USATF Niagara athletes turned in a strong performance at the 2026 USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships, held July 23-26 at Icahn Stadium in New York City. The championships marked the 150th edition of the event and its first return to New York City since 1991, with Niagara athletes earning two national titles and two top-eight finishes against the nation's best.
Leading the way was Rayven Sample, who captured a pair of national titles at the Para National Championships. Sample won the men's T45 400m in 51.34 before adding a second championship in the men's T45 Long Jump with a leap of 5.93m, completing a standout weekend on the national stage.
USATF Niagara also recorded two additional top-eight performances. Maddie Pitts placed sixth in the women's heptathlon, totaling 5,774 points over the seven-event competition, while Christina Wende finished eighth in the women's triple jump with a best mark of 12.84m.