Three Cardinals Qualify for NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships
March 05, 2025 | Track & Field
KJ Byrd, Natalie Lark and Jayden Ulrich will all compete at the national championship meet set to take place from March 14-15 in Virginia Beach, Va.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Three University of Louisville track & field athletes have clinched berths to the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, as announced by the NCAA on Tuesday.
KJ Byrd, Natalie Lark and Jayden Ulrich all earned spots in the field after earning qualifying marks throughout the season that stood in the top 16 nationally in their respective events.
The championship meet will be hosted in Virginia Beach, Va. at the Virginia Beach Sports Center on Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15.
Byrd punched his ticket to his first national championship meet in the men's heptathlon after becoming the first freshman in conference history to win the ACC title in the event. The rookie posted a school-record total of 5,903 points to take the top spot on the podium which also ranks him fourth in the NCAA entering the national championships.
With the qualification, Byrd becomes the second Louisville freshman in three years to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships as Brion Stephens qualified in the men's high jump in 2022. The native of Connelly Springs, N.C. also becomes only the second Louisville athlete to qualify for the meet in the men's heptathlon with Joe Delgado having placed ninth nationally in the event in 2018.
Lark also secured her first berth to the NCAA Indoor Championships in the women's pole vault, boasting a seed mark of 4.47m (14-8) that set a new Louisville program record and ranks the senior 10th in the national championship field. Last weekend, Lark earned her second consecutive silver medal in the event at the ACC Indoor Championships, while also placing seventh at the USATF Indoor Championships last month.
Ulrich rounds out the Louisville national qualifiers, officially clinching a spot in the women's shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships for the third straight season. The senior enters the competition with the fifth-best mark in the field after shattering the Louisville program record with a toss of 18.40m (60-4.5) earlier this season at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational. Ulrich also successfully defended her conference title in the event last weekend at the ACC Indoor Championships to lead the Louisville women to a third-place finish in the team standings, matching the squad's highest team finish at the meet in program history.
For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and Twitter account at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.
KJ Byrd, Natalie Lark and Jayden Ulrich all earned spots in the field after earning qualifying marks throughout the season that stood in the top 16 nationally in their respective events.
The championship meet will be hosted in Virginia Beach, Va. at the Virginia Beach Sports Center on Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15.
Byrd punched his ticket to his first national championship meet in the men's heptathlon after becoming the first freshman in conference history to win the ACC title in the event. The rookie posted a school-record total of 5,903 points to take the top spot on the podium which also ranks him fourth in the NCAA entering the national championships.
With the qualification, Byrd becomes the second Louisville freshman in three years to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships as Brion Stephens qualified in the men's high jump in 2022. The native of Connelly Springs, N.C. also becomes only the second Louisville athlete to qualify for the meet in the men's heptathlon with Joe Delgado having placed ninth nationally in the event in 2018.
Lark also secured her first berth to the NCAA Indoor Championships in the women's pole vault, boasting a seed mark of 4.47m (14-8) that set a new Louisville program record and ranks the senior 10th in the national championship field. Last weekend, Lark earned her second consecutive silver medal in the event at the ACC Indoor Championships, while also placing seventh at the USATF Indoor Championships last month.
Ulrich rounds out the Louisville national qualifiers, officially clinching a spot in the women's shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships for the third straight season. The senior enters the competition with the fifth-best mark in the field after shattering the Louisville program record with a toss of 18.40m (60-4.5) earlier this season at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational. Ulrich also successfully defended her conference title in the event last weekend at the ACC Indoor Championships to lead the Louisville women to a third-place finish in the team standings, matching the squad's highest team finish at the meet in program history.
For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and Twitter account at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.
Players Mentioned
Multis
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Throws
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