TSR's 2022 D2 Outdoor Track End of Season Awards

The purpose of our End of Season Awards is to highlight a handful of the best athletes, the best performances and the best distance coaches in a few select categories. Below, our TSR writers offer a brief breakdown of each nominee for each award.

Then, in the second-half of this article, you'll find the votes from our TSR contributors in order to decide who the winners are.

Click here to read our D1 End of Season Awards

Let's begin...

*Redshirt freshmen are not considered for this award. Athletes who have freshman eligibility stemming from the pandemic extension are not included in this award. International freshmen are included amongst these candidates unless we have a reason to believe that they do not meet our above criteria.

Nominees: Reece Sharman-Newell (CSU-Pueblo), Wesley Gibbs (Mississippi College), Corey Bowers (Saginaw Valley State), Martin Segurola (Saint Edwards)

Reece Sharman-Newell (CSU-Pueblo): There is not much else we can say about this CSU-Pueblo superstar that hasn't already been said. Sharman-Newell ran 1:45.56 this season in the 800 meters, a time that is good enough for the NCAA #2 performance in Division Two history. His national meet didn’t go as planned, but it’s hard to argue that there was a more impactful freshman during the outdoor season than him.

Wesley Gibbs (Mississippi College): Gibbs didn’t get out to an extremely fast start, but it certainly ended on a high note. The freshman finished 3rd in the Gulf South Conference over 800 meters. The two men in front of him? Christian Noble and Titus Lagat. That’s not bad company to be in as a true freshman. Gibbs finished inside the top-30, nationally, for the 800 meters after he ran 1:49.76. In fact, he would have qualified for every NCAA meet dating back to 2012, although 2022 was a different animal. There’s no doubt that Gibbs will find himself at the national meet to contest this event in the near future.

Corey Bowers (Saginaw Valley State): Add Bowers to the list of athletes who had success as a freshman while attending Saginaw Valley State. Bowers finished 7th at the GLIAC Championships in the 1500 meters and things continue to look promising for him as we look into his future. Despite his best race coming earlier in the season, his combination of 3:46 and 1:51 marks speaks to Bowers’ talent level and overall promise.

Martin Segurola (Saint Edwards): After making the move from Spain to Saint Edwards, it took some time for Segurola to figure things out. But now, he's leaving his freshman year behind with personal bests of 1:52 and 3:48 and what appears to be a bright future. He also finished 4th at the LSC Championships in an incredibly tactical race. With another year in this program, don’t be surprised to see the Spanish standout be featured at future national meets.

*Redshirt freshmen are not considered for this award. Athletes who have freshman eligibility stemming from the pandemic extension are not included in this award. International freshmen are included amongst these candidates unless we have a reason to believe that they do not meet our above criteria.

Nominees: Helen Braybook (CSU-Pueblo), Gemma Rebollo (Wingate), Fiona Hawkins (Adams State), Aria Hawkins (Lee (Tenn.)), Ava O’Connor (Adams State)

Ava O’Connor (Adams State): No one in the NCAA looked less like a freshman than O’Connor did the whole season...minus the national meet where she failed to qualify for the final in the 1500 meters. The rest of her season was very unfreshman-like which showcased her maturity and high track IQ. She was the RMAC champion in the 800 meters and ran a very fast time in the 1500 meters (4:21). All of that as just a freshman...I know.

Helen Braybook (CSU-Pueblo): Many people forget that Braybook was a part of the Thunderwolves' title-winning DMR team this past winter. She used that momentum to qualify as an individual at the most recent NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 800 meters and she was just one place off of making the final. Another year of experience with that proven coaching staff should only yield more opportunities for Braybook in the future.

Gemma Rebollo (Wingate): Rebollo has slowly become a long distance machine. Focusing on the 5k/10k this season, she qualified individually for the national meet in the 10k and even became an All-American by finishing 8th overall. This is quite the improvement from her performance in the 5k at the NCAA Indoor Championships as she didn’t fare nearly as well, placing 15th in that race. Getting more comfortable on the national stage will only help Rebollo in the future.

Fiona Hawkins (Adams State): Hawkins ran very well in both the 1500 meters (4:24) and the 5k (16:07) this year and ultimately had to choose one race at the NCAA Championships which was the 5k. She didn’t race up to her potential (placing 19th), but this was a good learning moment for the Grizzlies' youngster. Another year in Alamosa will surely do a lot of good for Hawkins over the long-term.

Aria Hawkins (Lee (Tenn.)): The Flames frosh was your 800 meter champion at the Gulf South Conference Championships and had a close battle with teammate Celine Ritter to take runner-up in the 1500 meters at the same meet. Not to mention that she made the national meet in the 1500 meters. Hawkins will look to take over for Celine Ritter as the consistent top-tier name in the Lee (Tenn.) lineup.

*Evaluates nationally competitive distance talents who were not expected to make the leaps in fitness that they did this spring. Prior seasons are used as a very loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Does not include freshmen or athletes who were in their first season of NCAA competition.

