Corn Grows Better Outdoors

ST. PAUL, Minn. (5/10/25)---The saying goes, "corn grows better outdoors," and the Cobbers proved that at the MIAC Outdoor Championship Meet by posting their best team finish since 2013 and their highest point total since 2001.   

The second-place finish in the conference is the highest by any Cobber athletic team in the 2024-25 sports season.                 

Concordia finished with 140 team points, which is the most since 2001, when they also finished second with 167.5 points.

On Friday, the strength of the five place winners in the javelin propelled the Cobbers into the team lead. On Saturday, a record-setting relay team, another Top 3 relay squads and Concordia's depth in the individual track events helped them post their highest team point total in 24 years.

The lightning-quick quartet of Andie Sandman, Emily Rengo, Piper Osborne and Kyla Nygaard set the tone for CC on Saturday by breaking the 22-year-old school record in the 4x100-meter relay. The crew clocked a 47.81, which was good for third place and bettered the school record of 48.78 set in 2003.

The Cobber 4x400-meter relay team finished off the conference meet by racing to a time of 3:51.02. That time bettered the previous MIAC Meet record and is No.25 in DIII this year. It is also the third fastest in program history.

Concordia scored multiple team points in the 100, 200 and 800 meters as well as the 3000-meter steeplechase and the 100 and 400-meter hurdles.

Rengo and Sandman were the only Cobbers to pull off double Top 5 finishes in track events on Day 2. Rengo was fourth in both the 100-meter dash and 200 meters. She ran a 12.10 in the finals of the 100 and crossed the line in 25.41 in the 200. Sandman was fifth in the 100 with a PR mark of 12.28, which is the third fastest in school history.

MIAC heptathlon champions Jenna Kalevik and Peyton Selle capped off their outstanding conference careers by going 2-3 in the 100-meter hurdles. Kalevik was second with a PR time of 14.55 and Selle was right behind at 15.41.

Nygaard posted the other runner-up finish for Concordia on Saturday. She jumped into the Top 25 of DIII in the 800 meters by a personal best time of 2:11.38. That mark is No.21 in the nation, which puts her on the bubble for the national meet. It is also the second fastest time ever run by a Cobber in the event.

Meg Shercliffe and Kelyn Henry-Perlich were the other team-point scorers for CC. Both athletes posted PR times on their way to Top 8 finishes. Shercliffe was fifth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:06.49 and Henry-Perlich was seventh in the 3000-meter steeplechase at 11:25.20. Shercliffe's time in the Top 15 of the school's all-time list and Henry-Perlich is now No.3 on the steeplechase chart.

The high jump was the top-scoring field event for the Cobbers on Saturday. Selle and Kalevik started their day by finishing fourth and eighth. Selle cleared 5-01.75 and Kalevik went out after 4-10.50.

Kaia Gack sealed her Rookie of the Year honors for CC at the meet by bettering Selle and Kalevik and placed third. A day after winning the javelin, Gack cleared 5-01.75. She nearly cleared 5-03, which would have won the event, but barely hit the bar on the way down.

Osborne and Laura Fuller turned in the other Top 8 finishes in the field events. Osborne was seventh in the triple jump with a mark of 34-07.00, and Fuller qualified for her first finals at a conference meet by posting a PR distance of 126-00.

Concordia will hit the road to find any school hosting a last-chance meet. The Cobbers will be hoping to improve their marks to get multiple athletes into the NCAA National Meet.  

Final Women's Team Standings
1. Gustavus - 170.5
2. Concordia - 140
3. Bethel - 131.5
4. St. Olaf - 118
5. Saint Benedict - 102.5
6. Macalester - 57
7. Carleton - 52
8. Saint Mary's - 40
9. St. Scholastica - 18.5
10. Hamline - 17
11. Augsburg - 11
12. St. Catherine - DNS

COBBER NOTABLES:
MIAC CHAMPIONS:
Javelin Throw – Kaia Gack – 127-11 (38.99m)
Heptathlon – Jenna Kalevik – 4489 points

