2024 NAIA Outdoor Track End of Season Awards

Written by Marissa Kuik & Nolan Ryan

Additional edits & commentary by 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 NAIA 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...

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 5/23 are not considered.

Michael Long (Ave Maria)

This Ava Maria rookie made his presence known fairly quickly this season across the NAIA scene. Coming from a program in Ave Maria that doesn’t participate at the national level during the indoor track season, this freshman took the NAIA by storm in the spring. Being a 1:50 (800) runner out of high school, he was destined to eventually be recognized and that didn’t take long after running two 1:48 (800) races. He followed those performances up with a national title over the half-mile distance, holding off Santorum with the 1:49 (800) effort. If he stays in the NAIA, then he will be a name we mention frequently moving forward.

Luca Santorum (Cumberlands (KY))

Luca Santorum found his name on the top of our TSR rankings all spring long. That, of course, was for a great reason, especially with his double champion performance at the indoor national meet. He ran a tremendous 1500-meter PR of 3:41 at Raleigh Relays this spring to make a statement. Then, the freshman had an outstanding showing at the NAIA Outdoor Championships, winning the 1500-meter title while earning a runner-up finish over 800 meters in 1:49 (getting edged out by fellow nominee, Michael Long). The NAIA scene won’t be upset with Santorum as he prepares to make a move to Texas A&M later coming year.

Tristan Trevino (Marian (IN))

After making his name known at the indoor national meet, Tristan Trevino showed that he is not just a racer, but can also put up fast times. After running a 1:50.28 PR over 800 meters and winning the Crossroads conference title, he showed us that he was a real All-American contender heading into the national meet. Sure enough, finishing 7th place in a stacked half-mile field definitely proved to us that he is one of the best freshman in the NAIA.

Youssef Asslouj (Cumberlands (KY))

After running his first race of 2024 during the latter portions of the winter months, we didn’t totally know what to expect from this rookie on the outdoor oval. Over the last few months, Youssef Asslouj ran very impressive times of 3:43 (1500) and 13:53 95k), but most importantly, ran his PR 3:43 three separate times! After his showing at the outdoor national meet with two runner-up finishes between the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters, he is as good as any nominee for this category.

Keyshawn Garcia (Wayland Baptist)

The freshman from Wayland Baptist had a very strong resume from his days, coming into the NAIA scene with a head-turning 1:48 (800) PR. Admittedly, Keyshawn Garcia had somewhat of a slow start to his college campaign, although he got things going wrapping up his season with a 1:50.51 performance to garnish a 4th place finish at the NAIA Championships. Garcia started to find his bearings at the end of the spring which makes it very likely that he will be a true force in the NAIA as his career carries on.

Dennis Kipkurui (Cumberlands (KY)

Even though Dennis Kipkurui didn’t perform at the national meets as some might have thought, we couldn’t keep him off the list. The main reason to keep him in this category is because he ran 29:20 for 10k. We will not be surprised if he ends up being a serious contender later this fall on the grass. 

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 5/23 are not considered.

Alina Boshchuk (Cumberlands (KY))

Her regular season times may not have been as dazzling compared to other names on this list, but Alina Boshchuk showed her competitiveness at the national meet. There, she took home the 10k title over Ellyse Tingelstad, showing that her rookie inexperience was not a factor. To take down such a seasoned veteran, who has bested Boshchuk before, makes her look like the veteran even though she is only a freshman. She clearly learned a lot during the winter indoor track season, making her a great option for this award. 

Katelyn Cotterell (British Columbia)

While being a part of the powerhouse team of British Columbia, fast times are almost expected. However, as a freshman, Katelyn Cotterell put together a fantastic first season running personal bests of 2:11 (800), 4:25 (1500) and 17:04 (5k). On top of that, she competed like a veteran at the national meet, finishing 3rd place in the metric mile and helping her team out to a dominant title victory the 4x800-meter relay. She definitely demonstrated a lot of poise for someone so young. 

