FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – San Diego State and UC San Diego athletes concluded their 2026 outdoor track and field seasons at the NCAA West First and Quarterfinal rounds, with several athletes delivering strong performances against some of the nation’s top competition.
For the Aztecs, hurdlers Anna Mager and Jada Pierre highlighted the weekend by advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals after impressive opening round performances.
Pierre, competing in the 100m hurdles, won her first round heat in 13.31 seconds to earn an automatic berth in the quarterfinals. Mager secured her spot in the 400m hurdles quarterfinals after continuing what has been one of the strongest stretches of her collegiate career, running a personal best of 57.04. Both runners entered the national qualifying meet after standout performances at the Mountain West Championships.
The pair returned to the track on Saturday seeking spots at the NCAA Outdoor Championships taking place in Oregon in June. Neither hurdler was able to finish among the top qualifiers advancing to nationals. Mager closed her season with a time of 59.95 seconds in the quarterfinal round, capping a year that included a Mountain West runner-up finish and all-conference honors. Pierre also wrapped up a successful campaign after emerging as one of the conference’s top hurdlers.
Isabella Nielson finished 26th out of 40 competitors. SDSU Athletics
SDSU’s Charlize James ran a 13.46 alongside Pierre in the 100m hurdles, taking 25th and missed out on advancing by mere thousandths of a second. Pole vaulter Isabella Nielson posted a 4.08m finish to place 26th out of 40 competitors. Nielsen holds the sixth best outdoor pole vault finish for SDSU’s program.
UC San Diego also demonstrated its rapid growth to Division I while at the meet.
Among the Tritons’ competitors, Allyson Abandonato represented UC San Diego in the 800m. Facing a deep national field, the senior finished 48th overall to conclude her season on the national stage.
Feyi Olukanni broke her own record to set a new one for UCSD’s program. Derrick Tuksan/UCSD Athletics
In the throwing events, Feyi Olukanni delivered one of the program’s top performances of the meet. Competing in the shot put, Olukanni placed 16th overall and set a new school record. Although she missed advancing to the NCAA Championships, the performance marked another milestone in a season that established her among the top throwers in program history.
Tamara Aimufia, Emma Dunmire and Sylvana Northrop also represented the Tritons after qualifying through strong regular season and conference championship performances. Their appearances help UC San Diego build on a historic season that sent a school-record 11 athletes (including men and women) to the NCAA West First Round. The national qualifying meet provided valuable experience against the elite competition and underscored the continued rise of the Tritons on the DI stage.
Both schools left Arkansas with notable accomplishments. The 2026 campaign has offered further evidence of the growing strength of collegiate track and field in San Diego, setting the stage for future postseason success.
Although neither San Diego program had an athlete advance through the ranks, SDSU’s heptathlete, Jenna Fee Feyerabend, will appear in Oregon in June. Feyerabend currently has the No. 8 spot in the country (as of May 31) and has a real chance at becoming a national champion. She’s set to compete on June 12, starting with the 100m hurdles beginning at 11:45 a.m. PST. Stream the championship on ESPN+. To ready yourself for the event, learn all about the heptathlon event here.
Top photo: Anna Mager set a new personal record in the 400m hurdles. Derrick Tuksan/SDSU Athletics