MIAC ALL-CONFERENCE (places 1-3):
1st - Javelin Throw – Kaia Gack – 127-11 (38.99m)
1st – Heptathlon – Jenna Kalevik – 4489 points
2nd – 800 – Kyla Nygaard – 2:11.38
2nd – 100 Hurdles - Jenna Kalevik – 14.55
2nd – 4x400 Relay – Emily Rengo, Meg Shercliffe, Emma Warner, Kyla Nygaard – 3:51.02
2nd - 4x800 Relay – Drew Frolek, Kelyn Henry-Perlich, Meg Shercliffe, Kyla Nygaard – 9:25.89
2nd - Javelin Throw – Genevieve Gruba – 124-3 (37.88m)
3rd – 100 Hurdles – Peyton Selle – 15.41
3rd - 4x100 Relay – Andie Sandman, Emily Rengo, Piper Osborne, Kyla Nygaard – 47.81
3rd – High Jump – Kaia Gack – 5-1.75 (1.57m)
3rd – Javelin Throw – Regan Anderson – 118-4 (36.08m)
3rd – Heptathlon – Peyton Selle – 4442 points

MIAC ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION (places 4-6):
4th – 100 – Emily Rengo – 12.10
4th – 200 – Emily Rengo – 25.41
4th – 10K – Brooklyn Hart – 39:46.21
4th – High Jump – Peyton Selle – 5-1.75 (1.57m)
5th – 100 – Andie Sandman – 12.28
5th – 400 Hurdles – Meg Shercliffe – 66.49 (66.18 prelim)
5th – Javelin Throw – Peyton Selle – 115-5 (35.19m)
6th – 200 – Andie Sandman – 25.51
6th – 10K – Ashley Nelson – 39:57.63
6th – Long Jump – Jenna Kalevik – 17-6.75 (5.35m)

OTHER SCORERS (places 7-8)
7th – 3K Steeplechase – Kelyn Henry-Perlich – 11:25.20
7th – Long Jump – Peyton Selle – 17-4 (5.28m)
7th – Javelin Throw – Haley Wolsky – 107-3 (32.69m)
8th – Triple Jump – Piper Osborne – 34-7 (10.54m)
8th – High Jump – Jenna Kalevik – 4-10.5 (1.49m)
8th – Discus Throw – Laura Fuller Brown – 126-0 (38.41m)

COBBER SCHOOL RECORD:
4x100 Relay – Andie Sandman, Emily Rengo, Piper Osborne, Kyla Nygaard – 47.81

COBBER ALL-TIME LIST:
100 – Emily Rengo – 12.10 – All-Time #2
100 – Andie Sandman – 12.28 – All-Time #3
200 – Andie Sandman – 25.38 (prelim) – All-Time #4
400 – Emma Warner – 60.02 – All-Time #22
800 – Kyla Nygaard – 2:11.38 – All- Time #2
1500 – Kelyn Henry-Perlich – 4:50.61 – All-Time # 15
1500 – Londyn Ames – 4:56.12 – All-Time #25
3K Steeplechase – Kelyn Henry-Perlich – 11:25.20 – All-Time #3
10K – Brooklyn Hart – 39:46.21 – All-Time #15
100 Hurdles – Jenna Kalevik – 14.55 – All-Time #2
400 Hurdles – Meg Shercliffe – 66.18 (prelim) – All-Time #13
4x100 Relay – Andie Sandman, Emily Rengo, Piper Osborne, Kyla Nygaard – 47.81 - All-Time #1
4x400 Relay – Emily Rengo, Meg Shercliffe, Emma Warner, Kyla Nygaard – 3:51.02 - All-Time #3
Long Jump – Jenna Kalevik – 17-6.75 (5.35m) - All-Time #18
Long Jump – Peyton Selle – 17-4 (5.28m) - All-Time #20 tie
Javelin Throw – Kaia Gack – 127-11 (38.99m) – All-Time #11

PERSONAL RECORDS:
100- Emily Rengo, Andie Sandman
200- Andie Sandman (prelims)
400- Emma Warner
800- Kyla Nygaard
1500- Kelyn Henry-Perlich, Londyn Ames
3000 Steeplechase- Kelyn Henry-Perlich
100 hurdles- Jenna Kalevik
400 Hurdles- Meg Shercliffe
Long Jump- Jenna Kalevik, Peyton Selle (tie)
Triple Jump- Ellie Machayya
Shot Put- Ellie Welch
Discus Throw- Laura Fuller Brown
Javelin Throw- Kaia Gack, Taylor Christenson