Multiple-Sport Athletes Key Concordia Track and Field Success
For the second time in program history, the Concordia women's track program doubled down on MIAC championships, with the previous double dip coming in 1999. The Cobbers claimed the conference outdoor women's crown this past weekend, backing up an MIAC indoor title in late February.
Article reprinted with permission from the Fargo Forum and feature writer Eric Peterson
MOORHEAD — For the second time in program history, the Concordia women's track program doubled down on MIAC championships, with the previous double dip coming in 1999.
The Cobbers claimed the conference outdoor women's crown this past weekend, backing up an MIAC indoor title in late February.
Concordia head coach Marv Roeske a common thread to both the 1999 and 2026 double championships.
"I'm getting near the finish line, so it's nice," said Roeske, who has been the program's head coach since the 1996 season. "Those other championships were very much in my early years so it feels good to circle around now."
The outdoor crown was the team's first since 2004 and third overall, including the aforementioned 1999 title. The Cobbers have won four total indoor championships, including 1988 and 1998.
"We all Marv, he's just such an uplifting coach," said Cobbers junior Genevieve Gruba, who won the MIAC title in the women's javelin. "We all wanted to go get it."
The 5-foot-10 Gruba is one of the numerous multiple-sport athletes who helped the Cobbers win the outdoor crown. She also played on the Concordia women's basketball team that advanced to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight in March.
"It's been an unreal year overall," said Gruba, from Enderlin, North Dakota.
The Cobbers had five of the top seven placers in the women's javelin at the MIAC meet, including Kaia Gack (3rd), Grace Ciarrochi (4th), Kaili Malvey (6) and Kennison Azure (7th).
Gack and Azure also play for the Cobbers women's basketball team. Malvey is part of the Concordia volleyball program, led by head coach Faith Radermacher.
"Concordia's coaches are really good at sharing their athletes," Roeske said.
Gruba said that was one of the reasons she chose the school. Cobbers head women's basketball coach Kim Wagers and Roeske were going to give her the chance to play both sports.
"Concordia really stuck out to me because of the support of both coaches," Gruba said. "It was such a fun time and over the past three years, they've just been super supportive."
Gruba, who can't compete during the indoor track season since it overlaps with basketball, added javelin is the perfect event for her. She was one of the top North Dakota Class B performers in high school and the javelin isn't one of the competition events during indoor season.
"Being able to have that crossover and that I'm not missing any indoor potential with my javelin, I don't have any regrets during basketball season, because I don't feel like I'm missing anything competition-wise with javelin," Gruba said.
Gack won the MIAC outdoor javelin title in 2025 and Gruba won in 2024.
Malvey scored in six separate events during for the Cobbers, including the women's heptathlon, which was a week before the final two days of the MIAC championships. Malvey was third in the heptathlon. Lauren Pearson (2nd), Lauren Selle (4th) Abby Lovelace (7th) also finished in the top seven in the event for Concordia. That gave the Cobbers 21 team points heading into the following championship weekend.
"In the indoor, we felt like we were truly the underdog," Roeske said. "In the outdoor, we were the frontrunner before the (second) weekend even began."
Pearson also plays volleyball and was a double-winner during the MIAC indoor meet in February.
Malvey also placed in the 100-meter hurdles (7th), long jump (3rd), triple jump (5th) and high jump (4th), scoring in six total events for the conference outdoor.
"She was clutch," Roeske said. "She did a lot of stuff."
Gruba added it was "special" for the Cobbers athletes who were part of both the indoor and outdoor conference championship track teams, but she was grateful to help bring home the team hardware for the outdoor.
"Track is just so much fun," Gruba said. "It was really rewarding."
The Cobbers compiled 171 team points, while winning three of the 22 events. Lauren Selle won the high jump, joining Gruba as an individual champion. The Cobbers team of Londyn Ames, Kelyn Henry-Perlich, Lovelace and Kyla Nygaard also won the 3,200-meter relay.
"We are built around excessive depth," Roeske said.
The Cobbers are set to compete on Thursday at the Wisconsin-La Crosse Final NCAA Qualifier. Concordia doesn't have any women's athletes who are a lock to make the Division III Outdoor championships, but have a host who have a chance to improve or maintain their spots on the national list. The top 22 in each event earn a spot at the national meet, which starts May 21, also in La Crosse.