2024 D2 Outdoor Track End of Season Awards

Written by Ian Dickenson, Marissa Kuik & Gavin Struve, votes via TSR D2 staff

Additional edits & commentary by Gavin Struve & Garrett Zatlin

Welcome back to a trimestrial classic, our End of Season Awards!

Below, we listed our five seasonal awards for the men and five seasonal awards for the women, all for the Division Two level. These awards are a way to highlight the accomplishments of certain individuals from the entirety of the outdoor track season. You'll also find our criteria for each of these awards as we list our nominees.

In the second half of this article, you'll find the votes from our TSR contributors (click that link if you want to skip all of the summary parts).

Let's begin...

NOTE: Max total of nine nominees per award

Best Freshman Award (Men)

*Athletes who hold freshman status stemming from any type of eligibility extension (not including missions) are not considered for this award. International freshmen are included amongst these nominees unless we have reason to believe that they do not meet our criteria. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Nik Shilling (Davenport)

Nik Shilling is the fastest among a freshman 800-meter class that has proven to be exceptionally talented this year. With a substantial step up from an already impressive indoor track season, he ran a mark that firmly slotted him into the outdoor national meet, clocking a 1:48.89 (800) PR at the Lee University Last Chance meet. While he’s put down some formidable times already, it’s likely that the best is yet to come for this Davenport youngster. 

Samuel Idiens (Charleston (WV))

Another young star in the half-mile, Samuel Idiens showed huge maturity and skill to grab himself a bronze medal at the outdoor national meet. When you realize that finish came behind only Division Two legend Wes Ferguson and sophomore ace Harry Ross-Hughes, the accomplishment becomes even greater. Having not just shown huge promise, but already delivering on it, it's clear that Idiens has some of the best sharpness and tactical ability of any freshman around. 

Isaiah Rodriguez (Western Oregon)

As is the case with a lot of talented freshmen, it took some time for Isaiah Rodriguez to shine. But once he burst onto the scene with a sub-1:50 performance over 800 meters, we knew to look out for him. Rodriguez was a frequent competitor throughout the indoor and outdoor track seasons and we love that kind of commitment to racing. He was rewarded with an NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance in his inaugural academic year.

Josphat Meli (Harding)

Younger runners are capable of putting down excellent times, but their ability to compete in postseason settings is often a different story. Josphat Meli, however, paid no heed to that precedent when he came through for a national runner-up result over 10,000 meters. He followed that national meet silver medal with a 6th place finish in the 5k. Meli has shown a level of ability and adaptability that is exceedingly rare for freshmen and it was not only a single bright flash that he provided, but a consistent display of quality all season long.

Lukas Ehrle (Wingate)

Embedded in one of the best distance programs in Division Two, Lukas Ehrle is in good company during his nascent NCAA career. That much was clear when he led four other Wingate men in the 10k at the national meet by placing 7th overall. We saw little of Ehrle up until April when he blossomed and showed the talent that he used to peak wonderfully toward the end of the season. Considering that Wingate won last year’s cross country national title, it’s scary imagining their team with Ehrle in the mix. 

Kaleb Hollins (Flagler)

It was a quietly great year for this Flagler rookie who posted some underrated times. Hollins ended his spring campaign with marks of 1:50 (800) and 3:45 (1500), putting him among the top-32 men (in D2) in both events this spring. Better yet, both of those marks came in the postseason and he won two Peach Belt Conference titles this season.

Damian Garcia (Chico State)

Few men in Division Two, regardless of age or eligibility, were better at being able to consistently double in the middle distance events than Damian Garcia was. The freshman from Chico State doubled up between the 800 meters and the 1500 meters for six-straight meets. Not only did he produce a pair of personal bests (1:51 and 3:47, respectively) at the same meet, but he also ended his season with a 4:03 mile PR.

