NCAA Indoor Championships Primer

AMES, Iowa – Seven Cyclones are prepped and ready for the biggest stage, NCAA Championships. Seven indoor entries is the third-most in school history, just behind eight in 2024 and nine in 1997.

NCAA Indoor Championships, Friday, March 14 - Saturday, March 15

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The championships are held at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach, Va. hosted by Norfolk State University. Action for ISU begins Friday at 8:15 a.m. CT as Thai Thompson begins the heptathlon. ESPN+ will stream the championships beginning at 8:15 a.m. Friday and at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. A replay will be televised at 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 16 on ESPNU.

At last season's NCAA Indoor Championships, Sydney Willits took the national long jump title while the men and women finished in the top 25 together for the first time since 1992.

In the women's 400m semifinals, Rachel Joseph will race in the second of four heats with the top eight fastest times advancing to the final. For the men's 800m semifinals, Darius Kipyego runs in the second of two heats. The top three in each heat plus the next two fastest times advance to the final. All 16 men's 5,000m qualifiers will run in one final on Friday.

In the men's weight throw, the top nine after three attempts move on to the final for three additional throws. Men's high jumpers will have three attempts to clear each height before progressing to the next bar. In the heptathlon, Thompson will compete in seven events over two days, receiving scores in each to be totaled up for overall standings.

Joseph will make her third trip to NCAA Championships and second at indoor nationals entering as the No. 5 seed with an altitude-converted 50.99. Her raw time of 50.88 earned her her first Big 12 title, coming after two previous top three Big 12 400m finishes. Joseph has now broken the indoor 400m record seven times and the outdoor record five. The sprinter owns three individual school records while being a part of both the indoor and outdoor school record 4x400m teams.

One of just five women in the nation to break 51 in the 400 this season.

Rachel Joseph. pic.twitter.com/zv9fPW4u2Q
— Iowa State Track & XC (@CycloneTrackXC) March 2, 2025

Thompson comes in as the No. 9 seed in the heptathlon, posting his qualifying score of 5,825 to reset his school record and take the Big 12 bronze medal. The senior punches his ticket to his first NCAA Championships and is the first Cyclone multi, men's or women's, to advance to indoor nationals.

Cam Jones enters his fourth NCAA Championships as the No. 12 seed in the weight throw. His qualifying mark of 75-9 1/4 (23.09m) is just shy of his school record of 76-4 1/4. Jones will make his third straight NCAA appearance in the weight throw, while this is his fifth time qualifying throughout the weight throw and shot put.

Kipyego is set for his third national appearance and second at indoor championships, taking on the 800m as the No. 12 seed with an altitude-adjusted 1:46.48. Kipyego's indoor-best 1:46.56 ranks third in ISU history, while his PR of 1:45.40 ranks second in outdoor history. Last season, the 800m specialist took home First Team All-America honors. Kipyego is the third in ISU history to qualify for indoor nationals in the 800m multiple times, joining Jason Gómez and Edward Kemboi.

Sophomore Braden Goellner is the first Cyclone man since 2015 to advance to indoor nationals in the high jump, coming into his first NCAA Championships as the No. 14 seed. His all-time best clearance of 7-3 (2.21m) ranks third in ISU indoor history and earned him Big 12 Athlete of the Week, the third indoor honor in Cyclone men's track and field history.

Sanele Masondo and Said Mechaal will both run in the 5,000m, with Masondo the No. 13 seed and Mechaal the No. 16 seed. Masondo (13:20.30) and Mechaal (13:21.13) rank second and third in Iowa State history with their times set at the BU Season Opener. Both are three-time All-Americans through track & field and cross country.

Following NCAA Indoor Championships, outdoor season begins with the Charles Austin Invite in San Marcos, Texas Saturday, March 22.

Iowa State Schedule (All Times Central)

Friday

8:15 a.m. – Heptathlon 60m (M): Thai Thompson

8:50 a.m. – Heptathlon Long Jump (M): Thai Thompson

10:00 a.m. – Heptathlon Shot Put (M): Thai Thompson

11:45 a.m. – Heptathlon High Jump (M): Thai Thompson

3:00 p.m. – 400m Semifinals (W): Rachel Joseph

5:05 p.m. – Weight Throw (M): Cam Jones

6:50 p.m. – 800m Semifinals (M): Darius Kipyego

7:12 p.m. – 5,000m (M): Sanele Masondo, Said Mechaal

Saturday

8:30 a.m. – Heptathlon 60m Hurdles (M): Thai Thompson

9:30 a.m. – Heptathlon Pole Vault (M): Thai Thompson

11:00 a.m. – High Jump (M): Braden Goellner

1:30 p.m. – Heptathlon 1,000m (M): Thai Thompson

*2:20 p.m. – 400m Final (W)

*5:30 p.m. – 800m Final (M)

*Requires advancement

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Players Mentioned

Braden Goellner

Cam Jones

Rachel Joseph

Darius Kipyego

Sanele Masondo

Said Mechaal

Thai Thompson

Sydney Willits

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