SEATTLE – The field for the 2026 NCAA Outdoor National Championship is set, featuring Seattle Pacific Track & Field's
Justin Brooks as an entrant in the 400-meter dash, competing in prelims on Thursday, May 21, at 1:40 p.m. PST with a chance to advance to the finals on Saturday, May 23, at 12:35 p.m. PST.
"We are all so excited for Justin to qualify for the national meet," head coach Karl Lerum said. "With the time he ran in the GNAC final, he has entered rare company, distinguishing himself as an elite sprinter. He will get a wonderful opportunity to race next week in Kansas with some of our country's top athletes."
Brooks heads to nationals after an outstanding season for the Falcons. He was a part of a now-decorated SPU men's sprint squad that got their hands all over the record books throughout 2026. Brooks enters the NCAA National Championships ranked 13th in the country in the 400 meters.
Brooks best time happened at last week's Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in Ellensburg. Brooks entered the finals as the top-seeded runner in the event. Brooks went on to improve his time, posting a 46.44 in the finals. However, Western Oregon's Brennan Murphy posted a 46.11 to take the event championship. Murphy, Brooks, and Western Washington's Lucas Brenek went on to qualify for nationals from that race.
Brooks entered the 2026 season as the SPU record holder in the 400 meters of 47.84. He bettered that with a 47.26 at the Bryan Clay. Then, after posting a 47.60 in Monday's GNAC prelims, he went a blistering 46.44 in the finals.
Brooks has also been involved with a pair of record-setting relay teams for SPU in 2026. He's teamed up with
Robert Joshua,
Ben Rojas, and
Tawaf Aboudou to break the 4x100 and 4x400 records. The group was the first in SPU history to break 41 seconds in the 4x100, with the new record being set at 40.95. The new standard in the 4x400 is 3:11.71, with both records being set at the GNAC Championships.
Brooks will compete in the 400-meter dash at the NCAA Outdoor National Championships. It starts with the prelims on Thursday, May 21, at 1:40 p.m. PST with a chance to advance to the finals on Saturday, May 23, at 12:35 p.m. PST.
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