Best Freshman Award (Women)

*Athletes who hold freshman status stemming from any type of eligibility extension (not including missions) are not considered for this award. International freshmen are included amongst these nominees unless we have reason to believe that they do not meet our criteria. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Sarah Koomson (West Texas A&M)

With two "Best Freshman" awards already under her belt after immediately showing out in cross country and continuing to do so throughout the indoor track season, Sarah Koomson is one of the few freshmen to achieve such a feat. While she faltered at the outdoor national meet, that doesn’t take away from the strong season she had leading up to it in qualifying for the postseason in two different and diverse events (the 1500 and the 5k). She was arguably the freshman with the highest peak this year and the only one of these four nominees to make it to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Hannah Gibson (Pittsburg State)

As the fastest true freshman in the 10k this season (and NCAA #33 (D2), nationally), Hannah Gibson has real promise. She also nearly cracked the top-50 times over 5000 meters this season. Many of the women toward the top of the distance ranks have had multiple seasons to develop their strength, so Gibson has established herself fantastically to grow over the next few years. She’s a runner who we expect will be strong on the grass as well, so look out for her during the upcoming cross country season.

Lesli Salas (Dallas Baptist)

Lesli Salas accompanies Sarah Koomson as a runner who has been nominated for this award after each season this year -- and she more than deserves it. With a huge time of 16:34 over 5000 meters at the Bryan Clay Invite early in the season and then a solid performance to close it out with a competitive 1500/5k double at her conference meet, what Salas showed maybe more than anything was range.

Linda Weigang (Fort Lewis)

A burgeoning steeplechase star, Linda Weigang just barely missed out on the outdoor national meet when she took the win at the CSU-Pueblo Last Chance meet. With a proven ability on the grass and other events on the track, this isn’t all that surprising, but to be running a converted 10:35 mark in only her fourth collegiate steeplechase effort is quite impressive. It hardly took any time for this young gun to get things going this season.

Annie Wild (Stanislaus State)

It was yet another solid season for Annie Wild who put together some strong value in the middle distance events. Times of 2:10.99 (800) and 4:27 (1500) as well as a pair of CCAA titles gives this Stanislaus State talent a solid resume that is among the better distance running rookies in Division Two.

Most Improved Award (Men)

*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 loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Nominees for this award do not include true freshmen or athletes who were in their first season (not necessarily of indoor track) of collegiate competition. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Sam Wilhelm (Alabama-Huntsville)

Sam Wilhelm’s presence as a nominee for this award speaks volumes about his continued ascendance. He was a major threat throughout the fall months before almost slipping out of the All-American spots entirely (finishing 40th) at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships. He then placed 10th over 5000 meters at the indoor national meet. And despite questions about his foot-speed measuring up to his competitors, he finished his outdoor track season with top-half All-American results in both the 5k and the 10k. Strong PRs in both events earlier this spring perhaps should have tipped us off that Wilhelm was becoming an evolved version of himself. 

Roberto Fajardo (Lee (Tenn.))

At his first NCAA Championship appearance (the 2023 cross country national meet), Roberto Fajardo finished just outside of the top-200 spots. At his second postseason showing, Fajardo finished as the national runner-up over 1500 meters. What makes him an even stronger candidate here is how quick and consistent he was throughout this season as he ran PRs of 1:49 (800) and 3:40 (1500). 

Felix Perrier (Azusa Pacific)

Felix Perrier finished one spot outside of All-American honors over the barriers and water pits in 2023 and was a key scorer for Azusa Pacific’s cross country team this fall. But what he saw from him over the past few months — an 8:41 steeplechase mark, three other PRs and top-five national meet performances in both the steeplechase and the 5k — suggests that Perrier developed an entirely new level of fitness and control over it this season. 

Grant Bradley (Fort Hays State)

It took until his fourth year, but Grant Bradley really announced himself as a star-level talent in 2024. He gained his first national meet experience this winter, helping his DMR team finish 6th overall, and carried over that momentum into the spring months with head-turning PRs of 3:47 (1500) and 8:51 (steeple), the latter of which earned him an All-American accolade.

Aziz Mohamed (West Texas A&M)

Don’t get us wrong, Aziz Mohamed was very much on our national radar a few months ago. He was a cross country All-American for a podium squad, contributed to the indoor national meet runner-up DMR team and contested the half-mile at the 2024 indoor national meet. However, none of that could have prepared us to see him win gold over 1500 meters in late May. Clearly, Mohamed and his coaches knew something most didn’t: that his raw speed, further developed now than ever before, would give him the edge in a tactical metric mile race that was ripe for the taking. 