Emeline Delaville (Life)

Coming off of a national title over 800 meters during the indoor track season was definitely a tall order for Emeline Delaville to top. Though her outdoor track season was not as impressive as the individual title that she won on the indoor oval, she still competed like a veteran at the outdoor national meet. There is a good chance that many people forgot about her during the regular season since she had “only” run 2:13 for 800 meters. However, she moved through the rounds flawlessly at the national meet, running 2:08 in the preliminary round and coming away with a 5th place finish in a very competitive final. 

Maria Tirado (William Carey)

The national meet definitely did not go how Maria Tirado envisioned with a tough finish in the steeplechase which led her to not toeing the line for the 800 meters. However, the fact that she qualified in two very different events as a freshman makes her very worthy of this nomination. Her personal bests of 11:06 in the steeplechase and 2:13 for 800 meters made Tirado a force to be reckoned with this spring. It will be exciting to see what this still-young star decides to focus on over the next couple seasons. 

Hasnae Goulamzi (Texas Wesleyan)

Running one of the fastest times in the 5k in the NAIA this season is Hasnae Goulamzi. She almost broke 17 minutes at that distance, racing to a time of 17:05. The Texas Wesleyan product also has a personal best of 36:56 for 10,000 meters. Though her 10k time may not measure up to her 5k time, it is still an impressive mark in the event, especially for someone so young. Though she still has a lot to learn when it comes to racing through the rounds at the national meet, Goulamzi put together a great first year.

Most Improved Award (Men)

*Evaluates nationally competitive distance talents who were not expected to make the leaps in fitness that they did this winter. 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 5/23 are not considered.

Hunter Nichols (Eastern Oregon)

Hunter Nichols boasted solid times and was viewed as a "fringe" guy when it came to the more competitive NAIA scene. But then, this year, he transformed into a legitimate national title favorite in the steeplechase with a 9:07 PR. All of that justifies his nomination for our "Most Improved" award. The Eastern Oregon product found groove his spring, finishing 4th place over the barriers and water pits at the national meet. He then added a shiny new PR of 3:50 over 1500 meters during the same season.

Dominick Beine (Saint Mary (KS))

After being at any national meet during the 2022-2023 academic year, the Spires' newest distance standout made sure to change that in 2024. After qualifying for his first national meet during the winter (where he admittedly struggled), Beine used that momentum with a 6th place finish in the 10k, chopping over 50 seconds off of his PR from the year prior.

Javieer Tiwana (British Columbia)

Not breaking the 14:30 barrier over 5000 meters the year before and now having a PR of 14:15 shows a big jump for this UBC harrier. That being said, the most impressive aspect of his spring campaign was him going from a 16th-place finish at the national meet last spring to a 4th-place finish this year. Returning next year, he may be one of the title favorites heading into the 2025 outdoor track season. 

Isaiah Romeyn (Spring Arbor)

Last year, Isaiah Romeyn competed sparingly, contesting the 800 meters once and producing a time of 1:55. However, in 2024, there was no denying that Romeyn got on a hot streak, bringing his half-mile PR down to 1:50 en route to silver at the Crossroads Conference Championships. We didn't get to him compete on the national stage individually, but that was only because he went all-in with his 4x800-meter team which earned 4th place All-American honors.

Braden Vernot (Indiana Wesleyan)

Sure, Braden Vernot was already a solid runner prior to this past spring, but he became a clear force in the NAIA distance scene of the last few months. With times of 14:27 (5k) and 9:01 (steeple), Vernot evolved into one of the higher value distance products in the country. In fact, that latter mark put him at NAIA #2 this spring. Sure, his national meet showing wasn't great, but he still brought his times down by a ton and proved to be on a different tier this season.

John Perez-Dunn (Southeastern College)

Three PRs in three different events and three Sun Conference titles. Tack on a 9:11 steeplechase PR from the national meet, which was a 12-second improvement and a substantial jump on his overall resume, and you can see why we have John Perez-Dunn nominated for this award.

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 outdoor track) of collegiate competition. Performances past 5/23 are not considered.