Nominees: Conor Wells (Chico State), Keith Osowski (Black Hills State), Cole Nash (Alaska Anchorage), Robbie Schmidt (Fort Hays State), Reece Smith (Northwest Missouri)

Conor Wells (Chico State): Prior to this season, Wells had not run faster than 1:53 for 800 meters and he had not run faster than 3:55 for 1500 meters. Now, he has personal bests of 1:49.06 and 3:44.27 for those respective events. Sure, it’s been three years since Wells was on the track, but it doesn’t take away from his improvement. He won both of those events at the CCAA Championships in early May and he qualified for the NCAA Championships in both events as well. He opted for just the 1500 meters where he finished 15th, but it’s clear that Wells made the improvements necessary to be an elite D2 runner.

Keith Osowski (Black Hills State): Last year, Osowski ran 3:50 for 1500 meters (at altitude). This year, he ran 3:45 for 1500 meters (at sea level). Last year, Osowski ran 9:12 for the 3000 meter steeplechase (at altitude). This year, he ran 8:48 in the 3000 meter steeplechase (at sea level). And he won the RMAC steeple title...and he placed 4th in the steeplechase at the national meet. What more could you ask from someone who was an unexciting 8th place finisher in the mile at the RMAC Indoor Championships this past winter?

Cole Nash (Alaska Anchorage): Nash set personal bests five different times during the outdoor season. On the same weekend in early March, he ran 1:56 (800) and 3:48 (1500). He then ran 13:53 for 5000 meters the following weekend. Then he ran 29:24 for 10,000 meters before finally running 4:08 in a full mile on the track. Nash was good entering his first season at Alaska Anchorage, but he’s now part of that top-tier of long distance runners. He won the 5k/10k double at the GNAC Championships before contesting both at the NCAA Championships. He finished 13th in the 10k and came back to finish 8th in the 5k. If he made this big of a jump in just one year, it’ll be fun to watch Nash continue his career over the next few seasons and see how good he really becomes.

Robbie Schmidt (Fort Hays State): Schmidt qualified for his first national meet this past outdoor season and it was by virtue of some big improvements. He dropped 39-seconds off of his previous outdoor personal best (14:44) in the 5000 meters when he ran 14:05. He then dropped 1:24 off of his 10k best (30:46) after running 29:22. Those improvements allowed Schmidt to end his Fort Hays State career on a high note as he got to compete at the NCAA Championships for the first time as an individual where he finished 15th (5k) and 12th (10k).

Reece Smith (Northwest Missouri): Smith obviously has become a household name over the last couple of weeks, but he belongs in this category for good reason. He improved his steeple time from 8:48 to 8:33 (!) while winning his first NCAA title in the process. He also dropped his 5000 meter time from 14:14 down to 13:57 which was good enough for another national meet qualifier. He’s still got two seasons left as a Bearcat and with any additional improvement, we could be talking about an all-time athlete in Division Two.

*Evaluates nationally competitive distance talents who were not expected to make the leaps in fitness that they did this spring. Prior seasons are used as a very loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Does not include freshmen or athletes who were in their first season of NCAA competition.

Nominees: Megan Roxby (Simon Fraser), Jana Shawver (Central Missouri), Lainy Williams (Southwest Baptist), Briseida Garcia Meza (Azusa Pacific), Caroline Cunningham (Northwest Missouri)

Megan Roxby (Simon Fraser): Roxby had run no faster than 2:16 for 800 meters coming into this season, but she ended the spring with a 2:11 PR. Roxby had also run no faster than 4:36 for 1500 meters coming into this season (although she had run 4:57 in the mile), but she ended the spring with a 4:25 PR. Earning a spot to the national meet validated the impressive rise that we saw from this SFU standout this year.

Lainy Williams (Southwest Baptist): Quantitatively, Williams may have shown the most improvement of anyone in the upper-tier of D2 this year. Her fastest 800 meter PR coming into this spring season was 2:18. But then she ran 2:15. Then 2:13. Then 2:12. Then 2:11. And then...2:07??? The Southwest Baptist star didn't fare well on the national stage, but her progression was unbelievable.

Briseida Garcia Meza (Azusa Pacific): Unexciting indoor marks of 2:16 (800) and 5:07 (mile) didn't really move the needle for us at The Stride Report. However, numerous 2:10 marks this spring (as well as a 2:09 PR), alongside a new 1500 meter PR of 4:27, was validation of Garcia Meza's overall jump up in fitness.

Jana Shawver (Central Missouri): Shawver really matured and got more comfortable when the seasons changed from winter to spring. She set new personal bests in the 400 meters, the 1500 meters and more importantly, the event that she focuses on the most, the 800 meters. Speaking of the 800 meters, she took home 8th place and her first All-American honor in the event. Central Missouri should be really loving the fact that she transferred in.

Caroline Cunningham (NW Missouri): Cunningham had a lot more time to accumulate fitness and practice her technique going over hurdles, so her times have reflected that work accordingly. She was faster across the board from the 800 meters on up while really making it count in the steeple as she was a national qualifier. The Bearcat ace performed well at high profile meets such as Bryan Clay and the Drake Relays, so the next step is for her to perform at her best at the national meet.

*Must have run attached. We are looking at singular races for this award. Two or three races over the span of one day or a weekend do not count as one singular performance. However, a singular performance within a double is context that we do take into consideration.