Antonio Blair (Angelo State)

Running 1:48-high for 800 meters to place runner-up at the Lone Star Conference Championships was a massive performance for Antonio Blair. The former JUCO talent had not run faster than 1:52 (800) all season long (or even in his career). That performance gave him a spot to the outdoor national meet where he ended his season in the prelims.

Ero Doce (Stanislaus State)

We'll admit, Ero Doce is one of the more interesting men among these nominees. The current Stanislaus State talent previously ran for Lindenwood back in 2019. However, he seemingly took time off from racing before coming back and competing for the Warriors on the west coast. Even so, the overall progression that Doce has made is impressive. Times of 3:43 (1500) and 14:07 (5k) are legitimate national-caliber marks in Division Two and they show great improvement for someone who was previously a non-factor on the grass years ago.

Kaleb Beloy (CSU-Pueblo)

Kaleb Beloy was a decent distance runner for CSU-Pueblo last year, although his steeplechase PR settled at "only" 9:14. Thankfully, this past spring, we saw Beloy run times of 8:59 and later 8:51. That latter mark allowed him to advance to the outdoor national meet for the first time in his career.

Most Improved Award (Women)

*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 loose comparison tool when attempting to list nominees. Nominees for this award do not include true freshmen or athletes who were in their first season (not necessarily of indoor track) of collegiate competition. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Ines Macadam (Tiffin)

Let’s be clear: It’s difficult to be nominated for our “Most Improved” award when you entered the past season as a multi-time national qualifier and an All-American. And yet, Ines Macadam still cleared that difficult proverbial barrier when she nabbed a surprise 800-meter national title and effectively put herself in contention for other awards. One could argue that the All-American-to-national champion leap is the hardest leap to make, especially for someone who had been a reliably “good, but not great” half-miler for several seasons. 

Jessica Simon (Adams State)

One could argue that the woman who Macadam defeated for NCAA gold by less than a tenth of a second, Jessica Simon, improved herself even more than her competitor this season given that she just earned a silver medal in her first-ever All-American finish. We’ve long known the talent was there for Simon seeing as she ran 2:08 (800) last year and raced the half-mile at four national meets before this spring. The difference now, however, is that Simon took that potential and solidified it into something tangible in a major way. 

Katharina Goetschl (Academy of Art)

You’d be forgiven for being surprised upon seeing Katharina Goetschl’s name among the top-half All-Americans in the steeplechase this spring. Nonetheless, there was Goetschl, producing a strong 10:13 PR and a 4th-place finish in her first NCAA Championship appearance. Not only that, but she nearly finished in the top-half of the 5k final on the same day. A full year of competition with her new program, after transferring from Washburn, seemed to pay dividends in 2023-24.

Anna Igims (Slippery Rock)

Slightly further back in the steeplechase field than Goetschl was Anna Igims. The Slippery Rock senior got a taste of postseason competition when she competed in the steeplechase at the 2023 outdoor national meet and when she narrowly cracked the top-100 at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships. Armed with the kind of confidence that can only be gained from experience, Igims produced a 15-second PR over the barriers and water pits this spring and snagged a back-half All-American result two weeks later. 

Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific)

Some may be surprised to see Annika Esvelt listed as a nominee here given that she entered this spring having been a top-half All-American over 10,000 meters in 2022. However, Esvelt reached another level in terms of high-end reliability this season, finishing as the 10k national meet runner-up over better-known peers and snagging her first 5k All-American honor as well. A 10k PR and her first outdoor GNAC 5k title only add to her case.

Megan Roxby (Simon Fraser)

Like a few other nominees in this category, Megan Roxby was an established talent entering the 2024 outdoor track season, but many may have pegged her as a finished product. After all, she had contested five individual races on the national stage through nearly five years without any All-American finishes to show for it. Nonetheless, Roxby flashed laudable late-career evolution, contesting one of the harder doubles at the national meet and earning top-eight finishes between both the 1500 meters and the half-mile.  

Sofia Camacho (Azusa Pacific)

Make no mistake, Sofia Camacho was already a fairly solid talent prior to this past spring. She had, after all, placed 16th at the West Regional XC Championships during the fall. However, her last year at Hartnell College was hardly exciting. That, of course, has since changed after Camacha ran times of 2:07 (800), 4:26 (1500) and 17:00 (5k) this spring. Those are massive improvements and, quantitatively, maybe the biggest jump of any woman in this section time-wise this spring.