Katie Woods (Marian (IN))

The progression that we saw from Katie Woods this year was fantastic -- and that may be selling her short. The Marian product dropped her 800-meter PR down from 2:27 to 2:11 and her 1500-meter PR down from 5:14 to 4:30. That kind of jump in fitness is completely unprecedented and it makes Woods a favorite to win this award, especially after seeing her earn a 6th place All-American finish over the half-mile distance on the national stage.

Abby Ylipahkala (British Columbia)

With no results from last year’s track season, Abby Ylipahkala made a huge jump from her first season to this season where she ran fast, but also came away with some impressive finishes at the national meet. Ylipahkala went from 2:15 for 800 meters down to 2:10 and moved her personal best from 1500 meters from 4:35 all the way down to 4:25. Her most impressive stat, however, was her runner-up finish over the half-mile distance at the outdoor national meet.

Mercy Kibiwott (Cumberland (TN))

After being unable to compete at the national meet last year in the 10k, Mercy Kibiwott improved immensely to not only get herself back on the national stage, but to finish an impressive 6th place overall. She brought her time down from 37:26 down to 36:52. Sure, maybe on paper that drop in time does not look all that incredible, but it is her improvement in competing and her performance at the national meet that earned her this nomination. 

Alyssa Lovett (The Masters)

Running PRs of 4:49 (1500) and 17:58 (5k) this spring may not seem like anything special at first glance. But when you realize that Lovett had never run under 5:00 for the metric mile before and that her prior 5k PR in 2023 was 18:40, you begin to really appreciate the strides that she has made in her fitness this year.

Aubrey Bahner (Tabor)

Aubrey Bahner had never run under 5:25 for 1500 meters prior to this spring. Nowadays, the Tabor runner boasts a 4:52 PR in that event. With more a minor PR in the 5k (and a big 10k PR, albeit after contesting that event just once last spring), we felt like Bahner had done enough to earn a nomination for this award.

Ali Ray (Montreat)

Ali Ray had never qualified for two events at one national meet before and she had never been an All-American, either. Thankfully, she cleared both of those objectives this past spring, contesting both the 10k and 5k at the NAIA Outdoor Championships where she placed 7th overall in the latter event. Tack on respectable PRs and you get a woman who is clearly in a greater tier of fitness than she was in 2023.

Brooke Wiebe (Tabor)

Sure, she may not have been an individual All-American, but Brooke Wiebe still earned that honor in the 4x800-meter relay at the national meet. That effort, along with a substantial steeplechase PR where she cracked the 11-minute barrier as well as clear jumps in other events makes this Tabor athlete plenty worth a nomination.

Best Performance Award (Men)

*Must have run attached at least once this winter 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 5/23 are not considered.

Luca Santorum Defeats Stacked 1500-Meter Field at NAIA Championships

Luca Santorum put on a clinic this season with an incredible spring campaign. However, the performance that stands out the most is his national title over 1500 meters where he closed in 54.90 seconds over the last 400 meters to hold off a stacked field. He not only beat his teammate Youssef Asslouj (who ran 3:43 for 1500 meters this season), but he also beat the NAIA all-time leader in Evert Silva, further establishing himself as one of the best who we have seen in a while.

Evert Silva Runs 3:39 (1500) at Arkansas Twilight, Breaks NAIA Record

Evert Silva was a name that was talked about a lot this year in the NAIA. That, of course, is because he ran 13:29 for 5000 meters (before coming to OCU). The former Portland runner further added to his resume when he ran at the Arkansas Twilight meet, breaking the NAIA record with a time of 3:39 for 1500 meters. Silva had found his groove again this spring, but this performance takes the cake for his welcome back campaign.

Michael Long Outleans Luca Santorum for 800-Meter NAIA Title

We knew there were going to be fireworks over 800 meters at the outdoor national meet, but we didn’t know how loud. Well, the hype didn’t disappoint with Luca Santorum (the 1500-meter national champion) going head-to-head with the other freshman phenom, Michael Long. A race that came down to the final 100 meters was won with Long admirably holding off Santorum's ferocious kick.