Nominees: Clement Duigou runs NCAA #2 (D2) all-time steeple mark of 8:29, Christian Noble runs D2 record of 3:36 in the 1500 meters, Reece Sharman-Newell runs NCAA #2 (D2) all-time 800 meter mark of 1:45, Wes Ferguson wins NCAA 800 meter title in upset fashion, Reece Smith breaks NCAA meet record en route to steeplechase title, Callum Elson wins NCAA 1500 meter title in convincing fashion, Dillon Powell closes in 4:15 over last mile to win NCAA 10k title, Afewerki Zeru wins 5k title with 4:11 final mile split

Clement Duigou runs NCAA #2 (D2) all-time steeple mark of 8:29: Seemingly under the radar when it happened, Duigou added to the history of Adams State when he ran 8:29.05 at the Payton Jordan Invitational. En route to running the NCAA #2 steeple time ever in D2 history, Duigou also won his section by more than nine seconds! The only men to run faster than him during the regular season was TSR #6 runner Duncan Hamilton and TSR #2 runner Ahmed Jaziri (both of Division One), who ran 8:26 and 8:24, respectively, out of the fastest section at Payton Jordan. Duigou is in rare air and he’s worthy of winning our best performance award.

Christian Noble runs D2 record of 3:36 in the 1500 meters: This was not an "if" question, but more of a "when" scenario. After setting the indoor mile record, the Flame superstar took two cracks at setting the 1500 meter D2 record and came away with success on his second try. Noble ran 3:36.00 at the Oregon Relays while besting David Ribich’s record by more than a second. That was the second-fastest mark in the entire NCAA this season and it gave Noble his third D2 record of his career.

Reece Sharman-Newell runs NCAA #2 (D2) all-time 800 meter mark of 1:45: In a truly incredible run, Sharman-Newell ran 1:45.56 and turned the D2 running community on its head. This was on the heels of him running 1:47 at altitude and it really solidified how big of a talent Sharman-Newell actually is. We’ll stick with the theme and mention that Sharman-Newell’s time was also the second-fastest mark in all of the NCAA this season. Oh, and he’s only 19-years old. He might not be NCAA #2 on that all-time 800 meter list for very long if he continues to perform like this.

Wes Ferguson wins NCAA 800 title in upset fashion: Okay, so in hindsight, it might not be an upset, but the point still stands. Coming into the national meet, Ferguson was a full two seconds away from what Sharman-Newell had run this spring and despite winning the indoor national title, there was some wonder about a raw talent gap. However, after the performance that we saw from Ferguson on the outdoors oval, there is no question about where he belongs in this conversation anymore. His ability to tactically take over a race is second-to-none at this point in his career and he’s only going to get better. For now, everyone has to go through him for that 800 meter crown.

Reece Smith breaks NCAA meet record en route to steeplechase title: We talked about how fast Clement Duigou had run earlier, but the performance that might usurp the Adams State ace is the performance that we saw from Reece Smith at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The sophomore ran a brilliant race, tactically, and things fell his way in the greatest NCAA steeple race in D2 history. Smith ran 8:33.64 and broke Tabor Stevens’ meet record by more than a second and also took down the NCAA #2 all-time runner in D2 steeple history. If you ever need an example of a breakout year, go look at Smith’s 2022 season and you’ll be hard pressed to find one better.

Callum Elson wins NCAA 1500 meter title in convincing fashion: At no point in the 1500 meter finals of the NCAA Championships did we ever expect Elson to lose. And yes, even when Miguel Coca went around him with 200 meters to go. And yes, even going into the final 100 meters. Elson controlled this race from the gun and he never lost control. He kept his wits about him and even took a glance back to make sure Austin Miller didn’t have any room to pass him in the final 10 meters. For someone who just picked up competitive running, he seems to be have a real knack for rising to the occasion.

Dillon Powell closes in 4:15 to win NCAA 10k title: This is the exact kind of race that the field wanted and unfortunately for them, that meant that Powell was likely going to benefit the most. After it was honest for the first 8k, Powell asserted his dominance as he dropped a final mile split of 4:15 and gapped the field by 10 seconds in the process. Powell is the best 10k runner in the country and he proved that once again in Allendale.

Afewerki Zeru wins NCAA 5k title with 4:11 final mile: Zeru had increased his stock quite a bit going into the NCAA Championships, but no one was quite sure he’d be able to take home the national title. Well...no one except for him and his coach. Zeru bided his time, covered moves when necessary and found himself at the front with two laps to go. He went 63, 62, 63, and 63 to finish his final mile split in 4:11 as he celebrated across the line in deserving fashion.

*Must have run attached. We are looking at singular races for this award. Two or three races over the span of one day or a weekend do not count as one singular performance. However, a singular performance within a double is context that we do take into consideration.

