Longisa Cruises to 1500-Meter NCAA Quarterfinals

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Washington State sophomore runner Rosemary Longisa cruised to a first-place finish in the opening heat of the women's 1,500-meter at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field West First Rounds, Thursday evening. Longisa clinched her spot in Saturday's national quarterfinals, set to commence at 3:15 p.m. PT (5:15 p.m. CT) at John McDonnell Field at the University of Arkansas.

Longisa crossed the finish line in 4:12.73, lingering with her competitors until the final 400 meters when she kicked out to a two-second lead. The sophomore finished with the fourth-fastest time of the four-heat first round after entering the weekend as the nation's leader in the women's 1,500-meter. The top 12 times at Saturday's quarterfinals will qualify for the national semifinal in Eugene, June 11, at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

WSU junior Zenah Cheptoo earned a spot in the evening's final track event, starting the 10,000-meter run before withdrawing during the race around the midway point. Cheptoo will have another postseason opportunity Saturday in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Washington State's men conclude regional competition tomorrow, as Evans Kurui returns to the track for the 5,000-meter run, two days after earning a bid to the national championship in the 10,000-meter run. Kurui is set to start at 6:10 p.m. PT with coverage on ESPN+.

The NCAA West First Rounds conclude Saturday with Longisa competing in the 1,500-meter run, while the Cougar trio of Mercy Biwott, Cheptoo, and Caroline Jepkorir run in the 3,000-meter steeplechase national semifinal.

A complete schedule of events and results will be posted to NCAA.com at the conclusion of competition. To follow WSU cross country and track and stay up to date on Cougar news, follow the program on social media including Instagram, X, and Facebook.

###

WSU Results
Women's 1,500m
Rosemary Longisa, 4:12.73, 1st (4th overall) [Q]

Women's 10,000m
Zenah Cheptoo, DNF

WSU Upcoming Schedule of Events
Friday, May 29
Men's 5,000m at 6:10 p.m. PT (Evans Kurui)

Saturday, May 30
Women's 1,500m at 3:15 p.m. PT (Rosemary Longisa)
Women's 3000m Steeplechase at 3:40 p.m. PT (Caroline Jepkorir, Mercy Biwott, Zenah Cheptoo)

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mercy Biwott

Zenah Cheptoo

Caroline Jepkorir

Evans Kurui

Rosemary Longisa

Washington State University Athletics