Crimson newcomers Nadjela Wepiwé and Dylan McElhinney qualified for the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships in their respective events during the final day of action at the NCAA East First Round in Lexington, Ky., on May 30.
Wepiwé, a first-year from Friedrichsdorf, Germany, secured her spot at Hayward Field with a throw of 54.82 meters (179’10”) on her second attempt in the women’s discus first round. She finished ninth overall and is now ranked fourth all-time in school history for the event. Wepiwé becomes only the fourth Harvard athlete to qualify for nationals in women’s discus throw, joining her sister Milina Wepiwé, Estel Valeanu ’23, and Nikki Okwelogu ’17. Milina Wepiwé also competed in this round and finished 26th with a throw of 51.21 meters (168’0″).
In the women’s 1500-meter quarterfinals, McElhinney entered ranked 33rd among competitors but earned automatic advancement by finishing fifth in her heat with a time of 4:11.89. The New York native is an All-Ivy League Second Team selection this year and becomes only the third Crimson to qualify for nationals in this event after Maia Ramsden ’24 and Abbe Goldstein ’22.
The Harvard women’s 4×100-meter relay team—composed of senior Mfoniso Andrew, sophomore Ella Cooper, junior Mickaila Haisley, and sophomore Saige Forbes—set a new school record with a time of 44.17 seconds to finish twentieth overall. This mark also stands as the second-fastest time ever recorded by an Ivy League team.
Senior Molly Malague concluded her collegiate career by placing sixteenth in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:05.43; last season, she earned All-America honorable mention status in that event.
Harvard ended its week at regionals with another relay performance as Marta Amani, Andrew, Jacklynn Okereke, and Cooper took twenty-first place in the women’s 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:34.41. The Crimson will compete next at Hayward Field from June 10-13 across six events at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