Nominees: Yasmine Hernandez wins epic 1500 meter battle at NCAA Championships via 4:15 mark, Alison Andrews-Paul sets NCAA D2 record in 800 meters via 2:01 mark, Roisin Flanagan shatters D2 5k Record via 15:28 mark, Eleonora Curtabbi dominates NCAA D2 steeple field winning in 10:07, Kelly-Ann Beckford upsets Alison Andrews-Paul en route to the 800 meter national title, Jennifer Sandoval defeats Brianna Robles en route to 10k national title, Brianna Robles upsets teammate Roisin Flanagan en route to 5k victory

Yasmine Hernandez wins epic 1500 meter battle at NCAA Championships via 4:15 mark: Hernandez finally got her first (individual) national title, and she earned it in a rather exciting fashion. The Pueblo ace was a consistent All-American in the middle distance events for the majority of her college career and she anchored her team to gold in the DMR at the most recent NCAA Indoor Championships. She went into the outdoor season with incredible momentum and she ran PRs in the 800 meters and the 1500 meters week after week. Hernandez went into NCAA Outdoor Championships as the top seed and had already taken down her biggest competitor earlier in the season. This confidence and her pure talent led her to a national title...and a nomination for best performance of the year.

Alison Andrews-Paul sets NCAA D2 record in 800 meters via 2:01 mark: Andrews-Paul may have been out-kicked at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, but that doesn’t change the fact that she set the D2 record in the 800 meters earlier in the season. The Simon Fraser star ran an astonishing 2:01.43 mark at Bryan Clay to shock us with a new D2 800 meter record. While we were well aware of her talent, breaking the D2 record and running 2:01 seemed like a far reach considering her prior PR was 2:04. Somehow, she pulled it off, making her a nominee for the best performance of the year.

Roisin Flanagan shatters D2 5k Record via 15:28 mark: With a nomination for the best performance of the year, Flanagan’s 5k record had to have been the most shocking performance overall. This is partly because we, along with the majority of the D2 scene, thought Roisin had exhausted her eligibility and finished her NCAA career last spring. Then, in her first race of the season, she goes out and shatters the D2 record in the 5k with a time of 15:28 at the Mt. SAC Relays. You can imagine our surprise to see her racing in an Adams State uniform and also running a national record with an elite time. Flanagan broke the previous record by over five seconds and ran a 19-second PR, making her a strong nominee for best performance of the year.

Eleonora Curtabbi dominates NCAA D2 steeple field winning in 10:07: Curtabbi became a title contender in the steeplechase after running 10:16 in her season opener at the Texas Relays. She later strengthened her position and became the undeniable title favorite after running 10:09 at Bryan Clay. She stayed pretty quiet in the racing scene until the NCAA Championships where she breezed through the steeple prelims and ran a dominating final race to win her first national title with a time of 10:07. Curtabbi ran a smart race and looked incredibly strong while running one of the toughest track races, making her the perfect nominee for our best performance award.

Kelly-Ann Beckford upsets Alison Andrews-Paul en route to the 800 meter national title: Despite Andrews-Paul being the heavy favorite and the D2 record holder, not to mention having a PR that was three-seconds faster, Beckford managed to overtake her and run away with the NCAA title. Brilliant 800 meter tactics and fast turnover gave her the edge that she needed to win and it made for one of the most exciting races of the national meet.

Jennifer Sandoval defeats Brianna Robles en route to 10k national title: Nearly everyone thought that Robles was a safe win in the 10k at the NCAA Championships, but Sandoval proved everyone wrong. In a quick and tight race from the gun, Sandoval stayed patient and ran with the front pack. When Robles made her move, Sandoval went right with her. It came down to the last 400 meters in a yo-yo battle between the two. In the end, Sandoval emerged victorious in one of the best 10k finishes that we’ve ever seen. She showed pure strength and guts in the final lap, making her a great nominee for best performance of the year.

Brianna Robles upsets teammate Roisin Flanagan en route to 5k title victory: Flanagan broke the D2 5k record and had a PR nearly 35 seconds faster than the rest the field, but it was a different Grizzly who took home the 5k title. Robles had a disappointing finish in the 10k, coming in 2nd place after being the clear favorite all year long. However, Robles made sure her fate was different at the end of the 5k and she won the intense battle between her and Alanis to win the national title. The grit and mental strength that Robles showed to come back and win gold in her secondary event, and upset the D2 record holder, makes her a nominee for our best performance award.

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the season. Evaluates events 800 meters up to the 10,000 meters (which includes the steeplechase).

 Nominees: Chris Siemers (Colorado Mines), Jerry Baltes (Grand Valley State), Damon Martin (Adams State), Brit Townsend (Simon Fraser), Tracy Hellman (Augustana (SD)), Ben Barrows (Pittsburg State), Caleb Morgan (Lee (Tenn.)), Matt Morris (CSU-Pueblo), Nick Aguila (American International), Mark Misch (UC-Colorado Springs)

Chris Siemers (Colorado Mines): How does six All-Americans across the distance events and between five runners sound? Coach Siemers has put together some of the best distance athletes in the country and it was on full display this season. The Orediggers sent 10 athletes from the 1500 meters to the 10,000 meters to the NCAA Championships with 50% of them returning as All-Americans. It’s no surprise that the Orediggers continue to get an influx of top athletes each season given the results that they consistently turn out.

