RIPON, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- Milwaukee School of Engineering overcame the absence of one of its top sprinters and survived a late charge from rival St. Norbert College to capture the men's team title at the 2026 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The Raiders won just three events but tallied 178.83 points on the strength of their depth in the distance races, vertical jumps, and throws. St. Norbert collected seven individual crowns but ended up just over four points back of MSOE with 174.56. Wisconsin Lutheran College placed third with 60 points, just ahead of Benedictine University with 64, while Concordia University Chicago edged Concordia University Wisconsin, 43.5-41.5, for fifth place. Aurora University (30.4), Edgewood University (27), Illinois Institute of Technology (20.2), and Rockford University (9) also recorded team points. Dominican University and Lakeland University did not score.

St. Norbert's Ezra Schermacher was named NACC Field Athlete of the Meet for the fourth straight year, compiling 28 points behind titles in the high jump (2.06 meters; 6-9) and pole vault (4.65m; 15-3) and a runner-up finish in the long jump (6.84m; 22-5 1/4). The NACC Track Athlete of the Meet honor was split three ways as Edgewood's Ayden Price (60 dash, 200), MSOE's Austin Springer (800, Mile), and St. Norbert's Kyan Lynts (3K, 5K) all won two events to finish on 20 points each. Lynts also earned NACC Freshman of the Meet honors as the top-scoring true freshman.

Four New Records Set
Price, Springer, and Lynts combined to account for three of the four new records set at this year's championships. Price won the 60-meter dash in 6.80, bettering the old mark of 6.86 seconds set by MSOE's Evan Ploeckelman during his 2025 preliminary heat. He missed tying the NACC all-time mark by just 0.01 seconds. Springer won the 800 in 1:53.28, breaking his own championship record of 1:56.19 from a year ago. Lynts won the 3,000 in a time of 8:37.05, erasing the mark of 8:37.70 posted by Benedictine's Marcos Garcia in 2019. Illinois Tech's Carson Owens posted the final new mark of the championship, winning the 400 in 48.77 seconds to better the mark of 49.49 set by Benedictine's DJ Anderson in 2019.

Multiple Winners
In addition to Lynts, Price, Schermacher, and Springer, two other individuals emerged from this year's championships as dual champions. Benedictine's Temitope Osobamiro won both the long jump (7.01m; 23-0) and the triple jump (14.19m; 46-6 3/4), while St. Norbert's Jacob Klitzke swept the throws with wins in the shot put (16.74m; 54-11 1/4) and weight throw (17.03m; 55-10 1/2).

Other Champions
The four remaining titles were distributed amongst four institutions. Concordia Wisconsin's Zach Wendland repeated as heptathlon champion with 4,656 points, MSOE's Sam Sorensen won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.29 seconds, the St. Norbert quartet of William Cascio, Ian Blom, Carson Hammer, and Lawrence Huffman capped Friday's running schedule with a win in the distance medley relay (10:31.56), and the Concordia Chicago quartet of Vincent Scarnato, Jamel Goins, Kamren Hannah, and Austin Knight (3:25.19) closed out the entire meet with a win in the 4x400 relay.

MSOE Named Coaching Staff of the Year
The Milwaukee School of Engineering coaching staff, led by eighth-year head coach Bill Massoels, was recognized by its peers at the NACC Men's Indoor Track and Field Coaching Staff of the Year. The Raiders won titles in the 800, mile, and 60 hurdles, and scored 23 points in the pole vault and at least 17 points in each of the two throws (shot put, weight throw), and three distance races (Mile, 3K, 5K) to overcome the absence of top sprinter/hurdler Daniel Geerts. Geerts had to be pulled from the 60 dash and 60 hurdles finals after suffering an injury en route to a sixth-place finish in the high jump.

This is the second time in four years that a Massoels-led staff has been recognized and the fourth time an MSOE coach has been recognized. In addition to the staff honor in 2023, Larry Gardner was named Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2011.

2026 NACC Indoor Track and Field Championships
At Ripon, Wis. (Willmore Center)
MEN
Team Scores: 1. MSOE, 178.83; 2. St. Norbert, 174.56; 3. Wisconsin Lutheran, 70; 4. Benedictine, 64; 5. Concordia Chicago, 43.5; 6. Concordia Wisconsin, 41.5; 7. Aurora, 30.4; 8. Edgewood, 27; 9. Illinois Tech, 20.2; 10. Rockford, 9. Dominican and Lakeland did not score.
Event Champions
60 - Ayden Price (EDGE), 6.80^ (old record: Evan Ploeckelman, MSOE, 6.86 prelim, 2025)
200 - Ayden Price (EDGE), 21.95
400 - Carson Owens (IIT), 48.77^ (old record: DJ Anderson, BENU, 49.49, 2019)
800 - Austin Springer (MSOE), 1:53.28 (old record: Springer, MSOE, 1:56.19, 2025)
Mile - Austin Springer (MSOE), 4:19.21
3,000 - Kyan Lynts (SNC), 8:37.05 (old record: Marcos Garcia, BENU, 8:37.70, 2019)
5,000 - Kyan Lynts (SNC), 15:14.49
4x400 - Concordia Chicago (Vincent Scarnato, Jamel Goins, Kamren Hannah, Austin Knight), 3:25.19
DMR - St. Norbert (William Cascio, Ian Blom, Carson Hammer, Lawrence Huffman), 10:31.56
60H - Sam Sorensen (MSOE), 8.29
HJ - Ezra Schermacher (SNC), 2.06m; 6-9
PV - Ezra Schermacher (SNC), 4.65m; 15-3
LJ - Temitope Osobamiro (BENU), 7.01m; 23-0
TJ - Temitope Osobamiro (BENU), 14.19m; 46-6 3/4
SP - Jacob Klitzke (SNC), 16.74m; 54-11 1/4
WT - Jacob Klitzke (SNC), 17.03m; 55-10 1/2
Hep - Zach Wendland (CUW), 4,656 points