FHSU Athletics
PITTSBURG, Kan. - The 24th-ranked Fort Hays State women's track and field team opened competition at the 2026 MIAA Outdoor Championships with one conference title Friday (May 1). The Tigers currently sit in fourth place in the team standings with 17 points.
Emily Diercks McCullough capped off the night with her third conference championship, winning the 10,000m with a time of 35:26.92. The senior claimed the title by more than 10 seconds over second place, earning her seventh career trip to the All-MIAA podium. The Hoxie, Kan. native led for virtually all of the race, staying in front of the pack before building a 10-second lead over her nearest competitor with more than a quarter of the race remaining.
A pair of throwers added seven team points to McCullough's 10, with Liberty Booker taking fifth place in the hammer and Emma Slade finishing close behind in sixth. Booker recorded a personal-best toss of 180-6 on her fifth attempt which ranks her third at FHSU during the DII era and 20th on the NCAA Division II national qualifying list this season. Slade's top heave of 180-5 came on her sixth and final attempt, finishing just four centimeters behind her teammate.
A trio of runners earned a spot in Sunday's finals, with Amelia Foster finishing sixth in the 100m prelims with a time of 11.89. Reba Mader was third in the preliminary round of the 400m hurdles, crossing the line in 1:01.85. Breanna Wells earned the final ninth and final spot in the finals with a time of 1:04.98, edging out a competitor by one-hundredth of a second.
Ashlyn Harbaugh was 10th in the 10,000m, moving to third on the FHSU DII era list with a time of 36:38.88. Emma Weiner was 12th after crossing the line in 37:13.27 while Margaret Browning now ranks 10th in Tiger DII history with a time of 37:39.01, good for 15th overall.
The Tigers will continue competition at the league meet on Saturday (May 2) with the prelims of the 200m, 800m and 100m hurdles and the finals in the 3,000m steeplechase, high jump and discus