Jerry Baltes (Grand Valley State): Coach Baltes has been as consistent as anyone else in his profession over the last five years and his athletes continue to showcase that. Isaac Harding and Tanner Chada were both two-time All-Americans while Caleb Futter snagged another All-American honor as well. They had multiple athletes inside the top-35 on the D2 leaderboard and they had three GLIAC champions as well.

Brit Townsend (Simon Fraser): Townsend may have only sent two male athletes to the NCAA Championships, but what her athletes achieved prior to getting there was nothing short of phenomenal. Aaron Ahl ran 3:39 and 1:48 this spring while Charlie Dannatt ran 3:42 and 1:49 as well. Add in Paul Buckinhgam, who ran 1:50, and you’ve got three top-50 athletes in the 800 meters across D2. Yes, the NCAA Championships didn’t quite go as planned, but Dannatt secured his second All-American honor with his efforts in the 1500 meters. It’s clear that this Simon Fraser coach knows what she’s doing and that the program will continue to be a force in the coming years.

Tracy Hellman (Augustana (SD)): Hellman has quietly been putting Augustana in position to succeed over the long term. We’ve seen what has happened on the women’s side, but it appears that things are working well on the men’s side, too. Austin Miller just capped off another 2nd place finish in the 1500 meters at the national meet while Ryan Hartman made incredible leaps this season. Evan Johnson and Henry Klitzke also jumped up a tier and despite not being national-caliber runners yet, their success will drive more interest for incoming athletes. There is always a Viking present at the national meet and the continued success of all of Hellman’s athletes this spring will keep Augustana near the top for years to come.

Ben Barrows (Pittsburg State)*: While only three Pittsburg State athletes qualified across the distance events, it would be hard to leave Coach Barrows out of this conversation. The reason being is that Mason Strader, Bryce Grahn and Connar Southard all walked away with All-American honors. In fact, their collective efforts totaled 11 points and that was enough to push Pittsburg State over the edge to win the team title. Barrow’s athletes always seem to show up on the big stage and that’s been evidenced over the course of these past two years. And they’re likely only going to get better...

*TSR did not originally nor accurately attribute the distance success of Pittsburg State to coach Ben Barrows. We have since adjusted the language and apologize for the error.

Caleb Morgan (Lee (Tenn.)): When someone coaches an athlete to a collegiate record, they should likely be brought up in this conversation and that’s exactly the case for Morgan here. He helped Noble run 1:49, 3:36 and 13:24 this season before going pro. Titus Lagat set a personal best, running under 1:49 in the 800 meters. He also helped the Flames men finish 2nd at the GSC Championships while he watched his team win four out of the five distance events. Morgan will continue to get an influx of talent and while that continues, their successful ways will also continue.

Matt Morris (CSU-Pueblo): It is not often that you get every single athlete who qualifies for the NCAA Championships an All-American honor. And it becomes even more difficult when said athletes are all in the same event. That, however, is exactly what happened here as Coach Morris watched Nathan Hood, Reece Sharman-Newell and Kaleb Tipton all cross the line inside the top-eight of the men's 800 meters. That’s incredible coaching and it reinforces the idea that CSU-Pueblo has become a middle distance haven. Expect more of this from the Thunderwolves in the future.

Nick Aguila (American International): There’s a lot of training plans that go into coaching, but one thing that is often overlooked is a coach’s ability to teach an athlete how to race. This is what Aguila seems to be best at. What Aguila has done with Callum Elson and Clement Paillon is very, very impressive. Elson controlled his 1500 meter final at the national meet like he was told what was going to happen from someone in the future. And if Paillon hadn’t gone down with 300 meters to go, we could have been looking at another top-three finish for him with his proven race tactics. When you combine Aguila’s strengths, you get athletes that look like those men at the NCAA meet and it won’t be much of a surprise when another star athlete steps up to the big stage.

Mark Misch (UC-Colorado Springs): If you haven’t gotten on the UC-Colorado Springs train yet, it might be the time to do so. Coach Misch has continually improved his athletes and the cherry on top this season was Afewerki Zeru taking home his first NCAA title. Headlined by Zeru and Evan Graff, the two Mountain Lions had success all year long. Zeru was an All-American (and 5k title winner) in the 5k/10k while Graff qualified for his second national meet.

Damon Martin (Adams State): The national meet may not have been the Grizzlies' best showing in terms of expectations, but the overall depth of this roster was overwhelmingly impressive. Cardenas ran 1:48 for 800 meters this season (NCAA #12). Coca, Dunne and Cardenas all sat in the top-12 of the men's 1500 meters on the D2 leaderboard with numerous others in the top-50. Beraki, Duigou, Dunne and Coca all sat in the top-20 of the men's 5k on the D2 leaderboard. Beraki and Duigou also had the fastest 10k and steeplechase times, respectively, in D2 this spring.

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the season. Evaluates events 800 meters up to the 10,000 meters (which includes the steeplechase).

Nominees: Caleb Morgan (Lee (Tenn.)), Damon Martin (Adams State), Jerry Baltes (Grand Valley State), Jake Krolick (Queens (NC)), Matt Morris (CSU-Pueblo), Victor Thomas (Lincoln (MO)), Corey Kubatzky (UC-Colorado Springs), Tracy Hellman (Augustana (SD)), Brit Townsend (Simon Fraser)

Caleb Morgan (Lee (Tenn.)): Caleb Morgan is known for coaching star athletes like Celine Ritter, Aria Hawkins and Toni Moore, but his ability to develop his athletes is his biggest attribute. Morgan has helped several athletes with dropping their PRs a significant amount and he has succeeded in getting them to the national stage and winning conference titles. Morgan has made Lee a recognizable distance program on the oval.

