NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Division III All-Region Honors for the 2026 Outdoor Track and Field season. In all, 15 Eastern University student-athletes, 13 men and two women, earned All-Metro Region Honors, up from three one year ago.

Ryle Mellinger capped off a brilliant senior season, running the fastest time in the Metro Region in the 3000 Steeplechase. The Glen Mills native was the MAC Champion in the event, running the race in 9:32.57, setting a new program record. Eight days later, he smashed his own record with a time of 9:12.60 at the Widener Final Qualifier. In all, Mellinger earned five medals across both the indoor and outdoor season. He was All-MAC Second Team in the 1500 Meter Run and the 4x800 relay outdoors, while also winning the MAC Championship in the DMR and Third-Team Honors in the Mile Run indoors. Mellinger also earned All-MAC First Team Honors in Cross Country back in the fall.

The Eagles' dynamic duo of sophomores Ian Hopkins and Keyon Jones were named All-Region in the 110 Meter Hurdles. Jones was the MAC Champion in the event, with a program record time of 14.43, while Hopkins earned All-MAC Second Team honors. Jones' time was the seventh best in the Metro, while Hopkins' 14.45 at the Widener Final Qualifier was eighth. Hopkins finished as the MAC Champion in the 60 Meter Hurdles indoors, while Jones also earned Third Team honors in the 400m Hurdles outdoors and the 4x400 and High Jump indoors.

The Eagles also had two of their three relay teams recognized. The 4x100 squad of Jason Bateman, Jahari Brown, Brock Brunson, and Josiah Cureton finished with the sixth-best time in the region, breaking the program record with a time of 41.41 at the 2026 MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Messiah earlier this month. This honor caps off a tremendous first season for Brown, who finished as the MAC Champion in the 60 Meter Dash and Third Team in the 200 Meter Dash indoors and Second Team in both the 100 and 200 Meter Dash outdoors.

Eastern's 4x400 team also was named All-Region. The quartet of James Ugorji, ShaMar Davis, Robert Walton, and Christian Scales ran the seventh fastest time in the region with a time of 3:19.96, also a program record, at the Paul Donahue Invitational at Widener on April 17. The group earned All-MAC Third Team All-MAC Honors at the 2026 MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships back in February. Walton was also named All-Region in the 800 Meter Run with a 1:53.31 at the Widener Final Qualifier, the eighth fastest time in the region.

Sophomore Jeric Lewis had an outstanding season in the Triple Jump, capping it off with an All-Metro Region Honor. He finished with a mark of 14.26m, the fifth best jump in the Metro Region, to earn All-MAC Second Team honors at the 2026 Outdoor MAC Championships, and also earned a silver medal during the indoor season. Lewis hold the program record in the event indoor with a jump of 14.55m.

Junior Donovan Skinner rounded out the men with an All-Region finish in the Decathlon. Skinner finished with 5190 points at the 2026 Outdoor MAC Championships, the second-best mark in program history, setting personal bests in the Javelin (39.12m), Pole Vault (3.50m), 400 Meter Run (54.60), and the Long Jump (6.36m). His 5190 points were the sixth best in the Metro. Skinner also holds the program record in the Heptathlon with 4000 points.

On the women's side, junior Savana Dodd earned All-Region honors in the Shot Put for the second consecutive season. Dodd had the second-best throw in the Metro at the Paul Donahue Invitational on April 17, breaking her own program record with a toss of 13.37m. Dodd followed that up with an All-MAC Second Team finish in the Shot Put (13.33m) and a Third Team finish (36.63m) in the Discus. Dodd also finished with a silver medal in the Shot Put during the indoor season. Dodd holds all of the Eastern throw records after three years of competition.

Janitza Hernandez-Albino capped off a solid junior campaign with an All-Region finish in the Heptathlon. She broke the program record with 4030 points, the fifth-best mark in the Region, and earned All-MAC Third Team honors in the process. At the 2026 Outdoor Championships, she set personal bests in the Javelin, 200 Meter Dash, Shot Put, High Jump, and 100 Meter Hurdles. Hernandez-Albino also earned All-MAC Third Team honors in the Pentathlon and Long Jump indoors.

All-Region Honors are announced based on performance in a given season. To garner All-Region Honors in an event, an individual or relay has to post one of the eight best top marks in a region.