Coffey Claims All-American Finish at 2026 NAIA Outdoor Championships

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Behind a career-best mark, Julie Coffey secured a seventh-place finish and NAIA All-American honors as she competed at the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday afternoon.

After the event was moved from Thursday evening to Friday afternoon due to inclement weather, Coffey steadily improved throughout the women's javelin preliminaries, capping her series with the best throw of her career at 42.63 meters in the second flight.

Coffey's mark qualified her for the top nine and a spot in the event finals, where she went on to place seventh and earn her first national medal.

Competing at Nationals for the second consecutive season, Coffey improved on last year's showing to earn All-American honors. The senior from Indianola, Iowa, also became the program's third javelin All-American in the past five years, joining former honorees Hunter Krom (2022) and Gage Hiebert (2024).

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