Anteater Duo Heads to Eugene for NCAA Championships
June 10, 2026 | Women's Track & Field
NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Event: Heptathlon
Date:Β Friday-Saturday (June 12-13)
Location:Β Hayward Field - Eugene, Ore.
Championship Central
IRVINE, Calif. -Β Freshman Joy Anderson and senior Jolie Robinson will compete in the heptathlon at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend. The Anteater duo will be in action Friday and Saturday (June 12-13) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
This is the second year in a row UC Irvine women's track & field will be represented at the NCAA Championships. In 2025, Zharia Taylor finished 16th in the high jump to earn second-team All-America honors. The Anteaters have two previous national qualifiers in the heptathlon in Lauren Collins and Annmarie Turpin. Collins, who is a UCI Athletics Hall of Famer, placed 14th in 2007, while Turpin was 21st in 2003. Turpin also advanced to the NCAA meet in 2004 but did not complete the final two events.
QUICK HITS
β’ In May, UC Irvine defended its Big West Championship team title with a program-record 187.5 points.
β’ The Anteaters led wire-to-wire and finished with a 61.5-point margin over second-place Cal State Fullerton.
β’ Fourteen 'Eaters took home 15 All-Big West honors in the individual events at the conference meet.
β’ UCI's 4x100 relay also won gold, while the 4x400 relay secured bronze.
β’ The Anteaters had the Big West's first podium sweep in the heptathlon since 2015.
β’ Anderson (1st), Robinson (2nd), Jazzmine Davis (3rd), and Zharia Taylor (4th) combined for 29 points.
β’ UC Irvine is one of three schools with multiple qualifiers in the NCAA heptathlon (Illinois and Northern Iowa).
JOY ANDERSON // Heptathlon // Freshman // 5-9 // Lakewood, Calif. // Major: Civil Engineering
β’ Joy Anderson is the 2026 Big West heptathlon champion and the 2026 MPSF pentathlon champion.
β’ In her first heptathlon, Anderson broke UCI's 17-year-old record with 5,572 points at the Bryan Clay Multis.
β’ She topped that performance with a score of 5,740 to win the Big West title.
β’ Her personal best ranks 14th in all of NCAA Division I this season.Β
β’ Anderson earned UCI's seventh Big West heptathlon championship and third in the last four years.
β’ At the conference multis, she cleared a PR 1.74m (5-8.5) in the high jump to rank sixth in program history.
β’ She also made her way into the top-10 in the 200m (23.98) and 100H (13.89) at the Bryan Clay Multis.Β
β’ Anderson prepped at Long Beach Poly High School where she competed in track & field and basketball.
β’ On the track, she was a two-time CIF state finalist in the high jump.
β’ Anderson was also named the 2025 Moore League Girls' Basketball Player of the Year.
β’ She averaged 17.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 4.1 steals per game as a senior.
JOLIE ROBINSON // Heptathlon // Senior // 5-9 // Mission Viejo, Calif. // Major: Education
β’ Jolie Robinson is a four-time All-Big West performer in the heptathlon.
β’ She won the conference title in 2023 and 2024, while finishing second in 2025 and 2026.
β’ In her runner-up showing this year, Robinson established a 123-point lifetime-best score of 5,647.
β’ That mark ranks second in school history and is 22nd in all of NCAA Division I this season.
β’ She is also fourth on UCI's all-time charts in the long jump (6.19m/20-3.75) and javelin (44.46m/145-10).
β’ Robinson was an NCAA West First Round qualifier in the long jump in 2025.
β’ In her first year as an Anteater, Robinson was named the 2023 Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Year.
β’ In addition, she took home the Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Meet award in 2023 and 2024.
β’ Robinson transferred to UC Irvine from Saddleback College.
β’ She won the heptathlon, javelin, and long jump at the 2022 3C2A State Championships.
β’ Robinson was also a member of the Bobcats' volleyball team in 2021 and 2022.
β’ She lettered in track & field and volleyball at Capistrano Valley High School.
