LA CROSSE, WI (May 21, 2026)--The NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee announced the qualifiers for the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and the King's College track and field program will be represented by a pair of standout throwers as Brandy Varner and Katey Shoemaker earned selections. Varner qualified in the women's shot put, hammer throw, and discus, while Shoemaker secured her first career berth in the hammer throw.
 
This year's selections mark the 18th event qualifications and the ninth individuals in program history to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
For each individual event contested, the NCAA accepted the top declared student‑athletes into the competition based on national performance lists. Varner earned her place in the hammer throw with a school‑record mark of 54.10 meters, currently ranked 10^th nationally, recorded at the Widener Final Qualifier on May 10. She also qualified in the shot put after posting a mark of 14.22 meters, ranking fourth in the nation, at the AARTFC Outdoor Championships on May 13. Varner completed her trio of entries with a 49.26‑meter performance in the discus, ranked fifth nationally, achieved at the Widener Final Qualifier.

A senior, Varner swept MAC Outdoor Championship titles in the hammer, shot put, and discus before earning AARTFC gold in the shot put and discus and silver in the hammer. She was named both MAC Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year and AARTFC Most Outstanding Performer. Her selections represent the second, third, and fourth NCAA Outdoor Championship qualifications of her career after competing in the discus at last year's national meet.
 
Shoemaker earned her first NCAA Championships appearance after recording a mark of 52.92 meters in the hammer throw, ranking 22^nd nationally, at the Paul Donahue Invitational on April 17. The senior placed second in the hammer and second in the javelin at the MAC Outdoor Championships before finishing third in the hammer at the AARTFC Championships.
 
The championships will be held May 21-23 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Competition will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, and at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Varner will open the weekend in the women's discus on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., before returning for the shot put on Friday at 1:00 p.m. Both Monarch throwers will compete in the hammer throw on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
 
The complete list of qualifiers is available on the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships live stats website. For more information regarding the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, visit ncaa.com.