Damon Martin (Adams State): Probably the most obvious nomination for this award is Damon Martin of Adams State. Martin is an experienced coach who built the Adams State distance dynasty and this year was no exception to the excellence of his program. Martin led Roisin Flanagan to a D2 record in the 5k, Brianna Robles earned gold and silver medals in the longer distance events and several other Grizzlies secured All-American honors. Need we say more?

Jerry Baltes (Grand Valley State): Baltes is also a veteran coach of a historic program, but his legacy this year shows more quantity than quality. There were only a few standout performances by the Laker women, but the number of national qualifiers he had in the distance events was very impressive. Grand Valley State’s team consisted of young talent and experienced veterans, a hard mix to coach, but Baltes managed to lead veterans like Allie Ludge and Jessica Gockley to PRs and younger talents like Kayce Rypma and Taryn Chapko to All-American performances.

Jake Krolick (Queens (NC)): Queens has steadily improved to become a recognizable distance program and several star runners have put the spotlight on the Royals at the NCAA Championships. Krolick led Fatima Alanis to a silver medal in the 5k and a bronze medal in the 10k while Stevie Lawerence landed a bronze medal in the steeplechase. The only other program to have several athletes in the top-three at the national meet was D2 powerhouse Adams State. Queens really made a statement with their last year in Division Two and Krolick deserves the recognition of extending the promising success that we've seen Queens from over the last few years.

Matt Morris (CSU-Pueblo): Morris made CSU-Pueblo a middle distance powerhouse and led Yasmine Hernandez to a national title in the 1500 meters, Hailey Streff to an All-American performance in the same event and saw Helen Braybrook become the first athlete out of finals in the 800 meters. These three athletes had incredible seasons under Coach Morris and he led several other Thunderwolves to massive PRs throughout the season.

Victor Thomas (Lincoln (MO)): While Lincoln has historically been known for its sprints program, Thomas has put Lincoln on the map as a fantastic middle distance team. Lincoln made a huge leap this season, highlighted by a national champion and 4th place finish in the 800 meters meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. While not a distance event, it is important to note that Chrissana May and Kelly Ann-Beckford were also part of Lincoln’s silver medalist 4x400 meter relay team.

Corey Kubatzky (UC-Colorado Springs): UC-Colorado Springs made us swallow our words after having three finals qualifiers in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The program continued its momentum into the outdoor season. Riley McGrath, Layla Almasri and Kate Hedlund became recognizable competitors in the 1500 meters and showed up big time at championship races. This trio of women shows us that Kubatzky is clearly doing something right when it comes to coaching middle distance athletes.

Tracy Hellman (Augustana (SD)): Augustana is a well-known Division Two program, but they seemingly to flew under the radar this season despite having several successful athletes, which is probably due to the huge increase in talent throughout the NCAA which makes it easy to overlook smaller programs like Augustana. Coach Hellman helped PJ English, Cami Streff, Nicolette Schmidt, Rebekah Riordan and Megan Means get to the national meet and they led English to an All-American performance in the 1500 meters. To have five women qualify for the national meet is impressive, especially when Augustana was represented in every distance event. Grand Valley State was the only other school to accomplish that.

Brit Townsend (Simon Fraser): Under Townsend, Simon Fraser continued its strong legacy in the 800 meters with Alison Andrews-Paul setting a new D2 record and finishing 2nd at the NCAA Championships. Megan Roxby qualified for the national meet in the 1500 meters along with Olivia Willett in the steeplechase, but both women failed to make it to the finals in their respective events. Townsend proved her ability to develop national-caliber athletes in events outside of the 800 meters while continuing to show her prowess in creating 800 meter stars.

*Must have run attached this season. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner this season or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Nominees: Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.)), Reece Sharman-Newell (CSU-Pueblo), Wes Ferguson (Nebraska-Kearney), Callum Elson (American International), Reece Smith (NW Missouri), Awet Beraki (Adams State), Afewerki Zeru (UC-Colorado Springs), Austin Miller (Augustana (SD)), Dillon Powell (Colorado Mines)

Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.)): Yes, he went pro early and didn't race at the NCAA Championships, but Noble's marks this season were still run in a Lee singlet and for that reason, he is still eligible for this award. Marks of 3:36 in the 1500 meters (NCAA record) and 13:24 in the 5000 meters (NCAA #2 D2 all-time), along with a 1:49 PR for 800 meters, make it incredibly difficult not to consider Noble as the winner of this award.

Reece Sharman-Newell (CSU-Pueblo): One of the most explosive and most talented athletes in Division Two this year, Sharman-Newell went from running 1:47 at altitude (converted to 1:46) to running 1:45 at Bryan Clay and emerging as the top collegiate in that field. Two additional 1:48 marks and a couple of 3:48 results in the 1500 meters also boosted Sharman-Newell's resume quite a bit. Sure, he didn't have a great national meet, but if placing 5th on the national stage is considered an "off" day, then Sharman-Newell had a pretty darn good season.

