RESULTS

NEW YORK, NY—Recent men's track & field graduate Grant Nelson represented the Bethel University Royals at the 2026 USATF National Championship at Icahn Stadium in New York City on Friday.

Nelson competed in the 400 meter dash prelims, where he registered an 18th-place time of 46.73. The top nine finishers qualified for Saturday's finals, led by Khaleb McRae's 44.65. Just missing out on the finals was Bethel alum Jacob Parent '25, who took 10th place with a career-best 45.70.

The USATF National Championship is the premier track meet in the United States and requires a very difficult time standard, and includes a field of top professional and collegiate runners. The USATF National Championship was on the heels of a 2026 NCAA Division III outdoor season that ended with Nelson's second-straight NCAA Division III Men's Outdoor Track & Field 400 Meter Dash National Championship with a 45.76 on day three at UW-La Crosse's Veteran Memorial Stadium, the third-fastest time in NCAA Division III history.