Wheeling, W. Va. - With the 2026 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the books, the Wheeling University Men's Track & Field team now turns their attention to the race for the 2026 NCAA DII National Championships. The Last Chance Meet schedule kicks off their weekend for the men, with Wheeling sending three athletes to the Jesse Owens Classic. They will compete in both days of competition, spanning three separate events, as they look to qualify for the National tournament, and be the first Cardinals to qualify for the National Championship since the 2023 season.
The last time out, the Cardinals competed across the three day MEC Outdoor Championship event, doubling their point total from a season ago. Across the three days of competition, the team would score 30.5 points across the three days of competition, placing three athletes on the podium and crowning two individual MEC Champions. The first of those three champions was crowned on day one of competition, with all three podium finalists came from the field events. Day two would see several PR's achieved, but no on eearning a spot on the podium with a track heavy day. On the final day, the field events would score one more individual champion in the field events, while the relay events ran their races.
Leading the effort for the Cardinals was Alexander Rodriguez, who took home the second of the two individual championships in the Men's Pole Vault. After skipping out on the first few heights of the night, Rodriguez would enter the competition at 4.40 meters, and cleared the bar on his first vault of the day. He came back at 4.55 meters, needing just two tries to once again clear the bar and claim the individual championship. With the title already in hand, Rodriguez would end up setting the bar at the NCAA provisional mark of 4.87 meters. He nearly was able to clear the bar on his second attempt of the day, but he would end his day at 4.55 meters. It completed the 2025-2026 sweep of the MEC Pole Vault title, and finished him just 0.25 meters under his PR for the event. In just his freshman season, Rodriguez has already established himself at one of the top vaulters in the conference, and is looking to take that success to the National leavel.
The other individual MEC Champion at the event was Felix Manyani, who competed in the Men's Javelin. Manyani has had a breakout season for the Cardinals, and continued that success on the conference championship stage. He would throw a distance of 60.63 meters, setting a new PR by just under two meters, to claim the conference title. The throw would come on his second toss of the night and was the first time this season that Manyani has cleared the 60-meter mark. Manyani is the only Cardinal to have hit the NCAA Provisional mark this season, and he looks to continue improving his throws throughout the last chance schedule. The other podium finish for the Cardinals also came in javelin, courtesy of sophomore Erick Berroa. Like Manyani, Berroa would also set a PR in the event, hitting a distance of 57.06 meters and finishing just two meters short of the NCAA Provisional Mark. Berroa would hit his mark on the first throw of the finals, breaking his old PR by three meters in the effort.
With the 2026 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships just three weeks away, the Cardinals are looking to make their case at competing on the national stage. The last Cardinal to do that was former Cardinal Moses Koroma, who competed in the 110-Meter Hurdles back during the 2024 season. This year's event will be held in Emporia, Kansas and feature some of the top athletes around the country. As of now, the Cardinals have one athlete that has hit the NCAA provisional mark, but have several on the verge of hitting the NCAA provisional mark necessary to qualify. These last chance meets give them a chance to do just that, competing against some of the top regional competition on their way to the National stage.
Expected Competitors
Alexander Rodriguez (PV), Erik Berroa (JT), Kris Vigars (400 H)
The Details
The 2026 Jesse Owens Classic is scheduled for Friday, May 1st, inside the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University. You can follow along with live results by clicking HERE.
