TF Preview: American Conference Indoor Championships
 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Wichita State track and field travels to Birmingham, Ala. for the American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 27 and 28 at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
 
Competition will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Saturday
 
The Wichita State men's team will battle reigning champion South Florida and Charlotte for the team title as the Shocker women seek individual podium performances and a top-half team finish.
 
HISTORICALLY
The Shockers have yet to win an indoor American Conference team title, despite claiming the 2019 women's outdoor and 2022 and 2023 men's outdoor titles. In 2023, the Shocker men won the outdoor team championship without winning a single individual title, as they are known for using their balance and depth to score points in many events.
 
Wichita State's best men's indoor team finish was a runner-up performance in 2019, and the Shockers have placed third three times, most recently a season ago. South Florida has won the last two men's indoor championships.
 
Last season, the Shockers claimed three event titles but don't return any of the three athletes, losing Yared Kidane (800m), Hudson Bailey (heptathlon), and Destiny Masters (HJ). The Shockers have won the last four-straight men's heptathlon titles and the last two women's high jump titles.
 
SHOCKERS SEEDED IN PODIUM POSITION
Elkana Kipruto – 5,000m – 13:37.79. – No.1
Kipruto, a sophomore transfer from Stephen F. Austin, is set for his first track and field championship meet with the Shockers after winning the American Conference Cross Country title and going on to earn All-Region and All-American awards. Kipruto broke Wichita State's 5,000-meter program record in the indoor season opener and ran the second-fastest 3,000-meter time in school history at Arkansas.
 
Zander Cobb – 5,000m – 14:10.29 – No. 2
Cobb, a graduate student from Romeo, Mich., is the No. 2 seed in the 5,000 after running the fifth-fastest time in school history at the Washburn Open.
 
Chairo Ogbebor – 60m – 6.65 – No. 2
Ogbebor, a sophomore from Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada, returns for his second season with the Shockers after winning the American Conference outdoor long jump title and qualifying to the NCAA Outdoor West Prelims as a freshman. Earlier this indoor season, at the Coach Wilson Invitational, he broke Wichita State's 60-meter dash program record, running 6.65 to win the final. He is set to compete in the 60 as well as the long jump.
 
Jason Parrish – 60m – 6.66 – No. 3
Jason Parrish – 200m – 21.01 – No. 3
Parrish, a junior from Olathe, Kan., is coming off a successful sophomore season, in which he was named Second Team All-American in the 400-meter hurdles and honorable mention recognition in the 4x400-meter relay. He is a four-time all-conference performer, twice indoor in the 4x400. Parrish is entered in the 60 meters and 200 meters after breaking Wichita State's 23-year old program record in the 200 meters last time out at K-State, running 21.01. He also ran the second-fastest 60-meter time in school history, breaking the previous record in the same race that Ogbebor claimed the new record.
 
Vivien Kipkorir – Mile – 4:47.25 – No. 3
Kipkorir, a freshman from Iten, Kenya, joined the Shockers at semester and made her mark on two Wichita State top-10 lists, ranking No. 7 in the mile and No. 5 in the 3,000.
 
Lucy Ndungu – 5,000m – 16:18.89 – No. 2
Ndungu, a redshirt-senior from St. Louis, Mo., returns to the indoor championship after redshirting last track and field season due to an injury. She was the 2023 American Conference cross country runner-up and went on to be the outdoor conference 5,000 and 10,000 runner-up, qualifying to the NCAA Outdoor Championships and earning honorable mention recognition in the 10,000 meters.
 
Josh Parrish – 60m Hurdles – 7.70 – No. 2
Parrish, a junior from Olathe, Kan., has recorded seven podium finishes between indoor and outdoor in four different events over his first two season with the Shockers. He has yet to make a 60-meter hurdles indoor championship podium after finishing fifth in 2024 and missing the final after clipping a hurdle and faltering to throw off his timing in the prelim in 2025. This hurdles championship is a redemption race for the junior, looking to land on the indoor hurdles podium for the first time after winning the outdoor 110-meter hurdles championship last season.
 
Cole Smither – High Jump – 2.09m/6'10.25" – No. 2
Smither, a freshman from Olathe, Kan., will compete in both the heptathlon and high jump. He broke 5,000 in the heptathlon at the Coach Wilson Invitational and cleared his best bar in the high jump at the Mark Colligan Memorial. Smither competed for the same high school as the Parrish twins.
 
Darius Graham – High Jump – 2.06m/6'9" – No. 3
Graham cleared seven feet in at his high school state meet and holds a collegiate best of 2.08m/6'9.75". He placed eighth at last year's indoor championship.
 
Kaleb Tesmer – High Jump – 2.06m/6'9" – No. 3
Tesmer competed in uniform for the first time this season a week ago at the Steve Miller invitational after clearing 2.16m/7'1" while competing unattached at the Ichabod Invitational on Feb. 14. He placed 12^th at last year's championship.
 
Kylie Scott – Pole Vault – 4.03m/13'2.5" – No. 3
Scott, a sophomore from St. Louis, Mo., joined the four-meter club at the Ichabod Invitational. As a freshman, she placed fourth at the indoor conference meet and ninth outdoor.
 
FAMILY TIES
Wichita State freshman Jabari Armstrong is following in his uncle Shannon Armstrong's footsteps. Shannon Armstrong was a 60-meter hurdles All-American in 2004 and set Wichita State records in the 200 meters and 60-meter hurdles before the Parrish twins broke both records earlier this season. Jabari Armstrong already ranks ninth all-time in Wichita State history in the hurdles, running 7.89 earlier this season.
 
ROAD TO FAYETTEVILLE
The 2026 DI men and women's indoor track and field selections will be from qualifying performances from Friday, Nov. 28 to Sunday, March 1. Mar. 1 is the last date a qualifying performance may be achieved, except for conference championships. Monday, March 2, will mark the last date a qualifying performance may be achieved for conference championships. The final list of meet participants will be available on Tuesday, March 3. On Wednesday, March 11, the final championships' start lists will be posted on the NCAA website. To qualify for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, athletes must achieve a top-ranked performance (top 16 for individuals, top 12 for relays) in their event during the qualifying season.
 
Wichita State has three athletes ranked in the top 50 nationally ahead of the conference mee:
Josh Parrish – 60H – No. 26
Elkana Kipruto – 5,000m – No. 49
Chairo Ogbebor – 60m – No. 50
 
USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS
The Wichita State men have two event squads ranking in the top 10 nationally. The Shocker 60-meter hurdles squad of Josh Parrish, Tyler Carroll, Jabari Armstrong and Asher Buggs-Tipton rank fifth in the nation, and the triple jump squad of Asher Buggs-Tipton, Travon Williams, Josh Parrish and Tristen Cross is ranked eighth in the nation.
 
NCAA CONFERENCE MEN'S TFRI

1. Charlotte
2. Wichita State
3. South Florida
4. North Texas
5. Tulsa
6. Rice
7. UTSA
8. Memphis
9. East Carolina
10. Tulane

 
NCAA CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TFRI

1. Charlotte
2. North Texas
3. Tulane
4. Rice
5. Wichita State
6. South Florida
7. East Carolina
8. Memphis
9. Tulsa
10. UTSA
11. Temple
12. UAB
13. Florida Atlantic