Mississippi State Sends Four Athletes to USATF Outdoor Championships

Four former Mississippi State track and field athletes are competing at the 2026 USATF Outdoor and Para National Championships this weekend at Icahn Stadium in New York, according to the university’s athletic department.

Curtis Thompson (2015-19), Cameron Crump (2019-23), Kevin Grubbs (2026), and Sarah Blake (2019-21) are entered in five events. Crump will compete in both the men’s 100 meters and the long jump, while Thompson, Blake, and Grubbs will participate in the throws.

Thompson aims to defend his men’s javelin title for the fourth consecutive year. Blake will compete in the women’s javelin, and Grubbs will throw the men’s discus. Competition begins Thursday afternoon, with Crump starting with the first round of the 100 meters at 3:23 p.m. Central Time. He will also compete in the long jump final at 5:50 p.m., and Blake’s women’s javelin final is scheduled for 4:40 p.m.

Crump, a five-time All-American, set an indoor-school record with an 8.39-meter leap at the 2023 SEC Indoor Championships. His outdoor best is 8.04 meters, ranking second in school history. He is ranked No. 45 in the world in the long jump and No. 100 in the 100 meters, according to sources. Last year, he finished seventh at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.

Blake, who holds the MSU school record in the women’s javelin at 52.73 meters, is ranked No. 65 globally. She finished second at the recent NSAF American JavFest and previously placed third at the USATF outdoor meet in Eugene last summer. Grubbs, who broke the school discus record with a throw of 61.71 meters at the NCAA Championships, will compete Saturday. Thompson will also participate in the men’s javelin final Saturday at 12:10 p.m., aiming to add to his collection of USATF titles. Last year, Thompson earned a medal at the World Athletics Championships with an 86.87-meter throw, the best for an American since 2007.

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