Betty Bajika (West Texas A&M)

A 16:47 (5k) mark from last spring was solid, but improving that time to 16:23 (5k) and ALSO running a big 1500-meter personal best of 4:28 makes Betty Bajika more than qualified enough to be nominated for this award. She was fairly consistent, had good range, qualified for the national meet and was flat-out better than she ever has been by a good margin.

Best Performance Award (Men)

*Must have run attached at least once this spring and must have been attached during the race in question. Multiple races over the span of a certain timeframe do not count as a lone "performance". However, performances that are amplified by the results of other meets/individuals with appropriate context are included. TSR writers can vote for the performance that they believe is either the most impressive, the most impactful, the most entertaining or the most surprising. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Wes Ferguson Tops All Other Collegians via 1:45 (800) Mark at Bryan Clay Invite

Picking one of Wes Ferguson’s performances over 800 meters was difficult because of how flawless his season was. But his runner-up finish at the Bryan Clay Invite was easily his most impressive outing in our eyes as he took down professionals and several top Division One athletes upon crossing the line in a time of 1:45. Even though it wasn't a PR, that kind of time is mostly unheard of at the Division Two level. Ferguson definitely had a lock on the D2 800-meter scene and he shined the most with this performance. 

Aziz Mohamed Upsets Field for NCAA D2 Gold in Tactical 1500-Meter Final

In some ways, Aziz Mohamed finishing 1st in a tactical 1500-meter national final is not surprising considering that he did have the third-fastest 800-meter time in Division Two. What makes this win so impressive is that he had no experience racing the metric mile or the mile in an NCAA Championship setting. Plus, he had to take down some big names who had the metric mile experience that he lacked. However, the race definitely played to Mohamed's strengths and he was able to take home the individual title with a faster kick than the rest of the field. 

Romain Legendre Runs D2 5k Record of 13:16 at Bryan Clay Invite

After breaking the Division Two indoor 5k record with a 13:24 clocking, it really was not a surprise when Romain Legendre broke the outdoor 5k record as well. Nonetheless, that doesn't make his performance any less impressive. Legendre didn't simply finish in the middle of a loaded field during his record-setting run. Rather, he finished toward the front of one. The Frenchman lost only to two Division One runners during his 13:16 (5k) effort, meaning that he beat a handful of professional runners and other collegians alike.

William Amponsah Wins NCAA D2 10k Title

The first time we saw William Amponsah outrun the field for a 10k title was in the fall on the grass. That time, it was a surprise given it was Amponsah's first season in the NCAA, but this first title on the oval definitely did not come as a surprise for someone who held Division Two's fastest mark of the season (28:00) by nearly 30 seconds. Amponsah’s strength lies in the longer distances and he proved that once again by running away with the outdoor 10k national title by besting the runner-up by a whopping 24 seconds.

Titouan Le Grix Defeats Teammates & Runs a PR for 3k Steeplechase NCAA D2 Title 

It was clear entering the outdoor national meet that there was a very strong chance that a Wingate Bulldog was going to win the 3k steeplechase national title. However, we didn't know which one. Titouan Le Grix ended up pulling out the win over a pair of his teammates who finished 2nd and 3rd behind him. The group did a great job working together, alternating leading each lap, but what made Le Grix’s triumph so special was his ability to out-kick his teammates as he put his indoor mile All-American chops on full display. This was a race where any one of Wingate's stars could have won the title and Le Grix ended up prevailing in the end. 

William Amponsah Runs NCAA #2 (D2) All-Time 10k Mark of 28:00

In what may go down as the most underrated D2 performance of the season, William Amponsah's 28:00 (10k) PR from the Bryan Clay Invite deserves more respect. The only issue is that Romain Lengendre broke the NCAA D2 5k record at that same meet with a huge time of 13:16. Even so, that shouldn't take away from a race where Amponsah was a legitimate challenger to two D1 All-American 10k contenders throughout most of their battle.

