Texas Longhorns Shine at SEC Indoor Track Championship

Three Longhorns athletes earn medals, qualify for NCAA Championships

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The University of Texas Longhorns track and field team had a strong showing at the recent SEC Indoor Track and Field Championship in College Station, Texas. Three Longhorns athletes - Kendrick Smallwood, Kelsey Daniel, and Michael Piñones - earned medals and qualified to compete at the upcoming NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Why it matters

The Longhorns' performance at the SEC Championship highlights the program's continued excellence and competitiveness within the highly talented Southeastern Conference. Qualifying multiple athletes for the NCAA meet is a significant achievement that could lead to national titles for the University of Texas.

The details

Senior Kendrick Smallwood set a new Texas school record in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing third overall. Graduate student Kelsey Daniel won gold in the long jump and bronze in the triple jump, breaking the Texas record in the long jump. Junior Michael Piñones placed fifth in the shot put, earning four team points for the Longhorns.

  • The SEC Indoor Track and Field Championship took place on March 5-6, 2026 in College Station, Texas.
  • The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship is scheduled for March 13-14, 2026 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The players

Kendrick Smallwood

A senior on the Texas Longhorns track and field team who set a new school record in the 60-meter hurdles at the SEC Championship.

Kelsey Daniel

A graduate student on the Texas Longhorns track and field team who won gold in the long jump and bronze in the triple jump at the SEC Championship, breaking the Texas record in the long jump.

Michael Piñones

A junior on the Texas Longhorns track and field team who placed fifth in the shot put at the SEC Championship, earning four team points for the Longhorns.

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What they’re saying

“I was telling my coach just the other day, like, it's a good thing that it was as close as it was because I love a challenge. I love somebody that's going to push me to do great things, and that's all the SEC has done since we've joined the conference, both indoor and outdoor.”

— Kendrick Smallwood, Senior (The Daily Texan)

“(The) majority of the schools you're going to see at the top of the leaderboard is from the SEC, which already lets you know that the standard is here from this job and a conference alone and other schools are slowly trying to get with that same standard whenever it comes to doing great things on the track.”

— Kendrick Smallwood, Senior (The Daily Texan)

What’s next

Kendrick Smallwood, Kelsey Daniel, and Michael Piñones will compete at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship in Fayetteville, Arkansas on March 13-14, 2026.

The takeaway

The Texas Longhorns' strong performance at the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championship, with multiple athletes earning medals and qualifying for the NCAA meet, demonstrates the program's continued excellence and competitiveness within one of the nation's premier collegiate athletic conferences.