PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's and women's outdoor track & field teams opened action in the 2026 MIAA Outdoor Championships Friday (May 1) at the newly dedicated Russ Jewett Outdoor Track & Field Complex.

The Pitt State women ended Friday's action with 37 points, leading second place Missouri Southern State University by 14 points (23).

The Gorillas men finished the day in a tie for second place, along with Washburn University, with 20 points. MSSU claimed the day one lead with 39 points.

Blakelee Winn captured an MIAA title to lead a 27-point scoring barrage in the women's long jump. She won the discipline with a best mark of 20 feet, 8.75 inches. Jazmine Williamson (19-10.5) finished as the MIAA runner-up, while Makayla Pavelka (19-8.5) and Brooylyn Baker (19-8.5) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Abby Lasiter added a fourth-place finish in the hammer throw (184-6), while Kaci Singer (36:17.52) and Lorna Rae Pierce (36:18.12) finished sixth and seventh in the 10,000 meters.
Lily Brown opened the day by finishing in third place in day one action in the heptathlon. She compiled 3,003 points on the strength of a first-place finish in the high jump discipline (5-6.5) and a second-place effort in the shot put discipline (40-7.75).

Additionally, five Gorillas advanced to Sunday's finals in sprint and hurdles preliminary action Friday. Mikah Edwards (54.70), Isabel Abdouch (55.63) and Kinleigh Hall (56.00) advanced in the 400 meters. Jakayla Morgan qualified in the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.19) and Kiara Brown advance in the 100 meters (11.76).

Matthew Malmstrom opened the day for the Pitt State men with a second-place day one showing in the decathlon. He posted individual discipline wins in the 100m (11.09), shot put (40-7.5) and the 400m (49.59).

Jack Haukap secured an individual MIAA crown with a winning throw of 215-3 in the hammer throw, while Brennan Boord placed fifth at 198-11. Isaiah Webster (24-6.5) and Johnetheon Lockett (24-1.25) placed fourth and eighth in the long jump.

Pitt State men advancing on the track to Sunday finals included: Caden Williams (46.51), Woyn Chatman (46.83), Nate Watson (47.22), Amar Williams (47.55) and Logan Davis (47.98) in the 400m; and Braylon Thompson (10.35), Kemarri Stewart (10.44) and Xavier Carmichael (10.54) in the 100m.

Saturday's day two action gets started with the decathlon at 10 a.m. and the women's heptathlon at 10:30 a.m. The main meet fires up at 3:15 p.m. with the finals of the women's high jump. Action on the track begins at 5 p.m.