Wes Ferguson (Nebraska-Kearney): Potentially the most disrespected runner in Division Two by The Stride Report, Ferguson was largely ignored as the primary national title favorite in the 800 meters. However, with a massive 1:47 mark during the regular season and a display of elite tactics at the national meet, Ferguson won the 800 meter national title and showed everyone in the NCAA that he is debatably the most complete half-miler in D2.

Callum Elson (American International): One of the greatest tacticians of this era, Elson earned six wins this season in a variety of events. He flexed elite-level range with marks of 1:50 (800), 3:41 (1500) and 13:52 (5k). The American International star won the NCAA title in a masterful final kick and simply looked like one of the most challenging names to defeat all season long.

Reece Smith (Northwest Missouri): Seeing Reece Smith win a national title in the steeplechase, taking down Clement Duigou in the process with a time of 8:33, was wildly impressive. However, it was his versatility and firepower in the 5k, running a time of 13:57, that beautifully complemented his resume.

Awet Beraki (Adams State): Sure, he didn't win a national title, but Beraki scored just as many team points as Powell and Zeru did at the outdoor national meet in the same events (5k and 10k). We also have to recognize that Beraki was the NCAA leader in the 10k with a 28:12 mark and the NCAA #4 runner in D2 for the 5k with a 13:38 mark. When it comes to the conversation of the best distance runners in D2, Beraki needs to be in it.

Afewerki Zeru (UC-Colorado Springs): One could argue that no men's distance runner in Division Two had a better national meet showing than Zeru (with the possible exception of Powell). The UC-Colorado Springs ace not only earned bronze in the 10,000 meters, but he also bounced back to win the national title in the 5000 meters. Zeru seemed like an All-American lock in both events this spring, but to see him finish that high and earn NCAA gold was shockingly impressive.

Austin Miller (Augustana (SD)): Debatably the most accomplished 800/1500 dual threat talent in Division Two this year, Miller posted huge times of 1:48 and 3:40 this season. He was the runner-up to Elson in the 1500 meters at the national meet, and had the race been 100 meters longer, then we might be talking about this Viking veteran as a national title winner.

Dillon Powell (Colorado Mines): Sooner or later, Powell was going to be a national title winner. It was just a matter of when. Luckily for Powell, that "when" moment came at the most recent outdoor national meet. In the 10,000 meters, he took home gold before moving to the 5000 meters and earning bronze, the inverse of what Zeru accomplished. Oh, and a 28:22 (10k) mark wasn't half-bad, either.

Clement Duigou (Adams State): Sure, Duigou didn't win the national title, but he did run the NCAA #2 D2 all-time mark of 8:29 in the steeplechase. And with an outstanding 5k mark of 13:53, this Adams State ace has gone from being a sleeper pick to a firmly established D2 superstar.

*Must have run attached this season. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner this season or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Nominees: Eleonora Curtabbi (West Texas A&M), Yasmine Hernandez (CSU-Pueblo), Roisin Flanagan (Adams State), Brianna Robles (Adams State), Fatima Alanis (Queens (NC)), Jennifer Sandoval (Azusa Pacific), Kelly-Ann Beckford (Lincoln (Mo.)), Celine Ritter (Lee (Tenn.))

Elenora Curtabbi (West Texas A&M): The steeplechase star won her first national title with a time of 10:07. She showed solid progression throughout the season with times of 10:16 and 10:09, proving her consistency and ability to peak at the championships. Not only did Curtabbi display her talent in the steeplechase, but she also ran impressive times of 2:08 in the 800 meters and 4:24 in the 1500 meters. Curtabbi is a dynamic runner with loads of talent, making her a nominee for the most valuable runner.

Yasmine Hernandez (CSU-Pueblo): Through her years in the NCAA, Hernandez perfected the delicate balance of speed and endurance, and it paid off big-time with a national title and elite times in the middle distance events. Leading up to the NCAA Championships the Pueblo ace set a new PR of 2:03 in the 800 meters at Bryan Clay and ran 4:21 at the CSU-Pueblo Last Chance meet to take down Roisin Flanagan. Then, and I know we can’t seem to stop talking about it, she pulled off another upset against Flanagan and won the NCAA title in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:15. This competitive prowess, consistency and firepower make Hernandez a strong candidate for our most valuable runner award.

Roisin Flanagan (Adams State): Flanagan is an experienced veteran with pure talent and aerobic strength. She shocked the running world with her 15:28 D2 5k record and then ran 15:38 at the Sound Running Track Meet a few weeks later. She ended her season with silver (1500) and bronze (5k) medals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships which, on paper, was disappointing considering her talent level displayed earlier in the season. Even so, those were still impressive performances considering how tough the 1500/5k double is. Flanagan’s record-breaking 5k race and runner-up performance in a quick 1500 meter final at the NCAA Championships earns her a nomination for our most valuable runner.

