After crossing the finish line in New Orleans on Saturday, May 23, JoJo Tyynismaa finished her collegiate track and field career leaving a lasting mark at Wartburg College. The 2022 South Tama County graduate closes her career as one of the most decorated athletes in program history, collecting conference championships, All-American honors, school records, and regional recognition throughout her time as a Knight.

Throughout the 2026 outdoor season, Tyynismaa established herself as one of the top athletes in NCAA Division III. She earned American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors three times and was later named the conference’s Women’s Track Athlete of the Year after a dominant performance at the conference championship meet. There, she scored 35 points while winning conference titles in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and 100 meter hurdles, while also helping Wartburg capture conference titles in both the 4×100 meter and 4×400 meter relays.

Her season culminated at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in New Orleans, where she ran seven races in the span of three days.

Tyynismaa’s national meet included the 100 meter hurdles, where she placed seventh overall to earn First Team All-American honors. She also finished 15th in the 100 meter dash.

Her highest finish came in the 400 meter hurdles, finishing as the national runner-up, earning another First Team All-American honor and concluding her collegiate individual career on the podium. The runner up finish was bitter sweet as Tyynismaa had finished 3rd in the event for the past two national championships running the exact same time of 59.96 both times. Tyynismaa improved her mark to 59.26 setting Wartburg’s school record in the process.

Tyynismaa also helped Wartburg’s 4×400 meter relay team secure a fifth-place national finish and another First Team All-American performance. The relay squad consisted of Natalie Bork, Olivia Tollari, Haley Meyer, and Tyynismaa herself on the anchor.

Following the conclusion of the season, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) named Tyynismaa the 2026 Midwest Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. The honor recognized a season that included three school records, multiple conference championships, and four All-American finishes at the national meet.

The regional award placed Tyynismaa among an elite group of national athletes.

By the end of her collegiate career, Tyynismaa had rewritten portions of the Wartburg record book. During the 2026 season alone, she established school records in the 100 meter dash (11.64), 100 meter hurdles (13.83), and 400 meter hurdles (59.26).

Her accomplishments were not limited to the track, as Tyynismaa has long been a fantastic student-athlete earning valedictorian status from STC in 2022.

During Wartburg’s annual Pillars Week recognition held in April, Tyynismaa was selected as an Outstanding Senior in both Mathematics and Mathematics Teaching. According to Wartburg, outstanding seniors represent “the very best of a Wartburg education,” demonstrating academic excellence, leadership, and a commitment to their communities. Faculty members select students annually for the honor, with recipients recognized during Pillars Week and in the commencement program.

With graduation now complete (at an early ceremony for the track and field national qualifiers), Tyynismaa’s collegiate career has officially come to a close. While her competitive future may take her beyond Wartburg, her legacy is firmly established among the college’s all-time greats.

From winning the Class 3A state championship in the 400 meter hurdles for South Tama County in 2022 to becoming a national runner-up, regional athlete of the year, record-holder, and multi-time All-American at Wartburg College, Tyynismaa’s journey stands as one of the most accomplished athletic careers ever produced by the South Tama community.