Cobbers Post A Record-Setting Number Of All-Region Award Winners
Concordia posted a record-setting number of United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) North All-Region award winners. Concordia used their outstanding outdoor season, and MIAC championship, to have 11 athletes earn the outdoor All-Region accolade.
MOORHEAD, Minn. (5/21/26)--- Concordia posted a record-setting number of United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) North All-Region award winners.
Concordia used their outstanding outdoor season, and MIAC championship, to have 11 athletes earn the outdoor All-Region accolade.
The Top 8 individuals in each event from each region on the year-end Athletic.net Descending Order Lists earned All-Region distinction, in addition to each member of the region's Top 8 relay teams. The regions used for this award – Great Lakes, Metro, Mid-Atlantic, Mideast, Midwest, Niagara, North, Northeast, South, and West – match those used during the cross country season.
This is the first season that the Top 8 receives All-Regions honors, prior to 2026 it has always been the Top 5 in each event.
Josie Brown (So., Saco, Mont.), Kyla Nygaard (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn.) and Lauren Pearson (Fr., Cameron, Wis.) all received the honor for two events while Kaia Gack (So., Sartell, Minn.), Genevieve Gruba (Jr., Enderlin, N.D.), Kelyn Henry-Perlich (So., Hastings, Neb.), Kaili Malvey (Fr., Birchwood, Minn./Mahtomedi HS), Chloe Mueffelmann (So., Cold Spring, ROCORI HS), Emily Rengo (Sr., Esko, Minn.), Lauren Selle (Fr., Dickinson, N.D.) and Emma Warner (So., McGregor, Minn.) all received the All-Region award in a single event.
Gruba and Nygaard are the only repeat All-Region award winners for the Cobbers. Gruba becomes a 3-time honoree in the javelin and Nygaard earns her second consecutive outdoor honor in the 800 meters.
Gruba held the No.4 mark in the javelin this year with a distance of 131-11 which came at the Viking Twilight. Nygaard's award-winning time in the 800 meters came at the UW-La Crosse NCAA Outdoor Final Qualifier. She recorded a time of 2:10.71 which put her into the No.2 spot in the region.
Nygaard and Brown were able to achieve All-Region honors in two events because the Cobbers had their 4x400-meter relay team post the fifth fastest time in the North Region when they crossed the line in 3:49.39 at the UW-La Crosse NCAA Outdoor Final Qualifier. Joining Nygaard and Brown on the All-Region relay were Rengo and Warner.
Brown also captured the honor in the 400-meter hurdles after running a 1:01.79 at the same meet. Her time was No.7 in the region for the year.
Gack joined Gruba on the All-Region team for the javelin. Gaick came through with a mark of 129-03 at La Crosse which vaulted her into the No.7 spot.
Henry-Perlich claimed the final All-Region spot in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Her award-winning time came at the MIAC Championship Meet when she covered the #K in 11:13.68.
Like Henry-Perlich, Malvey claimed the No.8 spot in the region. She earned All-Region honors in the heptathlon at the St. Olaf Manitou Last Chance Multi with a score of 4,502 points.
Mueffelmann waited until her final attempt of the season before nationals to jump on to the All-Region Team. She came through with a distance of 44-08.25 at La Crosse and finished fourth in the region.
Pearson was one of the three double-up award winners for Concordia. She received All-Region honors in the heptathlon and high jump. She won the award in the heptathlon at St. Olaf with a total of 4,575 points which was No.6 in the region. Her high jump mark came at the conference meet when she cleared 5-04.50.
Selle also earned All-Region honors in the high jump at the MIAC Meet. She cleared 5-05.75 and was No.4 in the region.
Past Cobber USTFCCCA Outdoor All-Region Award Winners (started in 2016 (Top 5) and was expanded to Top 8 in 2026)
2025 - Genevieve Gruba (javelin), Kyla Nygaard (800 meters)
2024 - Genevieve Gruba (javelin)
2021 - Josie Herrmann (800 meters, 1500 meters), Cayle Hovland (shot put), Peyton Selle (heptathlon)
2018 - Bailey Hovland (hammer)
2017 - Mikayla Forness (javelin, heptathlon), Bailey Hovland (hammer), Vanessa Johnson (high jump), Mandy Mercil (shot put)
2016 - Mikayla Forness (javelin, heptathlon), Vanessa Johnson (high jump), Olivia Johnson (shot put, javelin), Hannah Lundstrom (200 meters), Emma Peterson (high jump)