By: Cody Wright
LA CROSSE, Wis. – Eddie Vu and Amblessed Okemgbo each represented Whitworth University with scoring performances on day one of the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Veteran's Memorial Field Sports Complex on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Vu, the first Pirate to compete, placed fifth in the men's discus with a mark of 174'-1". After two fouls in his first two attempts, his throw of 164'-5" on the third toss secured a spot in finals. His sixth and final attempt was his best and earned him first team All-America honors. The top eight places in any event score points and earn first-team All-America recognition.
Okemgbo followed with a fourth-place finish in the women's discus to earn first team All-America honors for the third consecutive year in that event. Her winning mark of 154'-11" was thrown on her first attempt. She had successful throws on her second and fifth attempts but couldn't chase down her first mark. Charlotte Frere of Augustana (Ill.) won her third discus national title with a distance of 167'-9".
On the track, Emily Brown represented Whitworth in the 400-meter hurdle preliminaries. Her time of 1:02.65 in the third heat resulted in 16th place, 1.09 seconds away from ninth and a chance to compete in the finals on Saturday. Brown now has earned second team All-America honors for the second straight year.
Okemgbo, Kylie Loveless, and Madison Carr will compete on Friday, each in the women's shot put at 11:00 am (PDT).
