MILWAUKEE, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- Concordia University Wisconsin senior Ainara Sainz de Rozas and Milwaukee School of Engineering junior Austin (AJ) Springer have been named Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year for the 2026 season.

This is the second consecutive honor for Sainz de Rozas, while Springer adds the 2026 outdoor honor to the 2026 indoor honor that was announced yesterday. 

The awards are voted on by the league's head track and field coaches.

2026 NACC Women's Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year --- Ainara Sainz de Rozas, sr., Concordia University Wisconsin
Sainz de Rozas had a dominant outdoor season in 2026, capping her career with two USTFCCCA First Team All-America honors on the strength of a national title in the 5,000 meters and a runner-up finish in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships.

She opened her season in record-breaking fashion, winning the 5,000 at the UW-Platteville Invitational with a time of 16:17.01 - breaking her own NACC all-time mark of 16:32.74 set at the 2025 NCAA Championships.

After a cameo appearance in the 1,500 at the Augustana (Ill.) Meet of Champions where she finished fourth (4:48.59), Sainz de Rozas used another big stage to make a splash. She won the invitational 10,000 at the 116th Drake Relays with a NACC all-time mark of 34:02.86 to smash the old mark of 34:45.80 set by Aurora's Deyanneira Colon Maldonado at last year's NCAA meet.

Sainz de Rosas completed the distance sweep at the 2026 NACC Championships to capture Women's Track Athlete of the Meet honors. She won the 1,500 (4:34.94) and 5,000 (16:57.94) in championship record time, erasing marks set by Colon Maldonado in 2024 (4:35.30) and 2025 (17:08.50), respectively. Sainz de Rozas also won the 10,000 title, defeating teammate and 2025 NACC Cross Country Athlete of the Year Emma Ahrens by over 20 seconds.

Sainz de Rozas wrapped her regular season with a win in the 1,500 at the UW-La Crosse NCAA Final Qualifier, crossing the line in a personal-best time of 4:27.56.

Selected to compete in both the 5,000 and 10,000 at the NCAA Championships, Sainz de Rozas lit up the track in both events. She broke into the lead of the 10,000 just as the second mile began and led by over four seconds as she started the bell lap but was caught by Elle Marsyla of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on the final straight and had to settle for a runner-up finish. Marsyla ended up winning the national title by a mere six-tenths of a second.

The 5,000 also ended up being a match race between Sainz de Rozas and Marsyla, but Sainz de Rozas left little doubt in her final collegiate race, winning by 15 seconds.

Both NCAA Championship efforts were NACC all-time marks - breaking her own marks from earlier in the year - and rank among the top 10 times in NCAA Division III history. Sainz de Rozas' runner-up time of 33:39.31 in the 10K ranks seventh all-time, while her winning time of 16:08.15 in the 5K ranks ninth.

A three-time NACC Women's Track Student-Athlete of the Week this season, Sainz de Rozas also earned USTFCCCA All-North Region honors in the 1,500, 5K, and 10K, and was named the USTFCCCA North Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year.

2026 NACC Men's Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year --- Austin (AJ) Springer, jr., Milwaukee School of Engineering
Springer carried his success during the indoor season outdoors, excelling in both the 800- and 1,500-meter runs. He won the 800 at the Carroll (Wis.) Alumni Open, the UW-Whitewater Rex Foster Twilight, and the Marquette Invitational before finishing runner-up to Northern Iowa's Derek Woods at the UW-Lacrosse Phil Esten Challenge in mid-April. Despite not capturing the win, Springs's time of 1:51.38 at the Esten Challenge broke the NACC all-time record of 1:52.50 set by Aurora's Armando Acosta in 2025.

Springer also won his lone pre-NACC Championships tune-up in the 1,500 with a 3:55.97 clocking at the Marquette Invitational.

At the 2026 NACC Outdoor Championships, he swept the 800 and 1,500 to help lead the Raiders to the men's team title. After posting the second-best qualifying time in the 800 prelims (behind Acosta), Springer won the final with a time of 1:52.94, edging Concordia Wisconsin's Isaiah Lubner (1:53.94) and Acosta (1:54.23). His winning time broke the championship record of 1:53.79 set by Concordia Chicago's Josh Warren in 2017.

Springer also won the 1,500 with a personal-best time of 3:54.32, again edging Acosta (3:55.75) and Lubner (3:56.79) at the line.

He followed up his NACC Championships performances with a win in the 800 at the UW-La Crosse Uncaged Eagle Open, resetting the NACC all-time mark with a personal-best time of 1:48.99. The time earned Springer USTFCCCA All-North Region honors in the 800 and secured a spot in the field at the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

At the national meet, Springer made a late charge to win his qualifying heat and advance to the 800 final with the third-best qualifying time (1:50.09). In the final, he sat seventh after the opening 400 meters but was able to advance two positions over the final lap to finish fifth with a time of 1:49.73 to earn USTFCCCA First Team All-America honors.

In addition to his all-region and all-America honors, Springer was a two-time NACC Track Student-Athlete of the Week during the season.