Evert Silva Outlasts 5k Field to Win NAIA Title

With Evert Silva, nobody knew how he would look over 5000 meters at the outdoor national meet with that race being his seventh effort in three days. Well, he showed us that he was just that good this year, outlasting the field and closing his final 800 meters in 1:59. He put on a show and will be one of the biggest names in all of NAIA going into his final stretch of collegiate racing next year.

Dylan Uhrich Produces the Only Sub-9:00 Steeple Mark in NAIA this Season

Every event has a barrier that everyone tries to break in order to establish themselves in the upper-echelon of that event. The common time for 3000-meter steeplechase is the 9:00 barrier. Someone breaking that mark only happened one time this year and that was from the UBC senior, Dylan Uhrich. He ran 8:52 to finish in 2nd place in his heat and 17th place overall at the nationally acclaimed Bryan Clay Invitational. That performance established him as one of the very best in the NAIA to ever run that event. 

Best Performance Award (Women)

*Must have run attached at least once this winter 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 5/23 are not considered.

Kiana Gibson Breaks NAIA Steeple Record in 9:51 at Bryan Clay Invite

Simply making it into the "invite" section of the steeplechase at the Bryan Clay Invite is impressive enough, but Kiana Gibson proved that she deserved that spot in the fast heat, running to a time of 9:51. That time was good enough for 8th place against top collegiate athletes and professional runners. But the most impressive point of this performance was the NAIA record she earned as well, making her one of the better runs by anyone in the division. 

Alina Boshchuk Outlasts Ellyse Tingelstad for 10k National Title

Going into the national meet, the seed times in the 10k definitely did not point to Alina Boshchuk or Ellyse Tingelstad battling it out for the national title in the 25-lap race. However, just like the indoor national meet, these two went head-to-head with Boshchuk coming out on top with a one-second victory over Tingelstad. What makes this performance worthy of this nomination is the experience that Tingelstad has over Boshchuk who has beaten her several times on the national stage. However, in this race, Boshchuk finally came out victorious in thrilling fashion. 

Rachel Mortimer Convincingly Wins 800-Meter National Title By Five Seconds

Though the 800-meter national title favorite, Lisa Voyles, did not end up contesting the final, Rachel Mortimer still put together a dominant win that deserves major respect. The UBC star ran an incredibly fast time of 2:05 for 800 meters, beating the next best runner by five seconds. Though an 800-meter final would have been fun to watch between Mortimer and Voyles, the former proved she was ready for any racing situation against anyone. 

Hannah Fredericks Runs 34:09 (10k) at Stanford Invite 

In an early-season attempt at the 10k during the end of March, Hannah Fredericks ran the only 10k time under 35 minutes in the NAIA this season. Her time stood as the top seed for the whole entire season from March to May. What was even better about this fast time was the way she competed at the Stanford Invite, placing 12th overall in a field of mostly Division One athletes. Running this fast early-on in the season is pretty impressive, making it hard to leave her out of the nominations for this award. 

Holly MacGillivray Runs 4:16 (1500) at Portland Twilight Meet

The Portland Twilight meet (which is not to be confused with the Portland Track Festival) doesn't get a ton of attention, but it is still a great meet with solid competition. That's why Holly MacGillivray's 4:16 effort in the 1500 meters of that race feels like a such a huge performance. She finished 4th overall behind some accomplished talents and was the top collegian in the field as well!

Best Distance Coach Award (Men's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the 2024 outdoor 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 5/23 are not considered.

Bradley Sowder (Cumberlands (KY))

En route to Cumberland winning the NAIA Outdoor Championship, the Patriots scored a collective total of 64 points and 38 of those points came from Coach Bradley Sowder’s distance contingent. With multiple national-caliber superstars, a handful of whom are now amongst the all-time greats, this Cumberlands' team was the definition of distance running excellence this spring. Even though they lose Luca Santorum next year, it is expected that they will reload and have Youssef Asslouj coming back which will make them a force again yet again in 2025.