Best Performance Award (Women)

*Must have run attached at least once this spring and must have been attached during the race in question. Multiple races over the span of a certain timeframe do not count as a lone "performance". However, performances that are amplified by the results of other meets/individuals with appropriate context are included. TSR writers can vote for the performance that they believe is either the most impressive, the most impactful, the most entertaining or the most surprising. Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Ines Macadam Narrowly Tops Wide-Open Half-Mile Field for NCAA Title

Although national title favorite Alaysia Brooks’ fall at the end of the 800-meter final was unfortunate, it does not take away from Ines Macadam’s fantastic performance. In order for her to win the half-mile national title, Macadam had to put herself in a strong position which is exactly what she did. While Brooks took off with a massive lead, Macadam focused on the rest of the field, placing herself where she needed to be to cross the finish line in the lead in a close battle for her first national title. 

Gracie Hyde Runs 1500-Meter D2 Record at Bryan Clay Invite

This women's 1500 meters at the Bryan Clay Invite was definitely a stacked affair with tons of professional runners toeing the line. That surely helped pull Gracie Hyde to a time of 4:08 (1500) and another D2 record. What makes this performance even more impressive is not the names she raced alongside and held her own against, but the fact that she ran to the D2 record in the steeplechase at the same meet the night before! Hyde showcased her elite speed and strength with this metric mile performance and it proved to be a precursor to her winning the national title in what some may consider her best distance.

Gracie Hyde Wins the Steeplechase NCAA Title by Over 30 Seconds

Picking just one of Gracie Hyde’s stellar performances at the outdoor national meet was a challenge, but her dominant win in the steeplechase takes the cake for us. She went into this race with a massive advantage in her personal best compared to the rest of the field and it definitely showed in the way she raced over the barriers and water pits in the final. Hyde came close to her PR en route to a margin of victory that surpassed half a minute. Once the gun went off, Hyde simply never looked back on her way to another national title. 

Florance Uwajeneza Earns Convincing Win Over NCAA Outdoor Championship 5k Field 

Winning the outdoor 5k title always comes down to strength considering it is the last distance event of the national meet and almost every runner in the field has already contested another event. To be able to prevail over everyone else in the field (strength-based runners like Brianna Robles and more speed-centric adversaries like Kaylee Beyer), after she won the 10k two days prior, showed the strength of Florance Uwajeneza. This performance also backed up Uwajeneza's indoor 5k national title and served as the cherry on top for her final year in Division Two, one that saw her come away with her first three individual national titles.

Gracie Hyde Sets NCAA D2 Steeplechase Record of 9:28 at Bryan Clay Invite

When Eilish Flanagan ran a jaw-dropping time of 9:34 in the women's steeplechase, giving her the all-time best D2 mark in that event (although not the record since it was out of season), it felt like no one would be touching that mark for quite some time. But along came Gracie Hyde who not only broke that D2 record, but ultimately smashed it with a huge 9:28 steeplechase mark at the Bryan Clay Invite. That effort also allowed her to finish as the top attached collegian in the field.

Best Distance Coach Award (Men's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the 2024 indoor track season. Success relative to seasonal expectations or success relative to historical accolades of the program are factored into account when listing nominees. Multiple coaches from the same team can be nominated together should they oversee & lead different areas of their distance roster (middle vs long). Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Nominees: Zach Daniel (West Texas A&M), Pol Domenech (Wingate), Sean Smith (Azusa Pacific), Chris Siemers (Colorado Mines), Kyle Rutledge (Pittsburg State)

Zach Daniel (West Texas A&M)

Even when one of their top stars (Prince Mcabelo) didn’t match replicate his top-half All-American scoring value that he displayed at the 2024 indoor national meet, West Texas A&M had a banner season in the events that we cover (800 meters and up). After all, they won two of the five distance events at the 2024 outdoor national meet with a combination of middle distance (1500-meter champion, Aziz Mohamed) and long distance (10k champion ,William Amponsah) prowess. Amponsah was also the outdoor national meet runner-up finisher over 5000 meters. A runner-up team finish (scoring over half their points in the distance events without even counting another top-10 finisher) continued West Texas A&M’s constancy atop the NCAA D2 distance scene under Coach Zach Daniel in recent years. 

Pol Domenech (Wingate)

This was the year of the steeplechase for Wingate as the Bulldogs went 1-2-3 in that event on the national stage with a triumvirate of marks that were 8:40 or faster. They also put five men in both the 5k and the 10k fields at the NCAA Championships with arguably their most focal star, Hamza Chahid, earning bronze in the former. What an encore it was for Coach Pol Domenech’s squad after a national team title at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships and an individual title for Chahid at the 2024 indoor national meet. 

