Every technical tweak and off-season training block has pointed toward this moment.

And the Bruins may showcase how months of refinement have solidified themselves as conference contenders.

After earning multiple wins throughout the winter, UCLA track and field will compete at the 2026 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships from Thursday to Saturday in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Forty athletes earned a spot at the championships to compete across 19 events.

Senior thrower Michael Pinckney headlines the group and has emerged as one of UCLA’s most consistent point scorers throughout the indoor season. He set the program record in the weight throw two weekends ago at the Tyson Invitational, throwing 22.40 meters. Graduate student Simon Skoumal and junior Jake Stafford will join him in the throws group, giving UCLA an experienced depth in the championship setting.

The roster also features a significant population of underclassmen athletes, with multiple freshmen and sophomores making the trip – a sign of the program’s potential.

Freshmen Avery Boyse and Paige Echsner will compete in the women’s pole vault. Freshman Arrin Sagiraju and redshirt freshman Jack Falkowski are set to race in the men’s mile while sophomore Everett Capelle will compete in the men’s 3000-meter run.

Freshman Nicolas Alexis will compete in the men’s long jump. Freshmen Gabriella Taylor and Olivia Griffin are entered in the women’s 400-meter dash. Sophomore Marie Warneke and freshman Kaitlyn Arciaga will compete in the women’s 800-meter run, and sophomore Olivia Foody will race in the women’s 3,000-meter run, giving UCLA a notable representation of underclassmen across multiple events.

Under a coaching staff that has driven improvement across multiple events, athletes have not only improved times and distances but have also developed confidence in preparation.

“(It’s great) being able to understand that I am able to compete with those elite athletes and understand I am able to also become an elite athlete through the time of being with great coaches that help me get to the mark I am at today,” said sophomore jumper Valentina Fakrogha, who is slated to compete in the women’s high jump this weekend.

Fakrogha was a First Team All-American selection in the high jump last outdoor season. Her prior success has translated to this year’s indoor campaign, as she finished first at the Arkansas Qualifier last weekend with a height of 1.86 meters in the women’s high jump.

While much of the spotlight this weekend falls on a rising group of underclassmen gaining their first championship experience, veteran leadership remains a part of the team’s foundation. The Bruins’ senior class enters the meet focused on pairing experience with the expectations built across multiple collegiate seasons.

“Not only am I a senior, but it’s my first year as a captain,” said senior sprinter Naomi Johnson, who will compete in the 400-meter dash. “I feel confident in the 400 because I have a lot more to give. I’d love to come out as a conference champion and make it to nationals individually in the 400.”

With three days of competition ahead, the championships mark more than just a point on the schedule. Months of off-season work and indoor-season refinement now meet the test of championship competition in the Big Ten.

The combination of emerging freshmen, proven scorers and veteran leadership may place the Bruins in position to boast championship success, as athletes look to clinch postseason qualification with expectations that have steadily grown alongside the team’s performances this season.

“I need the women to go qualify for nationals. People are getting more specific expectations and goals during these events,” said track and field director Joanna Hayes. “The girls should have high expectations for themselves and know that they belong in nationals. So why not go and put it out there this weekend?”