University of Tennessee Athletics
Five Men’s Vaulters Headline UT’s 19 NCAA Indoor Championship Entries
March 04, 2026 | Track & Field
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Powered by a historic five-man contingent in the men's pole vault, thirteen individuals and two relay teams will represent the Tennessee track & field program next week at the 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor National Championships. The nation's top collegians will compete Friday and Saturday, March 13–14, at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
To qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, athletes must rank inside the top 16 nationally in their respective events, while relay teams must sit inside the top 12. In total, Tennessee earned 19 championship entries across men's and women's competition.
That group is led by an unprecedented showing in the men's pole vault, where Tennessee athletes will make up nearly one-third of the national field. Five Vols qualified for the NCAA Championships, led by reigning SEC champion Ismaila Sawaneh who enters the meet with a season-best clearance of 5.78 meters (18-11.5). UT is the first program in collegiate history to qualify five men's pole vaulters to the NCAA Indoor Championships and the first to have five vaulters clear 18 feet or higher in the same season.
On the men's side, UT's 13 total entries rank third-most nationally. Sprint standouts Traunard Folson and Davonte Howell each qualified in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes, while JL Van Rensburg and Aidan Ifkovits will represent the throws squad in the shot put and weight throw, respectively. Additionally, Tennessee's school-record time of 3:02.46 in the 4x400-meter relay ranks fourth nationally and earned qualification to the NCAA meet.
Three Lady Vol sprinters will compete in Fayetteville, highlighted by a 200-meter and 400-meter double for sophomore standout Esther Joseph. Senior Javonya Valcourt will also contest the 400 meters, while Myreanna Bebe is set to line up in the 60-meter hurdles. Tennessee's 4x400-meter relay qualified with a season-best time of 3:29.31, and Mya Strahm will represent the field events in the pole vault after clearing a school-record height of 4.47 meters (14-8).
Tennessee Track & Field – 2026 NCAA Indoor Championship Qualifiers
Men (13 entries in six events)
Women (six entries in five events)
To qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, athletes must rank inside the top 16 nationally in their respective events, while relay teams must sit inside the top 12. In total, Tennessee earned 19 championship entries across men's and women's competition.
That group is led by an unprecedented showing in the men's pole vault, where Tennessee athletes will make up nearly one-third of the national field. Five Vols qualified for the NCAA Championships, led by reigning SEC champion Ismaila Sawaneh who enters the meet with a season-best clearance of 5.78 meters (18-11.5). UT is the first program in collegiate history to qualify five men's pole vaulters to the NCAA Indoor Championships and the first to have five vaulters clear 18 feet or higher in the same season.
On the men's side, UT's 13 total entries rank third-most nationally. Sprint standouts Traunard Folson and Davonte Howell each qualified in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes, while JL Van Rensburg and Aidan Ifkovits will represent the throws squad in the shot put and weight throw, respectively. Additionally, Tennessee's school-record time of 3:02.46 in the 4x400-meter relay ranks fourth nationally and earned qualification to the NCAA meet.
Three Lady Vol sprinters will compete in Fayetteville, highlighted by a 200-meter and 400-meter double for sophomore standout Esther Joseph. Senior Javonya Valcourt will also contest the 400 meters, while Myreanna Bebe is set to line up in the 60-meter hurdles. Tennessee's 4x400-meter relay qualified with a season-best time of 3:29.31, and Mya Strahm will represent the field events in the pole vault after clearing a school-record height of 4.47 meters (14-8).
Tennessee Track & Field – 2026 NCAA Indoor Championship Qualifiers
Men (13 entries in six events)
- Traunard Folson – 60m – 6.49 (No. 3)
- Davonte Howell – 60m – 6.49 (No. 3)
- Traunard Folson – 200m – 20.55 (No. 11)
- Davonte Howell – 200m – 20.58 (No. 13)
- Men's 4x400m Relay – 3:02.46 (No. 4)
- Ismaila Sawaneh – Pole Vault – 5.78m / 18-11.5 (No. 3)
- Cade Gray – Pole Vault – 5.73m / 18-9.5 (No. 4)
- Blake Sifferlin – Pole Vault – 5.64m / 18-6 (No. 11)
- Clarke Byram – Pole Vault – 5.61m / 18-4.75 (No. 14)
- Evan Puckett – Pole Vault – 5.56m / 18-2.75 (No. 15)
- Cade Gray – Long Jump – 7.97m / 26-1.75 (No. 9)
- JL Van Rensburg – Shot Put – 19.83m / 65-0.75 (No. 9)
- Aidan Ifkovits – Weight Throw – 22.63m / 74-3 (No. 13)
Women (six entries in five events)
- Esther Joseph – 200m – 22.94 (No. 14)
- Esther Joseph – 400m – 51.36 (No. 7)
- Javonya Valcourt – 400m – 51.73 (No. 16)
- Myreanna Bebe – 60m Hurdles – 7.96 (No. 7)
- Women's 4x400m Relay – 3:29.31 (No. 9)
- Mya Strahm – Pole Vault – 4.47m / 14-8 (No. 15)
Players Mentioned
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Throws
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