Sean Smith (Azusa Pacific)

Coming into this season, Oklahoma State transfer Juan Diego Castro was widely expected to be Azusa Pacific’s focal star. And given that he didn’t entirely fill that role (finishing a still-solid 6th in the 1500-meter final), it’s impressive that the Cougars managed to tie Wingate for 6th place in the team standings at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Their distance conglomerate played no small part in that as Felix Perrier earned two top-five finishes while Nixon Korir and Benjamin Sumner joined Castro as 6th-place All-Americans. Credit to Coach Sean Smith and his group for their versatility and adaptability.

Chris Siemers (Colorado Mines)

This wasn’t necessarily the Orediggers’ best season (outside of Duncan Fuehne’s 4th-place 10k finish at the outdoor national meet), but their athletes still populated our rankings as well as our “Just Missed” and “Honorable Mentions” lists throughout the season.  That highlights the depth in Golden, Colorado and underscores the idea that there’s no such thing as a “down season” for Colorado Mines under Coach Chris Siemers. 

Kyle Rutledge (Pittsburg State)

Competing in their home state, the men of Pittsburg State won the 2024 outdoor track national team title. Their distance crew wasn’t the driving force in that achievement, but they still made a statement with Mason Strader and Dylan Sprecker finishing 4th and 5th, respectively, in the metric mile. That effort pushed them both into our final top-25 rankings and helped highlight Coach Kyle Rutledge’s program not only as national champions, but as one of the more underrated distance groups as well.

Best Distance Coach Award (Women's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the 2024 indoor track season. Success relative to seasonal expectations or success relative to historical accolades of the program are factored into account when listing nominees. Multiple coaches from the same team can be nominated together should they oversee & lead different areas of their distance roster (middle vs long). Performances past 5/25 are not considered.

Nominees: Damon Martin (Adams State), Zach Daniel (West Texas A&M), Chris Siemers (Colorado Mines), Gary Towne (Chico State), Jerry Baltes (Grand Valley State)

Damon Martin (Adams State)

With almost half of the women in the top-15 of our final individual rankings, Adams State hoarded firepower in 2024...again. Coach Damon Martin’s Grizzlies produced nine top-half All-American finishes in the distance events alone, headlined by Gracie Hyde, who finished this spring as the national champion and D2 record holder over both the 1500 meters and the 3000-meter steeplechase. Adams State finished as the national team runner-up almost entirely on the strength of their middle distance and distance runners. Need we say more? 

Zach Daniel (West Texas A&M)

West Texas A&M’s women produced as many national titles over the distance events (two) as the Buffalo men, all on the back of one focal superstar. After earning her first national title over 5000 meters at the 2024 indoor national meet, Florance Uwajeneza produced four-second margins of victory in both the 5k and the 10k at this outdoor national meet. Of course, names like Betty Bajika and Sarah Koomson also helped round out one of the nation’s deeper distance groups under Coach Zach Daniel.

Chris Siemers (Colorado Mines)

Heading into the outdoor national meet, Colorado Mines had two strong All-American favorites contenders: Zoe Baker (10k) and Aryelle Wright (800 meters). Neither came away with gold, but both women were top-half All-Americans and scored valuable points. Coach Chris Siemers also shepherded three other athletes into the 5k final who didn’t earn All-American honors and three others into the 10k. 

Gary Towne (Chico State) 

Relative to expectations, the women of Chico State produced one of the better outdoor track seasons for distance groups -- and they were pretty close to it being even more impressive. Marissa D’Atri scored all of the Wildcats’ points on the national stage with a bronze medal in the steeplechase and a 5th-place result over 5000 meters. Beyond her, the Molina twins, Della and Iresh, placed 11th (5k) and 12th (10k), respectively.

Jerry Baltes (Grand Valley State)

Sure, this wasn't Grand Valley State's best season by any means. However, this was still a program that sent seven different women to the national meet in the distance events. Plus, Klaudia O'Malley had one of her best-ever showings as an individual with a bronze medal effort in the 1500-meter finals.