Event: Heptathlon
Date:Β Friday-Saturday (June 12-13)
Location:Β Hayward Field - Eugene, Ore.
Championship Central
IRVINE, Calif. -Β Freshman Joy Anderson and senior Jolie Robinson will compete in the heptathlon at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend. The Anteater duo will be in action Friday and Saturday (June 12-13) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
This is the second year in a row UC Irvine women's track & field will be represented at the NCAA Championships. In 2025, Zharia Taylor finished 16th in the high jump to earn second-team All-America honors. The Anteaters have two previous national qualifiers in the heptathlon in Lauren Collins and Annmarie Turpin. Collins, who is a UCI Athletics Hall of Famer, placed 14th in 2007, while Turpin was 21st in 2003. Turpin also advanced to the NCAA meet in 2004 but did not complete the final two events.
QUICK HITS
β’ In May, UC Irvine defended its Big West Championship team title with a program-record 187.5 points.
β’ The Anteaters led wire-to-wire and finished with a 61.5-point margin over second-place Cal State Fullerton.
β’ Fourteen 'Eaters took home 15 All-Big West honors in the individual events at the conference meet.
β’ UCI's 4x100 relay also won gold, while the 4x400 relay secured bronze.
β’ The Anteaters had the Big West's first podium sweep in the heptathlon since 2015.
β’ Anderson (1st), Robinson (2nd), Jazzmine Davis (3rd), and Zharia Taylor (4th) combined for 29 points.
β’ UC Irvine is one of three schools with multiple qualifiers in the NCAA heptathlon (Illinois and Northern Iowa).
JOY ANDERSON // Heptathlon // Freshman // 5-9 // Lakewood, Calif. // Major: Civil Engineering
β’ Joy Anderson is the 2026 Big West heptathlon champion and the 2026 MPSF pentathlon champion.
β’ In her first heptathlon, Anderson broke UCI's 17-year-old record with 5,572 points at the Bryan Clay Multis.
β’ She topped that performance with a score of 5,740 to win the Big West title.
β’ Her personal best ranks 14th in all of NCAA Division I this season.Β
β’ Anderson earned UCI's seventh Big West heptathlon championship and third in the last four years.
β’ At the conference multis, she cleared a PR 1.74m (5-8.5) in the high jump to rank sixth in program history.
β’ She also made her way into the top-10 in the 200m (23.98) and 100H (13.89) at the Bryan Clay Multis.Β
β’ Anderson prepped at Long Beach Poly High School where she competed in track & field and basketball.
β’ On the track, she was a two-time CIF state finalist in the high jump.
β’ Anderson was also named the 2025 Moore League Girls' Basketball Player of the Year.
β’ She averaged 17.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 4.1 steals per game as a senior.
JOLIE ROBINSON // Heptathlon // Senior // 5-9 // Mission Viejo, Calif. // Major: Education
β’ Jolie Robinson is a four-time All-Big West performer in the heptathlon.
β’ She won the conference title in 2023 and 2024, while finishing second in 2025 and 2026.
β’ In her runner-up showing this year, Robinson established a 123-point lifetime-best score of 5,647.
β’ That mark ranks second in school history and is 22nd in all of NCAA Division I this season.
β’ She is also fourth on UCI's all-time charts in the long jump (6.19m/20-3.75) and javelin (44.46m/145-10).
β’ Robinson was an NCAA West First Round qualifier in the long jump in 2025.
β’ In her first year as an Anteater, Robinson was named the 2023 Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Year.
β’ In addition, she took home the Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Meet award in 2023 and 2024.
β’ Robinson transferred to UC Irvine from Saddleback College.
β’ She won the heptathlon, javelin, and long jump at the 2022 3C2A State Championships.
β’ Robinson was also a member of the Bobcats' volleyball team in 2021 and 2022.
β’ She lettered in track & field and volleyball at Capistrano Valley High School.
Players Mentioned
Heptathlon/High Jump
/ Women's Track & Field
Heptathlon/Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Heptathlon
/ Women's Track & Field
Heptathlon/High Jump
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