Wednesday, June 10
Eugene, Ore.
9:15 PM ET/6:15 PM PT
Liberty University
at
NCAA Division I Outdoor Track Championships
Ben Shughart (left) and Markus White (right) became NCAA Division I All-Americans on Wednesday. (Photos by Kim Spir/AthleticsPix)
White, Shughart Claim All-America Honors on Big Day 1 in Eugene
6/11/2026 1:12:00 AM | Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. – Both of Liberty's competitors on day one of the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships became All-Americans, Wednesday at Hayward Field. Markus White long jumped a program-record 26-0.25 for fifth place (first team All-America), while Ben Shughart closed out his storybook collegiate career with a ninth-place showing at 242-6 in the men's javelin (second team All-America).
White's performance earned Liberty's first four team points at this meet since 2023. As a result, the Flames are tied for 22nd place with Appalachian State and Cal Poly through six men's events. Christian Hicks (discus) and Gilles Ouedraogo (triple jump) will look to add to Liberty's point total when they compete on Friday.
Making his NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships debut, White quickly made his presence known. The junior from Lynchburg reached a wind-aided 25-5.5 on his first attempt, a mark which ultimately secured him a spot in the nine-member final.
White then improved to 26-0.25 on his opening long jump of finals (round four), catapulting from eighth place to his fifth. That clutch effort added two inches to White's own Liberty record of 25-10.25, which won him the Florida Relays title on April 3.
White remained in fifth place the rest of the way, becoming Liberty's first-ever NCAA Division I long jump All-American (men or women) and recording Liberty's top finish at this meet since Kevin Nedrick came in fifth in the men's discus in Austin, Texas in 2023.
White became the eighth Liberty men's athlete ever to place inside the top five at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, joining an elite group which also includes Ryan Werner, Josh McDougal, Clendon Henderson, Sam Chelanga, Kolby Shepherd, Alejandro Perlaza Zapata and Nedrick.
White's fifth-place showing was the best by a CUSA men's long jumper at this meet since 2013, when East Carolina's Cameron Hudson came in fourth.
White is now a three-time All-American for his career, also including a pair of NCAA Division II long jump All-America trophies he collected as a Virginia State freshman in 2024.
Shughart overcame a considerable amount of adversity to make his second appearance at this meet in three years, including a torn labrum during his last trip to Eugene (2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where he placed 21st) and a torn UCL in his right (throwing) elbow during this year's season opener on March 21.
All six of Shughart's javelin attempts on Wednesday landed past the 70-meter arc, including a 242-6 heave in round two (his longest since suffering the elbow injury). That mark sent the redshirt senior from Shippensburg, Pa., to finals, where he ended up in ninth place overall.
Shughart collected second team All-America distinction with the best-ever showing by a Liberty men's javelin thrower at this meet. It improved upon Denzel Pratt's 14th-place performance from 2019, when he became Liberty's first NCAA Division I All-American in this event.
Shughart's All-America performance was the first by a CUSA men's javelin thrower since 2016, when the conference boasted four of the top 11 finishers in Eugene.
After arriving at Liberty as a walk-on with a high school personal best of 159-5, Shughart leaves as an All-American with the program record of 253-11, a pair of CUSA titles and the 2024 NCAA Elite 90 Award to his credit.
Men's Day 1 All-Americans
Markus White – Long Jump – 1st Team
Ben Shughart – Javelin – 2nd Team
Men's Record Breakers
Liberty Record – Markus White – Long Jump – 26-0.25
Previous Record: 25-10.25 by White at the Florida Relays on April 3
Up Next
Liberty's women's distance duo of Allie Zealand (1,500) and Katrina Schlenker (steeplechase) will begin competition in Eugene with semifinal races on Thursday.
Zealand is set to run the 1,500 at 8:21 p.m. Eastern and Schlenker will contest the steeplechase at 8:38. Both races will air live on ESPN2.
White's performance earned Liberty's first four team points at this meet since 2023. As a result, the Flames are tied for 22nd place with Appalachian State and Cal Poly through six men's events. Christian Hicks (discus) and Gilles Ouedraogo (triple jump) will look to add to Liberty's point total when they compete on Friday.
Making his NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships debut, White quickly made his presence known. The junior from Lynchburg reached a wind-aided 25-5.5 on his first attempt, a mark which ultimately secured him a spot in the nine-member final.
White then improved to 26-0.25 on his opening long jump of finals (round four), catapulting from eighth place to his fifth. That clutch effort added two inches to White's own Liberty record of 25-10.25, which won him the Florida Relays title on April 3.
White remained in fifth place the rest of the way, becoming Liberty's first-ever NCAA Division I long jump All-American (men or women) and recording Liberty's top finish at this meet since Kevin Nedrick came in fifth in the men's discus in Austin, Texas in 2023.
White became the eighth Liberty men's athlete ever to place inside the top five at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, joining an elite group which also includes Ryan Werner, Josh McDougal, Clendon Henderson, Sam Chelanga, Kolby Shepherd, Alejandro Perlaza Zapata and Nedrick.
White's fifth-place showing was the best by a CUSA men's long jumper at this meet since 2013, when East Carolina's Cameron Hudson came in fourth.
White is now a three-time All-American for his career, also including a pair of NCAA Division II long jump All-America trophies he collected as a Virginia State freshman in 2024.
Shughart overcame a considerable amount of adversity to make his second appearance at this meet in three years, including a torn labrum during his last trip to Eugene (2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where he placed 21st) and a torn UCL in his right (throwing) elbow during this year's season opener on March 21.
All six of Shughart's javelin attempts on Wednesday landed past the 70-meter arc, including a 242-6 heave in round two (his longest since suffering the elbow injury). That mark sent the redshirt senior from Shippensburg, Pa., to finals, where he ended up in ninth place overall.
Shughart collected second team All-America distinction with the best-ever showing by a Liberty men's javelin thrower at this meet. It improved upon Denzel Pratt's 14th-place performance from 2019, when he became Liberty's first NCAA Division I All-American in this event.
Shughart's All-America performance was the first by a CUSA men's javelin thrower since 2016, when the conference boasted four of the top 11 finishers in Eugene.
After arriving at Liberty as a walk-on with a high school personal best of 159-5, Shughart leaves as an All-American with the program record of 253-11, a pair of CUSA titles and the 2024 NCAA Elite 90 Award to his credit.
Men's Day 1 All-Americans
Markus White – Long Jump – 1st Team
Ben Shughart – Javelin – 2nd Team
Men's Record Breakers
Liberty Record – Markus White – Long Jump – 26-0.25
Previous Record: 25-10.25 by White at the Florida Relays on April 3
Up Next
Liberty's women's distance duo of Allie Zealand (1,500) and Katrina Schlenker (steeplechase) will begin competition in Eugene with semifinal races on Thursday.
Zealand is set to run the 1,500 at 8:21 p.m. Eastern and Schlenker will contest the steeplechase at 8:38. Both races will air live on ESPN2.
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
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