Steve Weiler (British Columbia)

UBC had a very deep crew this spring in the distance events. They had someone represented in every event possible other than the 4x800-meter relay. Not only that, but they had five All-Americans, one of which was steeplechase national champion, Dylan Ulrich! All in all, Coach Steve Weiler's squad tallied 29 points which solidified them as one of the biggest distance staples at the national meet.

Chris Layne (Milligan)

The team that usually wins the NAIA XC Championships is often a force to deal with during track seasons, especially on the outdoor oval where the 10k comes into play. Sure enough, Milligan was exactly that with the "Big Three," that they have in Will Stockley, Aaron Jones, and Bryn Woodall. And of course, those men did more than just make the meet. In fact, that trio was highlighted by Jones and Woodall finishing 4th place overall (top-half All-American spots) in their respective races! Heading into the fall, they will be promised to be in the fight again for their fourth national cross country title in three years.

Frezer Legesse (Oklahoma City)

The Stars' distance squad ended up scoring 38 points at this year's outdoor national meet which put them in a position to fight for a podium finish. Highlighted by Silva’s extrordinary 28-point weekend exhibit, Coach Frezer Legesse’s crew added 10 more points after winning the 4x800-meter relay. This roster is a piece or two from really mixing it up for a national title in all three championships for this upcoming year.

Zach Schoeder (The Masters)

Even though Coach Zach Schoeder’s distance crew probably didn’t have the week that they wanted, they were still well represented at the NAIA Outdoor Championships. Having individual national meet qualifiers in numerous distance races. They will be a consistent threat as they have been in the upcoming season. The Masters have developed and recruited well and we see no reason why that will slow down at all in the future.

Best Distance Coach Award (Women's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the 2024 outdoor 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 5/23 are not considered.

Steve Weiler (British Columbia)

When you have an athlete or a relay win almost every single distance event at the national meet, it is hard not to nominate that coach. Steve Weiler also led his team to a national team title off of mostly just distance performances. His athletes placed 1st and 2nd over 800 meters as well as 1st, 3rd and 4th over. 1500 meters. UBC also produced finishes of 1st and 2nd place for 5000 meters, 1st and 3rd place in the steeplechase and 1st place finish in the 4x800-meter relay. Plus, he had one runner break an NAIA record! What more could you possibly ask for?

Bradley Sowder (Cumberlands (KY))

With such dominance by British Columbia, it is easy to get overshadowed, but Coach Bradley Sowder also had a handful of impressive performances from his team. Among those performances was Alina Boshchuk’s strong weekend double at the national meet with a 1st place finish in the 10k and a 4th place finish in the 5k. We also saw improvements from Elke Wijkmans who placed 5th in the 10k at the national meet and also qualified for the 5k. Though Sowder does not have the same firepower as some of the other teams listed here, he does a great job with the athletes who he does have, coaching them to big improvements and big finishes on the national stage. 

Dominic Bolin (College of Idaho)

After winning the national title in cross country, Coach Dominic Bolin had big expectations placed upon him. Thankfully, he did very well with coaching his athletes including Ellyse Tingelstad and Abbey Shirts. Though Tingelstad did not come out with an individual title this season, she did place a strong 2nd and 3rd in the 10k and 5k, respectively. Abbey Shirts also placed 5th in the 1500-meter finals and showed strong improvements in the middle distance events overall. Though the lineup for the national meet was a little bit smaller for Coach Dominic Bolin, he still coached a large handful of athletes to some impressive finishes on the biggest stage. 

Alstin Benton (Saint Mary (KS))

While Saint Mary did not have as high of placements as British Columbia at the outdoor national meet, they still had quite a few athletes qualify for the national meet in a variety of events. Those qualified racing distances include the 800 meters, the 5000 meters, the 10,000 meters, the 3000-meter steeplechase and the 4x800-meter relay. And of course, heir best performances came from the Hiebert sisters with Reagan running a seasonal best time of 16:52 (5k) and Riley running a seasonal best time of 10:38 in the steeplechase. Those pair of performance contributed to the Spires' placing 4th overall at the national meet. The depth of this team speaks volumes to Alstin Benton’s coaching and recruiting.

