Men's Track and Field | 5/17/2026 11:00:00 AM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — St. John Fisher University men's track and field student-athletes Brandon Kaplan (hammer throw) and Hayden Penna (pole vault) have qualified for the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the NCAA announced on Friday night. 

Kaplan and Penna will compete in their respective events on Saturday, May 23, at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The pole vault begins at 1 p.m., while the hammer throw is scheduled for 3 p.m. 

Kaplan currently ranks eighth in the country in the hammer throw with a mark of 60.07 meters, recorded during the St. John Fisher Cardinal Classic on April 25. The senior achieved All-America status in last year's NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships with a 14th-place finish at 56.34 meters. He recently won his third consecutive Empire 8 title and second consecutive All-Atlantic Region title in the event. 

This marks the first time that Penna, a junior, has qualified for the outdoor national meet. He earned All-America honors in March in the NCAA indoor championships with a mark of 4.83 meters, good for 16th place. Penna's school record mark of 5.10 meters, recorded in the Geneseo Early Season Invite on April 3, ranks eighth on the Division III outdoor performance list for this season. 

The top eight finishers in each event at nationals earn first-team All-America honors, while those who place ninth through 16th receive second-team recognition.