LA CROSSE, Wis. (naccsports.org) — Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) student-athletes secured three all-America honors as the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships got underway Thursday at Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The NACC's best effort came in the final women's race of the night - the 10,000-meter run. Conference record-holder Ainara Sainz De Rozas of Concordia University Wisconsin ran out front throughout the entire race, breaking into the lead just as the second mile began. As the race moved past the 4,000-meter mark, the lead pack became a trio composed of Sainz De Rozas, Elle Marsyla of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and Claire Anderson of Washington & Jefferson.

Sainz De Rozas and Marsyla began to distance themselves from Anderson with 4,000 meters to go, with Sainz De Rozas setting the pace and Marsyla sitting just off her shoulder. The Falcon senior made a late push, extending her advantage to over four seconds as she started the bell lap. Marsyla saved her best for last, however, recording a 70.84-second split - her best lap of the race by nearly eight seconds - to track down Sainz De Rozas on the final straight and win by .60 seconds.

Sainz De Rozas' final lap split of 75.84 was her best of the race as well and second only to the time posted by Marsyla over the final 400 meters.

Both Marsyla (33:38.71) and Sainz De Rozas (33:39.31) set personal bests and bettered the previous meet record of 33:46.70 set in 2025 by SUNY Geneseo's Penelope Greene. Sainz De Rozas also chipped another 23 seconds off her own NACC all-time record of 34:02.86 set at this year's Drake Relays.

CUW junior Emma Ahrens set a personal-best with a time of 35:15.59 to finish 12th overall in the 10K and earn second team all-America honors. Ahrens had entered the championships seeded 21st, but scrubbed nearly 23 seconds off her championship qualifying mark of 35:38.04 set just two weeks ago at the St. Francis (Ill.) Fighting Chance Invitiational.

Edgewood University's Kylee Doherty captured the NACC's final all-America honor of the day, placing eighth in the discus throw with a top mark of 44.72 meters (146-9). Despite entering the championship seeded just 20th of 22 competitors, Doherty ranked inside the top eight after each of her three preliminary throws and qualified for finals with a throw of 44.65 meters (146-6). Doherty extended her cushion over ninth place with her toss of 44.72 on her first throw of the finals and held on to the last podium place as UW-Eau Claire's Kristin Behnke was unable to improve on her best throw of 44.05 meters (144-6).

St. Norbert College's Eden Maranell sits 13th after four of seven events in the heptathlon with 2,830 points. Maranell sat just 18th after the 100 hurdles (15.42; 787 points) and 17th after the high jump (1.50m; 621 points), but started to climb by finishing in the top half of the field in the shot put (10th; 10.66m; 573 points) and wrapping the day with the third-best 200-meter dash (25.42; 849 points) in the 22-competitor field.

Milwaukee School of Engineering's Samuel McPeak was the NACC's final competitor Thursday. He finished 19th overall in the 3,000 steeplechase with a 9:16.40 clocking.

Maranell returns to competition at 12:30 p.m. Friday as the heptathlon resumes with the long jump and javelin throw before concluding with an 800-meter run.

MSOE's Austin Springer takes to the track for his preliminary heat of the men's open 800 run at 3:35 p.m.

In the field events, MSOE's Jessa Alderman will take her Division III-leading mark into the women's shot put competition at noon, while Illinois Institute of Technology's Olivia Jameson will compete in the high jump at 1 p.m. St. Norbert's Jacob Klitzke will take his turn in the shot put ring at 3 p.m.