The BYU Cougars women’s track and field team will compete for their first Big 12 title from May 14-16 at Drachman Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. The event marks a significant opportunity for the program as they aim to secure a championship in their debut season in the conference.
Athletes from BYU are set to participate across multiple events over three days of competition. On the opening day, Tia Brown and Zoey Bonds will begin with the heptathlon. Brown recently won the heptathlon at the Robison Invitational, while Bonds has achieved top-10 performances this season, including fourth place on BYU’s all-time list for the 100-meter hurdles.
Field events will feature Lia Katoa, Lia Pili, Jayda Lee, and Kat Beachler in the hammer throw. Both Katoa and Pili hold spots on BYU’s top-10 board for their performances this year. Track preliminaries include Jane Hedengren, Carlee Hansen-Thompson, Carmen Alder, Zariel Macchia, Taylor Rohatinsky, and Jenna Hutchins competing in the 1500 meters. Paje Rasmussen and Mikensi Smith are set for the 200-meter prelims; Rasmussen holds both school records in that event as well as one of the fastest times in conference history.
On Day Two of competition after completion of multis events, Bonds joins Kali McEuen—who owns BYU’s third-best mark—in the 100-meter hurdles prelims. Other notable entries include Tessa Buswell (second-fastest conference mark this season) leading a quartet into the 800 meters prelims; Cailee Faulkner and Abbie Scott competing in pole vault; Cambria Hasler and Marianne Barber running in preliminary heats of the 400 meters; while Taylor Lovell leads six athletes into steeplechase with her career-best time ranking fastest among all Big 12 competitors this year.
The final day features relay squads contesting both sprint relays alongside discus thrower Fisher—whose recent performance earned her fourth on BYU’s all-time list—and NCAA record-holder Hedengren seeking another Big 12 title over five thousand meters.
With several athletes entering ranked among program or conference leaders across multiple disciplines, expectations remain high as BYU looks to make an impact at its inaugural Big 12 Championship appearance.
