USI uniforms.
 
Freshman Kraedyn Young, who won the OVC indoor title in the mile in February, has the top time in the OVC this spring after finishing in three minutes, 43.04 seconds at the Music City Challenge earlier this month. Sophomores Layden Wagoner and Griffen Wheeler are ranked No. 3 and No. 5, respectively, while redshirt freshman Wylee Kippenbrock is No. 6.
 
The quartet has the Screaming Eagles ranked No. 67 in the nation in the most recent 1,500-meter event squad rankings and No. 1 out of all colleges and universities in Indiana.
 
USI's women also have performed well in the 1,500 meters this spring, with four runners ranking in the top eight of the OVC rankings. Sophomores Addison Applegate and Abrielle Richard are ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, while junior Ellie Hall and sophomore Maggie Smith are respectively No. 4 and No. 8.
 
Hall, who has twice been named the OVC Track Athlete of the Week this spring, will concentrate on the 5,000 and 10,000 meters this week as she ranks No. 1 in the conference in both events.
 
The Screaming Eagles are also getting a major boost to their distance squad this week as sophomore Hadessah Austin is returning to compete in the 10,000 meters after sitting out the indoor season and all the outdoor season. Austin, the reigning 10,000-meter champion, last competed at the NCAA Division I Great Lakes Region Cross Country Championships last November, where she finished 56th.
 
Junior Alex Nolan is looking to continue the success he found during the OVC Indoor Championships when he toes the line in the men's 5,000 and the 10,000 meters this week. Nolan, who won the 3,000 and 5,000 meters at the OVC Indoor Championships in February, is ranked No. 1 in the outdoor 5,000 meters and No. 2 in the 10,000 meters.
 
Young and Wagoner are right behind Nolan at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the 5,000 meters, while senior Dominick Beine owns the fastest time in the 10,000 meters.
 
The men's and women's 10,000 meters will be contested Thursday night, while the prelims in the men's and women's 1,500 meters open the running events Thursday at 5 p.m.
 
Friday's running events include the prelims in the men's and women's 800 meters as well as the finals in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Finals in the 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters and the 4x400-meter relay are all scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
 
All three days of this week's OVC Outdoor Championships will be aired on ESPN+, while live results will be available at USIScreamingEagles.com.