Most Valuable Runner Award (Men)

*Must have run attached this season. Performances past 5/25 are not considered. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Nominees: Wes Ferguson (Nebraska-Kearney), Romain Legendre (Adams State), Titouan Le Grix (Wingate), William Amponsah (West Texas A&M), Aziz Mohamed (West Texas A&M)

Wes Ferguson (Nebraska-Kearney)

We’ve written and spoken about Wes Ferguson more times than we can count, but we never get tired of it. He capped off a collegiate career that was so strong you could almost call it boring when he went on to win his fifth national title over 800 meters. In 2024, this Loper continued to dominate the way we’ve come to expect him to. Rarely has there been a Division Two runner who we can count on scoring 10 points at a national meet as easily as we could count on Wes Ferguson.

Romain Legendre (Adams State)

From his instant success back in the winter when he came in and broke the D2 5k record during his first collegiate track race, to even further back in cross country, we knew Romain Legendre would be hard to beat. Possessing the nation's leading times between both the 1500 meters and the 5k, as well as the NCAA #2 mark in the 10k this season, he is simply the best long distance runner here and, frankly, it’s not very close. Shattering the 5k record durint the winter AND spring is one thing, but to win the national title in the same event in a heavily tactical affair against some great kickers shows that Legendre is not just a guy who can put down fast times in fast races -- he’s also a bonafide champion.

Titouan Le Grix (Wingate): With how many elite runners Wingate has, we knew we would see one of them nominated for our "Most Valuable Runner" award. But in all honesty, it wasn’t Titouan Le Grix who we most expected to be here as recently as last month. However, when he led two of his teammates to go 1-2-3 in a rapid steeplechase final at the national meet, it was clear that he had to be nominated. This was one of the most competitive D2 steeplechase fields we’ve ever seen and Le Grix bent it to his will as he ran a PR and nabbed gold. A 1500-meter conference title in a 3:47 PR and an 8:40-then PR for a steeplechase win over D1 foes perhaps should've tipped us off that he'd be the Bulldogs' best this spring.

William Amponsah (West Texas A&M): Putting up huge times and competing with the best across all three seasons, William Amponsah embodies the title “most valuable”, especially after grabbing gold and silver in the 10k and 5k, respectively, at the outdoor national meet. Knowing how good he was in cross country and seeing him run so much faster than anybody else in the 10k, there was little doubt that he would do what he did. In his first year at West Texas A&M and in the NCAA, Amponsah has been superb.

Aziz Mohamed (West Texas A&M): William Amponsah’s teammate, Aziz Mohamed, really burst onto the scene this season. With incredible chops in the 800 meters and one of the fastest marks in the 1500 meters as well, Mohamed is a dynamic ace in the middle distances. In something of a stunner at the national meet, he took the win over 1500 meters to give West Texas A&M an extra 10 points, outkicking proven stars like Simon Kelati, and it was an incredible sight. Perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised after the stunner at his conference meet, where he won the 800 meters in a time of 1:48.46 and then won the 1500 meters by over four seconds. 

Most Valuable Runner Award (Women)

*Must have run attached this season. Performances past 5/25 are not considered. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Nominees: Florance Uwajeneza (West Texas A&M), Brianna Robles (Adams State), Gracie Hyde (Adams State), Kaylee Beyer (Winona State)

Florance Uwajeneza (West Texas A&M)

If Florance Uwajeneza’s indoor national title in the 5k earlier this year seemed like an upset or a surprise, she dispelled that sentiment entirely with a pair of gold medals at the 2024 outdoor national meet. That effort was worth 20 points…how’s that for value? In any normal year not featuring Gracie Hyde, Florance Uwajeneza would have finished the season at TSR #1. Since we’re measuring value here and both women contested “only” two races on the national stage (each winning both), perhaps Uwajeneza has a case to win this award.

Brianna Robles (Adams State)

Just as she did at the 2024 indoor national meet, Brianna Robles left the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a silver medal in the 5k and a bronze medal in another distance event (this time the 10k). Robles may be a few years removed from her title-winning peak, but very few women provide the same level of high-level consistency each race, each meet and each season. 

Gracie Hyde (Adams State)

In the moment, it’s difficult to provide historical context to what Gracie Hyde has achieved in the span of just five months at Adams State. After winning two individual events at the indoor national meet, she did the same on the outdoor oval. Even more impressively, she did so in events in which she broke the NCAA record this spring (the 1500 meters and the 3000-meter steeplechase), both of which also have preliminary heats on the national stage. 