Quinn White (Taylor)

Taylor has always been a mainstay in NAIA distance running with Quinn White always producing talented athletes. This season was no different as White helped multiple athletes to All-American finishes in a variety of events at the national meet. Mollie Gamble put herself in the mix for the 10k title, finishing 3rd overall. Noel VanderWall placed nicely in the 1500-meter finals with a 6th place finish overall and Ahna Niedeck came away with a runner-up finish in the steeplechase. Top that off with a 5th place finish in the 4x800-meter relay and White ended up having a fantastic season full of great production, depth and excellence postseason peaking.  

Most Valuable Runner Award (Men)

*Must have run attached this season. Performances past 5/23 are not considered. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Evert Silva (Oklahoma City) After putting on an absolute clinic at the outdoor national meet, doubled with his record-breaking 3:39 performance for 1500 meters, Silva was easily one of the best runners in the NAIA this spring. Silva has had an interesting career up to this point, but was starting to put it together at the end of the spring. It will be exciting to see what he can do this upcoming year if all goes well for the distance stud.

Luca Santorum (Cumberlands (KY))

Luca Santorum took the NAIA by storm this year. Winning the 1500-meter national title and finishing runner-up over 800 meters at the national meet, which were arguably the most stacked distance events in the NAIA this spring, proves why he is more than qualified enough to win this award. Santorum also ran times of 3:41 (1500) and 1:49 (800) this spring, but the most outstanding thing about the Italian ace is him performing at his highest level at the national meet while being one of the best kickers who we have seen in recent memory.

Michael Long (Ave Maria)

This season had one of, if not the, best freshman classes that the NAIA has ever seen. Among this historic group of rookie elites, Michael Long stood out as a key player. The 800-meter national champion ran the only 1:48 (800) performance of the season in the NAIA realm. However, he didn’t only do it once, but twice. He will be a guy to follow to see if can emerge as one of the best-ever NAIA collegians in his respected event.

Andrew Davies (British Columbia)

One of the best guys in the NAIA this season was Andrew Davies. The UBC Thunderbird ran two of the more impressive times in the country with marks 14:04 (5k) and 29:03 (10k). Those times made him a clear national title favorite this spring. Finishing runner-up at the national meet over 10,000 meters followed with a bronze medal over 5000 meters solidified him as one of the top runners in the NAIA.

Dylan Uhrich (British Columbia)

The steeplechase national champion was the sole runner to break the nine-minute barrier this spring and a fast 3:50 effort for 1500 meters as highlights his resume. And frankly, he looked unbeatable at the national meet which makes him a solid contender to win this category. UBC always adds star power to the national meet every year and this year it was no different big reason because of Uhrich.

Most Valuable Runner Award (Women)

*Must have run attached this season. Performances past 5/23 are not considered. Voters can choose to vote for the best distance runner or the most valuable distance runner this season.

Kiana Gibson (British Columbia)

The value of Kiana Gibson definitely comes from the longer events, especially after running seasonal bests of 9:51 in the 3000-meter steeplechase and 16:23 for 5000 meters, winning both of those events at the national meet. On top of that, Gibson has also demonstrated some good turnover with a personal best time of 4:25 over 1500 meters, making her very valuable when it comes to almost any event. 

Rachel Mortimer (British Columbia)

Moving more to the middle distant side of things for British Columbia, Rachel Mortimer definitely takes the cake. With a PR of 2:05 in the 800 meters that she ran to earn the national title, Mortimer also anchored her 4x800-meter relay to a national title. On top of all that, she has a 4:18 personal best time for 1500 meters and if the team would have needed her for a third event, she could have easily raced in the metric mile and done quite well, making her irreplaceable when it comes to the shorter events. 

Alina Boshchuk (Cumberlands (KY))

In some ways, it is hard to have a true distance athlete voted as "Most Valuable" at least for points scored. That's because placing high in the longest events on the track can be exhausting compared to the sprints or the jumps. However, Alina Boshchuk did just that, placing 1st in the 10k and running to a 4th place finish in the 5k just a few days later. Obviously, her best asset is her strength, but she proved that she can also compete with the best, earning her team a bunch of points through her efforts. 

