BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ohio Wesleyan University junior jumper Connor Smith competed in the men's high jump final at the 2026 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday, winning Ohio Wesleyan's first men's track & field national championship since 2002.

Smith – a third-year native of Marysville, Ohio – secured his spot in the national event with a seed height of 2.06 meters set at the OWU Team Challenge earlier this year. It was his second trip to the indoor national championships after competing in last season's competition in the same event, tying for 13th with a mark of 1.98 meters.

Smith made things interesting in the early going this year, passing both of the first two heights on his third attempt as the field narrowed from 20 down to 11. Already having surpassed his finish from last season, the pressure seemed to lift as he passed his personal-best 2.06-meter mark on the second attempt for a guaranteed top-10 finish.

Smith then set a new personal best by passing the 2.09-meter mark on his second attempt, ultimately advancing to the top-five. Finally, he would again set a new personal best by flying over the 2.12-mark on just his first attempt, putting himself in the driver's seat in the event of a tiebreak.

A tiebreak is exactly what happened as Smith and the only other advancer – Lynchburg's Lamont Victoria – both conceded to the 2.15-meter mark, making Smith the national champion after only needing one attempt to pass the previous 2.12 meters – or 6 feet 11.5 inches in American terms.

Smith is the 19th individual national champion in Ohio Wesleyan Athletics history and the 12th for the men's track & field program. He is the first student-athlete to win a national title since Cirrus Robinson in 2019.

With the national championship trophy in hand – as well as All-American status – Smith and the rest of the Battling Bishops turn their sights to the outdoor season, starting next weekend at the Washington & Lee Carnival in Lexington, Virginia.