Kaylee Beyer (Winona State)

A pair of top-half All-American finishes between the 1500 meters and the 5k felt like an adequate conclusion to an academic year in which Kaylee Beyer rose up another level from even proven All-American status. No, she didn’t quite win an individual national title, but Beyer earned silver in the metric mile behind Gracie Hyde and finished 4th over 5000 meters (behind two other women who are nominated for this award). She provided an incredible amount of value for a team that didn’t have its focal star, Lindsay Cunningham, for the indoor or outdoor track seasons.

FINAL VOTES

Best Freshman Award

Men

Marissa: Josphat Meli (Harding)

Ian: Josphat Meli (Harding)

Gavin: Josphat Meli (Harding)

Garrett: Josphat Meli (Harding)

Overall Winner: Josphat Meli (Harding)

Women

Marissa: Sarah Koomson (West Texas A&M)

Ian: Linda Weigang (Fort Lewis)

Gavin: Sarah Koomson (West Texas A&M)

Garrett: Sarah Koomson (West Texas A&M)

Overall Winner: Sarah Koomson (West Texas A&M)

Most Improved Award

Men

Marissa: Roberto Fajardo (Lee (Tenn.))

Ian: Roberto Fajardo (Lee (Tenn.))

Gavin: Roberto Fajardo (Lee (Tenn.))

Garrett: Roberto Fajardo (Lee (Tenn.))

Overall Winner: Roberto Fajardo (Lee (Tenn.))

Women

Marissa: Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific)

Ian: Ines Macadam (Tiffin)

Gavin: Katharina Goetschl (Academy of Art)

Garrett: Sofia Camacho (Azusa Pacific)

Overall Winner: Sofia Camacho (Azusa Pacific)*

*Tie broken via TSR contributor, Maura Beattie

Best Performance Award

Men

Marissa: Aziz Mohamed Upsets Field in Tactical 1500-Meter Final

Ian: Titouan Le Grix Defeats Teammates and runs a PR for a 3000-Meter Steeplechase Title

Gavin: Romain Legendre Runs D2 5k Record of 13:16 at the Bryan Clay Invite

Garrett: Romain Legendre Runs D2 5k Record of 13:16 at the Bryan Clay Invite

Overall Winner: Legendre Runs D2 5k Record of 13:16 at Bryan Clay Invite

Women

Marissa: Gracie Hyde Runs 1500-Meter D2 Record at the Bryan Clay Invite

Ian: Gracie Hyde Runs 1500-Meter D2 Record at the Bryan Clay Invite

Gavin: Gracie Hyde Runs NCAA D2 Steeple Record of 9:28

Garrett: Gracie Hyde Runs NCAA D2 Steeple Record of 9:28

Overall Winner: Gracie Hyde Runs NCAA D2 Steeple Record of 9:28*

*Tie broken via TSR contributor, Maura Beattie

Best Distance Coach Award

Men

Marissa: Zach Daniel (West Texas A&M)

Ian: Pol Domenech (Wingate)

Gavin: Zach Daniel (West Texas A&M)

Garrett: Pol Domenech (Wingate)

Overall Winner: Pol Domenech (Wingate)*

*Tie broken via TSR contributor, Maura Beattie

Women

Marissa: Damon Martin (Adams State)

Ian: Damon Martin (Adams State)

Gavin: Damon Martin (Adams State)

Garrett: Damon Martin (Adams State)

Overall Winner: Damon Martin (Adams State)

Most Valuable Runner Award

Men

Marissa: William Amponsah (West Texas A&M)

Ian: William Amponsah (West Texas A&M)

Gavin: Wes Ferguson (Nebraska-Kearney)

Garrett: Wes Ferguson (Nebraska-Kearney)

Overall Winner: Wes Ferguson (Nebraska-Kearney)*

*Tie broken via TSR contributor, Maura Beattie

Women

Marissa: Gracie Hyde (Adams State)

Ian: Gracie Hyde (Adams State)

Gavin: Gracie Hyde (Adams State)

Garrett: Gracie Hyde (Adams State)

Overall Winner: Gracie Hyde (Adams State)