Brianna Robles (Adams State): Similar to her teammate Flanagan, Robles is a talented runner with amazing aerobic strength. She had incredible momentum coming off her indoor 5k title and she won her section of the 5k at the Payton Jordan Invitational with a time of 16:04. Then, she was the runner-up 10k finisher at the Mt. SAC Relays with her 32:50 PR. While Robles is certainly a talented runner, what separates her from others is her grit and closing speed. Robles was shockingly out-kicked in the 10k at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, but she made up for it with her gutsy 5k performance which won her the national title. This firepower and national title win makes her a nominee for our most valuable runner.

Fatima Alanis (Queens (NC)): Alanis is a fearless front-runner with impressive endurance. She placed 2nd (5k) and 5th (3k) at NCAA Indoor Championships and she continued that momentum during the outdoor season. Despite her relative youth in eligibility, she managed to improve upon her indoor performances and she won silver (5k) and bronze (10k) medals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She fought extremely hard to win the 5k title and showed some serious speed in an attempt to take down Robles in the last 400 meters.

Jennifer Sandoval (Azusa Pacific): Sandoval established herself as the queen of the 10k with her national title in the event. We should have expected this more after taking down an elite field at Bryan Clay earlier in the season. While her aerobic strength is almost unmatched, she also has an insane ability to sprint after six miles. Not only did she win the 10k at the NCAA Championships in a somewhat shocking fashion, she also placed 6th in the 5k. Sandoval also boasts a 4:22 PR for 1500 meters, showing her versatility of speed and endurance and giving her even more of a reason to win our most valuable runner award.

Kelly-Ann Beckford (Lincoln (MO)): Beckford had a near perfect progression throughout the spring season and she chipped away at her times in the 800 meters. Her tactics and quick turnover ended up winning her the NCAA 800 meter title, an upset that very few saw coming. She was also part of the runner-up 4x400 meter relay and had season bests of 55.91 (400), 2:05 (800) and 4:28 (1500), showing off her talent across a variety of events.

Celine Ritter (Lee (Tenn.)): Ritter is one of the most, if not the most, versatile and consistent runners in Division Two. She ran times of 2:08 (800), 4:18 (1500), 16:13 (5k) and 33:42 (10k) this season, a range very few athletes can accomplish. She placed 3rd (1500) and 5th (5k) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, adding to her already extensive resume of accomplishments. Ritter’s versatility and range of talent earns her a nomination for our most valuable runner award.

Alison Andrews-Paul (Simon Fraser): When you break a D2 record, you have to be considered amongst the most valuable runners in the country. Andrews-Paul ran a shocking 2:01 mark secure the D2 record in the 800 meters. She also ran a very quick mark of 4:21 for 1500 meters. Sure, she didn't win the national title, but a silver medal and a collegiate record is still an outstanding outdoor track season.

Men

Garrett: Reece Sharman-Newell (CSU-Pueblo)

John: Reece Sharman-Newell (CSU-Pueblo)

Grace: Reece Sharman-Newell (CSU-Pueblo)

Eric: Reece Sharman-Newell (CSU-Pueblo)

Women

Garrett: Ava O’Connor (Adams State)

John: Gemma Rebollo (Wingate)

Grace: Gemma Rebollo (Wingate)

Eric: Ava O’Connor (Adams State)

*Tie-breaker decided by TSR contributor Maura Beattie

Men

Garrett: Conor Wells (Chico State)

John: Reece Smith (Northwest Missouri)

Grace: Reece Smith (Northwest Missouri)

Eric: Keith Osowski (Black Hills State)

Women

Garrett: Lainy Williams (Southwest Baptist)

John: Megan Roxby (Simon Fraser)

Grace: Caroline Cunningham (Northwest Missouri)

Eric: Lainy Williams (Southwest Baptist)

Men

Garrett: Christian Noble runs NCAA D2 Record of 3:36 in the 1500 meters

John: Christian Noble runs NCAA D2 Record of 3:36 in the 1500 meters

Grace: Christian Noble runs NCAA D2 Record of 3:36 in the 1500 meters

Eric: Christian Noble runs NCAA D2 Record of 3:36 in the 1500 meters

Women

Garrett: Roisin Flanagan shatters D2 5k record via 15:28 mark

John: Yasmine Hernandez wins epic NCAA 1500 meter battle via 4:15 mark

Grace: Jennifer Sandoval defeats Brianna Robles en route to 10k national title

Eric: Yasmine Hernandez wins epic NCAA 1500 meter battle via 4:15 mark

Men

Garrett: Damon Martin (Adams State)

John: Chris Siemers (Colorado Mines)

Grace: Chris Siemers (Colorado Mines)

Eric: Chris Siemers (Colorado Mines)

Women

Garrett: Damon Martin (Adams State)

John: Damon Martin (Adams State)

Grace: Damon Martin (Adams State)

Eric: Damon Martin (Adams State)

Men

Garrett: Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.))

John: Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.))

Grace: Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.))

Eric: Christian Noble (Lee (Tenn.))

Women

Garrett: Yasmine Hernandez (CSU-Pueblo)

John: Yasmine Hernandez (CSU-Pueblo)

Grace: Brianna Robles (Adams State)

Eric: Brianna Robles (Adams State)

*Tie-breaker decided by TSR contributor Maura Beattie