Holly MacGillivray (British Columbia)

Just like her teammate, Rachel Mortimer, Holly MacGillivray finds her strength in the middle distance events, running a huge personal best of 4:16 in the 1500 meters this season (which technically doesn't count towards this award since it was run after 5/23). She also took down the likes of Lisa Voyles to earn the metric mile title. Her PR of 2:09 for 800 meters from last year also shows her speed in the shorter events. Though she did not compete much this season, she still played a massive role in helping British Columbia win the national title and showed her consistency in competing whenever she toes the line. 

Ellyse Tingelstad (College of Idaho)

Similar to Alina Boshchuk, Ellyse Tingelstad is a true distance runner who scored a nice chunk of points for her team even though she ran the two longest events. She just lost to Boshchuk in the 10k, placing 2nd overall, and then came back and placed an impressive 3rd in the 5k. To be able to place well in such long events once again shows a lot of strength which makes her incredibly valuable and reliable for her team.

FINAL VOTES

Best Freshman Award

Men

Marissa: Luca Santorum (Cumberlands (KY))

Nolan: Michael Long (Ave Maria)

Garrett: Luca Santorum (Cumberlands (KY))

Overall Winner: Luca Santorum (Cumberlands (KY))

Women

Marissa: Katelyn Cotterell (British Columbia)

Nolan: Alina Boshchuk (Cumberlands (KY))

Garrett: Katelyn Cotterell (British Columbia)

Overall Winner: Katelyn Cotterell (British Columbia)

Most Improved Award

Men

Marissa: Javieer Tiwana (British Columbia)

Nolan: Braden Vernot (Indiana Wesleyan)

Garrett: Braden Vernot (Indiana Wesleyan)

Overall Winner: Braden Vernot (Indiana Wesleyan)

Women

Marissa: Katie Woods (Marian (IN))

Nolan: Katie Woods (Marian (IN))

Garrett: Katie Woods (Marian (IN))

Overall Winner: Katie Woods (Marian (IN))

Best Performance Award

Men

Marissa: Luca Santorum Defeats Stacked 1500-Meter Field at NAIA Championships

Nolan: Luca Santorum Defeats Stacked 1500-Meter Field at NAIA Championships

Garrett: Evert Silva Runs 3:39 (1500) at Arkansas Twilight, Breaks NAIA Record

Overall Winner: Luca Santorum Defeats Stacked 1500-Meter Field at NAIA Championships

Women

Marissa: Kiana Gibson Breaks NAIA Steeple Record in 9:51 at Bryan Clay Invite

Nolan: Kiana Gibson Breaks NAIA Steeple Record in 9:51 at Bryan Clay Invite

Garrett: Kiana Gibson Breaks NAIA Steeple Record in 9:51 at Bryan Clay Invite

Overall Winner: Kiana Gibson Breaks NAIA Steeple Record in 9:51

Best Distance Coach Award

Men

Marissa: Bradley Sowder (Cumberlands (KY))

Nolan: Bradley Sowder (Cumberlands (KY))

Garrett: Bradley Sowder (Cumberlands (KY))

Overall Winner: Bradley Sowder (Cumberlands (KY))

Women

Marissa: Laurier Primeau (British Columbia)

Nolan:  Laurier Primeau (British Columbia)

Garrett: Laurier Primeau (British Columbia)

Overall Winner: Laurier Primeau (British Columbia)

Most Valuable Runner Award

Men

Marissa: Evert Silva (Oklahoma City)

Nolan: Luca Santorum (Cumberlands (KY))

Garrett: Evert Silva (Oklahoma City)

Overall Winner: Evert Silva (Oklahoma City)

Women

Marissa: Kiana Gibson (British Columbia)

Nolan: Kiana Gibson (British Columbia)

Garrett: Kiana Gibson (British Columbia)

Overall Winner: Kiana Gibson (British Columbia)