Nea Sanders and Kirin Chacchia are headed to Eugene after clutch hurdle runs, giving SMU two NCAA Championship qualifiers.
SMU track and field is sending two hurdlers to the 2026 NCAA Championship, and both earned it the hard way.
Nea Sanders and Kirin Chacchia punched their tickets to Eugene, Oregon, after delivering pressure-packed performances in the NCAA quarterfinals.
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For SMU, it’s a major postseason statement. For Sanders and Chacchia, it’s the payoff after a season built on speed, toughness and handling the moment when the lights got brighter.
Sanders was electric in the 100-meter hurdles, running 12.99 seconds to go under 13 seconds for just the second time in her career.
She finished fourth in her heat and eighth overall, grabbing a qualifying spot on time in a loaded round.
That kind of number matters, especially when the margins at this stage are razor-thin.
Now Sanders gets another shot at Hayward Field, one of the fastest and most iconic tracks in the sport.
Chacchia took care of business in the 400-meter hurdles with a different kind of drama.
She ran 57.29 seconds and finished third in her heat, which gave her an automatic qualifying spot.
No waiting around. No scoreboard sweating. Just a straight ticket to the NCAA Championship.
SMU also saw several strong seasons come to a close. Macey Hilton wrapped up an impressive Mustangs career by running 2:07.56 in the 800-meter quarterfinals after posting a personal-best 2:03.83 in the first round.
Cleo Martin-Evans placed 16th in the long jump at 6.30 meters to finish her first year at SMU.
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In the triple jump, senior Hedda Kvalvag went 12.98 meters, while freshman Lotta Edzards jumped 12.62 meters.
The NCAA Championship is scheduled for June 10-13, and SMU won’t just be watching. Sanders and Chacchia are headed to Eugene with a real chance to make noise.
