Top 5 Caribbean athletes’ performances just took over the 2026 NCAA Indoor Conference Championships—and the numbers prove it.
From record-breaking sprints to a stunning national long jump record, five performances rose above all others. Our athletes delivered record-setting results to capture their respective conference titles, and the region’s dominance in collegiate track and field was on full display once again.
The Caribbean has a long, proud history in the NCAA—from Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey, who won 14 individual national titles at the University of Nebraska, to Avard Moncur of the Bahamas, a two-time NCAA national champion at Auburn, to Michelle Smith of the US Virgin Islands, who helped Georgia win a national title in 2025. That legacy is alive and well in 2026.
Here is our countdown of the Top 5 Caribbean performances at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Conference Championships.
This video highlights the dominance of Caribbean athletes at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Conference Championships, showcasing five standout performances across sprint and field events. From Oneka Wilson’s historic fourth consecutive 60m hurdles title to Tonie-Ann Forbes’ sub-8 breakthrough, the video emphasizes rising elite talent.
It also features Shenese Walker’s record-breaking consistency in the 60m, Kelsey Daniel’s national long jump record leading a Caribbean 1-2 finish, and Adaejah Hodge’s explosive 200m victory. Overall, the video reinforces the Caribbean’s continued influence in NCAA track and field, blending record-breaking achievements with strong momentum heading into the national championships.
5. Oneka Wilson — 60m Hurdles | ACC Championship
The 60-meter hurdles have belonged to Oneka Wilson from the moment she landed at Clemson University in 2022.
Since her freshman year, the Jamaican has been fearless in the event, capturing the ACC 60m hurdles title in 2023, 2024, and 2025 and now—in her final college season—making it four in a row.
Wilson ran 8.12 seconds in the final to separate herself from the field and claim her fourth consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference championship title. With that, she became the first Caribbean woman in ACC history to win the 60m hurdles four consecutive times.
Why It Matters
- Fourth consecutive ACC title — a historic four-peat
- First woman in ACC history to achieve this feat in the 60m hurdles
- A fitting farewell from a dominant collegiate career
4. Tonie-Ann Forbes — 60m Hurdles | Big 12 Championship
The 60-meter hurdles are heating up across the NCAA this season, and sub-8 has become the standard once more.
Texas Tech’s Tonie-Ann Forbes has been putting together a consistently strong season in the event. At the Big 12 Conference Championship, the Jamaican athlete stepped up when it mattered most, clocking a personal best of 7.91 seconds to win the event in convincing style.
That time also set a new Texas Tech school record. Forbes now ranks among the all-time best Jamaican performers in the 60m hurdles.
Why It Matters
- Personal Best of 7.91s — a sub-8 performance
- New Texas Tech school record in the event
- Adds to a growing list of elite Caribbean hurdlers in the NCAA
3. Shenese Walker — 60m | ACC Championship
Florida State’s Shenese Walker has been one of the most consistent sprinters in college track this season, and her performances have backed that up at every level.
She announced herself early in the season by running an ACC record of 7.09 seconds to win the Razorback Invitational in late January, a time that made her one of the fastest Jamaican women ever over the 60 meters.
At the ACC Indoor Championship, Walker delivered again. She got an excellent start and controlled the race from start to finish, crossing the line in a championship record of 7.13 seconds—breaking the previous ACC championship record of 7.15 seconds, set by Tonya Carter way back in 2000.
It was also Walker’s third consecutive ACC 60m title, cementing her place as one of the most dominant sprinters in ACC history.
Why It Matters
- Championship Record of 7.13s, breaking a 24-year-old mark
- Previous record of 7.15s has been held by Tonya Carter since 2000
- Third consecutive ACC 60m title — elite consistency
- A season-best of 7.09 s ranks her among the fastest Jamaican women ever
2. Kelsey Daniel—Long Jump | SEC Championship
Trinidad and Tobago is proving it can produce far more than just elite 400-meter runners—and Kelsey Daniel is leading that charge.
At the SEC Indoor Championship, the University of Texas jumper had a spectacular day in the long jump pit. In the fourth round, he soared to 8.21 meters, setting a new Trinidadian national record and taking the SEC title in the process.
But the Caribbean story didn’t end there. Jamaica’s Jordan Turner of Louisiana State University leaped 8.10 meters in the same round to claim the runner-up spot—making it a Caribbean 1-2 finish in the SEC long jump.
This performance firmly places Kelsey Daniel among the top contenders for a gold medal at the upcoming NCAA Indoor Championship.
Why It Matters
- New Trinidad & Tobago national record at 8.21m
- Caribbean 1-2 finish: Daniel (8.21m) and Jordan Turner of LSU (8.10m)
- Strong statement heading into the NCAA Championship
- Shows T&T’s expanding reach beyond the 400m on the world stage
1. Adaejah Hodge — 200m | SEC Championship
Georgia’s Adaejah Hodge saved the best for last — and for our number one spot.
The 2022 Kingston CARIFTA Games triple gold medalist and Austin Sealy Award winner has been in outstanding form all season, routinely running 22.51 seconds or faster in the 200 meters.
The SEC Championship, however, told a story of resilience. Hodge had a rough 60-meter final, crossing in 7.18 seconds to place fourth. But she returned roughly an hour later for the 200-meter final and delivered an absolutely stunning performance.
She ran a blazing curve, powered home, and crossed the line in 22.32 seconds — a new British Virgin Islands national record and her first-ever SEC Championship title in the event.
Why It Matters
- New British Virgin Islands national record of 22.32s
- First SEC Championship title for Hodge in the 200m
- Remarkable bounce-back after placing fourth in the 60m just an hour earlier
- Hodge is the 2022 CARIFT A triple gold medalist and Austin Sealy Awardee. One of the most decorated junior Caribbean sprinters in recent memory
Looking Ahead: The NCAA Indoor Championship
From Wilson’s historic four-peat to Hodge’s blazing national record, Caribbean athletes have once again reminded the world exactly where they belong—at the very top of collegiate track and field.
The 2026 NCAA Indoor Championship is the next stop. It will be held at the Randal Tyson Track Centre on the University of Arkansas campus from March 12–14, and if these conference performances are any indication, the best is very much still to come.
Which performance was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below. And don’t forget to share this article with a fellow Caribbean track and field fan!
