The 2026 Prefontaine Classic is set to feature one of the strongest Para sprint fields ever assembled on American soil. When the Women’s and Men’s 100m Para races go off on Saturday, July 4th, the athletes in those starting blocks will carry a combined 88 Paralympic and World Championship medals between them.
The Pre Classic has hosted para events since 1989, a debut that produced two world records. Hayward Field has continued to serve as a landmark venue for para athletics — nine current American para records have been set on that track. The University of Oregon’s iconic stadium also made history last summer when it became the first venue to host a combined able-bodied and para national championships.
Women’s 100m Para Sprint Field
Seven women are set to compete in the para sprint, and the group includes world record holders, multi-time Paralympians, and rising collegiate stars.
Brittni Mason of Cleveland, Ohio leads the field on paper. She owns the world record in the 100m T47 with a time of 11.89 and has five Paralympic medals to her name, including gold from the mixed 4x100m relay at Tokyo. Mason is also a two-time world champion, having taken the 100m title in 2019 and the 200m crown in 2023.
Kym Crosby of Yuba City, California brings deep championship experience to the race. The three-time Paralympic bronze medalist has stood on the podium at Rio, Tokyo, and Paris, and has collected six World Para Athletics Championship medals throughout her career. Her personal best in the 100m stands at 12.19.
Jaleen Roberts of Kent, Washington is another decorated presence in the field. Roberts has earned four Paralympic medals and eight world championship medals competing in the T37 classification across the 100m, 200m, and long jump. She became a world champion in 2019 as part of the American mixed universal relay team.
Erin Kerkhoff of Coralville, Iowa is a two-time world medalist in the 200m T13 and has represented Team USA at both the Tokyo and Paris Paralympics. She competed collegiately at the University of Northern Iowa, earning all-conference recognition in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Sydney Barta of Arlington, Virginia brings a milestone performance into the 2026 season. Earlier this year, she set the American record in the 200m T64 with a time of 26.37. Barta placed third at the 2025 Para Athletics World Championships in New Delhi and recently completed her senior year at Stanford University, where she made history as the first Paralympian to compete for the program.
Chloe Chavez, a freshman from Panhandle, Texas, earned her spot on Team USA for the World Para Athletics Championships after medaling in three events — the 100m, 200m, and discus — at last summer’s para national championships at Hayward Field. She competes for San Diego State University.
Kerragan Johnson of Arlington, Texas was just 17 years old when she competed at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. She secured her place on the team with podium finishes at Hayward Field during the Para National Championships. Johnson recently finished her senior year at Martin High School.
Men’s 100m Para Sprint Field
The men’s field features nine athletes, headlined by Paralympic champions and world record holders.
Jaydin Blackwell of Oak Park, Michigan is the standout name entering the race. He won double gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, first breaking his own world record in the 100m T38 with a time of 10.64, then claiming the 400m T38 title with a 48.49 to match his world record.
Ezra Frech of Los Angeles, California had a strong Paris showing of his own, winning gold in both the 100m and high jump in the T63 classification. He holds the world record in the T63 high jump at 1.97m (6′ 5.5″) and also finished fifth in the long jump at the Games.
Hunter Woodhall of Syracuse, Utah took gold in the 400m T62 at the Paris Paralympics and holds American records in the 100m, 200m, and 400m in his classification. He has also earned six medals at the Para Athletics World Championships over the course of his career.
Noah Malone of Fishers, Indiana heads into Eugene with strong recent form. The Paris Paralympic 100m T12 champion and 2023 world champion in the same event won the 100m at the L.A. Grand Prix on Sunday with a time of 10.40. He has five Paralympic medals overall.
Korban Best of Southlake, Texas made history in Paris by becoming the first American to win a Paralympic medal in the 100m T47 classification, taking silver with a personal best of 10.75. He also ran on the bronze medal-winning 4x100m relay team at those Games.
Derek Loccident of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma brought home two silver medals from Paris in the T64 high jump and long jump. He holds the American record in the T64 long jump with a leap of 8.22m (26′ 11.75″) set last year.
Blake Leeper of Kingsport, Tennessee is one of the most experienced athletes in the field, having earned two Paralympic medals and six World Championship medals across his career. In 2019, he became the first para athlete to run the 400m in under 45 seconds at the US National Championships.
Ryan Medrano of Savannah, Georgia won two silver medals in Paris in the 100m T38 and 400m T38 events and also finished sixth in the long jump. Before returning to the track, Medrano appeared on the reality television show Survivor in 2022.
Abuchi Osuala of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is entering the national spotlight after a strong recent stretch. He won the 100m at the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Championships last month and finished second at the L.A. Grand Prix on Sunday with a time of 10.69. He also holds the school record in the 200m at Wisconsin Lutheran College with a time of 21.74.
Event Details
The Prefontaine Classic runs Friday, July 3rd, and Saturday, July 4th, 2026 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The Women’s and Men’s Para 100m races are on the Saturday schedule. Competition windows are Friday from 6:00–10:00 p.m. and Saturday from 12:00–3:00 p.m.
Tickets, VIP packages, and accommodations are available at www.preclassic.com. Volunteer opportunities can be found at www.gotracktownusa.com/volunteer. Media accreditation applications are open at portal.diamondleague.com
