Ugwu Breaks Pitt Shot Put Record, Punches Ticket to Eugene at NCAA East First Round

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Emeka Ugwu rewrote the Pitt record book and earned a trip to the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday, throwing 18.80m (61-8.25) to break a school record that had stood for 21 years and become the first male thrower in program history to qualify for nationals in the shot put. The sophomore's mark eclipsed Justin Clickett's 2005 program standard of 18.71m and placed him 10th overall in the East region — well inside the top 12 that advances directly to Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, June 10-13.

Two other Pitt competitors on the meet's opening day fell agonizingly short of advancing to Friday's quarterfinal. None more so than senior Darren McQueen Jr., who clocked a wind-legal season-best 10.29 in the men's 100 — a time that, on the scoreboard, missed the quarterfinal cutoff by seven one-thousandths of a second. The qualifying time settled at 10.282; McQueen crossed at 10.289. He finished 26th overall in a regional where the top 24 advanced.

Senior Luke Simpson likewise produced the kind of day that would have advanced him in most years and at most regionals. The program record holder placed seventh in his 1,500 heat at 3:44.61 — a time faster than five automatic qualifiers from other heats — but the math of the qualifying format left him the fastest non-advancing runner in the field. Simpson finished 20th overall after entering the meet as the No. 41 seed.

Senior Jaden Shelton beat his seed in the men's 110 hurdles, finishing 35th at 14.05 after entering as the No. 37 seed. His day ended in the first round.

Freshman Josiah Montgomery, the No. 43 seed in the shot put, did not register a mark.

Pitt's competition resumes Thursday with the start of the women's program in Lexington. Niya Crawford opens the women's shot put at 6:30 p.m. ET, with Somiyah Braggs in the 100 first round at 7:00 p.m., Alexandria Scott and Jana Bruses in the 400 hurdles first round at 8:20 p.m., and Braggs back on the track in the 200 first round at 8:45 p.m. All four days of the East First Round stream on ESPN+.

NCAA East Region Preliminary Round
Wednesday
Pitt Results
100 – 26. Darren McQueen Jr. 10.29
1500 – 20. Luke Simpson 3:44.61
110 hurdles – 35. Jaden Shelton 14.05
Shot put – 10. Emeka Ugwu 61-8.25 (18.80m), Josiah Montgomery X