ASHEVILLE, N.C. – IU Kokomo junior thrower Sydney Duncan won the shot put at the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, hosted by University of North Carolina at Asheville. Originally scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. ET, competition was delayed due to a lengthy lightning delay and did not begin until 7:15 p.m. ET.
Duncan delivered a dominant performance from the opening round, securing the national title with a winning mark of 16.53 meters on her very first attempt in prelims. Her throw ultimately stood as the best of the competition, as she claimed victory by 1.38 meters over the runner-up.
The championship marks Duncan's fourth consecutive NAIA shot put national title and the fifth national championship of her career, continuing one of the most decorated careers in IU Kokomo throwing history. Her opening-round mark set the tone early and was never surpassed, as she controlled the competition from start to finish.
Teammate Mia Bustos made a strong national championship debut, delivering a personal-best throw of 14.12 meters. Her mark ranked as the 12th-best performance in the NAIA this season and positioned her third after the opening flight of prelims. Bustos ultimately finished 10th overall, narrowly missing advancement to the finals by just .06 meters, with only the top nine moving on. The freshman also finished as the second-highest placing freshman in the national field.
Duncan and Bustos combined for a strong showing in the shot put ring for IU Kokomo, with Duncan once again standing atop the national podium and Bustos establishing herself among the NAIA's emerging throwers.
Duncan is not done yet this week, as the five-time national champion will return to action Friday morning in the discus, where she enters the competition seeded second nationally. The event is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. ET.
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