TSR's 2021 D1 Indoor Track End of Season Awards

The indoor track season has come to a close and although our attention is rapidly shifting to the outdoor oval, we did want to finish our winter coverage with our End of Season Awards. Below, we highlighted a few nominees for each award and our writers opt to vote at the very bottom.

Let's get into it...

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Best Freshman Award (Men)

*Redshirt freshmen and athletes returning from missions are not included in this award

Nominees: Yusuf Bizimana (Texas), Brandon Miller (Texas A&M), Sean Dolan (Villanova), Allon Clay (Texas A&M)

Yusuf Bizimana (Texas): In only his third race as a Longhorn, Bizimana ran an eye-popping 3:57 mile to finish 2nd at the Tyson Invitational. His success didn’t stop there as he won his first BiG 12 mile title and was very narrow runner-up in the 800 meters at that same meet with a time of 1:48. The freshman qualified for the NCAA Championships in both events, but chose to focus on the mile. Bizimana would qualify for the finals and ran a solid race to finish 8th, earning himself All-American honors.

Sean Dolan (Villanova): Villanova’s new standout miler was the top freshman in the mile final at the indoor national meet this year, recording a pleasantly surprising 6th place finish, only 0.65 seconds out from 3rd place. Dolan raced only twice prior to NCAA’s and only had a 4:01 mile to his name on a flat-track. The Wildcat freshman was only a sleeper pick at the national meet given his relatively quiet regular season, but he far exceeded expectations with his All-American honor and 3:57 finishing time.

Brandon Miller (Texas A&M): The newest Aggie middle distance ace surprised us at the SEC Indoor Championships when he took home the 800 title against a host of talented and experienced runners. Miller did not qualify for NCAA championships, but he did run 1:48 in the 800 meters and 47.3 in the 400 meters. While it may have been disappointing to not run at the NCAA Championships, his surprisingly strong tactical acumen sets him up for an exciting outdoor track season.

Allon Clay (Texas A&M): Texas A&M has a knack for developing elite 800 runners and freshman Allon Clay is on his way to being one of those talents. Clay had a slow start to his season, but found his groove at the Tyson Invitational, recording a time of 1:48. He faltered a bit at the SEC Championships, failing to qualify for the 800 final. However, the Texas A&M rookie from Japan did qualify for the NCAA Championships. Despite finishing last in his prelim, Clay still gained some valuable experience and capped what was a very solid season.

Best Freshman Award (Women)

*Redshirt freshmen and athletes returning from missions are not included in this award

Nominees: Athing Mu (Texas A&M), Simone Plourde (BYU), Katelyn Tuohy (NC State), Alyson Churchhill (Florida State)

Athing Mu (Texas A&M): Mu was absolutely dominant in her first season in the NCAA. She shattered the collegiate record in the 800 meters, clocking a blistering 1:58.40 at the SEC Championships. She was also the NCAA-leader in the 400 meters and split the fastest-ever-recorded time of 49.5 on Texas A&M’s relay at the national meet. Although she just missed an individual national title, she will surely have more than one gold medal before her college days are done.

Simone Plourde (BYU): Plourde showed consistent improvement this season despite their being limited opportunities for competition, taking her mile PR from 4:42 to 4:37 over three races. That final mark was good enough to qualify her for the national meet where she was eventually knocked out in the preliminary round. Setting personal bests of 4:37 and 2:07, Plourde looks to have a bright future in the middle distances.

Katelyn Tuohy (NC State): After staying on the sidelines in the fall, Tuohy made her highly-anticipated NCAA debut this winter with a solid 9:19 (3k) on the flat-track at Camel City. The NC State freshman also made her first national meet as a member of the DMR team that finished 7th overall in Fayetteville. Tuohy led-off as the 1200 meter leg, clocking 3:24.22 as the 7th fastest split on that leg. This winter was only a glimpse into what Tuohy can do and should provide a great base to build from over the spring months.

Alyson Churchhill (Florida State): In her last opportunity to qualify for the national meet, Churchill ran 9:07 for 3000 meters at the ACC Indoor Championships to move into NCAA #15 and earn a trip to Fayetteville. At Nationals, she opened the meet as the 1200 meter leg on Florida State’s 3rd place DMR team and came back to finish 11th in the 3000 meters. Churchill was one of the bigger surprises this winter and she also put together some very solid mile performances as well. A great indoor season puts her on our radar heading into the spring.

Most Improved Award (Men)

*Focuses on athletes who were in the national picture, does not include freshmen or athletes who are in their first year of NCAA competition

Nominees: Jason Gomez (Iowa State), Finley McLear (Miami (OH)), Cole Hocker (Oregon), Alec Sandusky (Cincinnati), Baylor Franklin (Ole Miss)

Jason Gomez (Iowa State): The transfer from Notre Dame de Namur had never broken the 1:50 barrier before he arrived in Ames, Iowa. However, Gomez not only broke that barrier in his first race, but he flew by it running 1:47 and beating a VERY strong field in the process. He edged Cole Hocker on the 1200 meter leg of a DMR, picked up a BIG 12 title in the 800 meter by edging a top talent in Bizimana and eventually finished 5th in that event at the NCAA Indoor Championships. This past winter has seen a tremendous rise in Gomez as he went from a relative unknown to one of the 800 title favorites going into the outdoor season.

Finley McLear (Miami (OH)): No one cemented themselves amongst the elites at the NCAA Indoor Championships more than McLear did. His performance in the prelims and the finals in the 800 meters was nothing short of spectacular. For a second, it looked like the RedHawk ace had held off Charlie Hunter and won the title, but he came up .01 short. Still, it was an impressive performance and it earned McLear a two second PR in the process as he crossed the line in 1:45.91. Not only that, but he consistent all year long. McLear had great times, showed outstanding consistency and got better as the season went on.

Cole Hocker (Oregon): Oregon’s sophomore stud finished his indoor season with a DMR record, the NCAA's second-fastest time ever in the mile and two NCAA titles which came in the span of an hour. Can it get any better than that? Hocker began his season by joining his teammates in the DMR and split 2:49 for 1200 meters en route to a team mark of 9:19. Two weeks later, he dropped a massive eight second PR in the mile, running 3:50. And then, Hocker won the mile (making a 3:53 look easy) and out-leaned Cooper Teare in the 3k at his first go around at the indoor national meet. Now, admittedly, he was already a 3:58 miler prior to this season, but Hocker went from being a good distance talent to one of the best indoor performers ever.

Alec Sandusky (Cincinnati): Sandusky transferred to Cincinnati from Northern Kentucky and immediately saw success in the 3k and 5k. The senior began the 2021 indoor season with respectable, but truthfully quiet personal bests of 8:25 and 14:49. However, he looked like a brand new runner by March as he finished the winter season with times 7:53 and 13:43. Sandusky benefited from getting to train alongside Aaron Bienenfeld and even got to race with his teammate at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 5k. Despite not finishing as an All-American, he may have had the biggest overall leap of anyone in the country.

Baylor Franklin (Ole Miss): Coming into the 2021 indoor season, Baylor Franklin of Ole Miss had personal bests of 1:51 (800) and 4:10 (mile), but he finished this year much faster than that with impressive times of 1:48 and 3:59. The redshirt sophomore was consistent early in the season and was making key improvements leading up the SEC Indoor Championships. Franklin qualified for the national meet in the 800 meters, but failed to qualify out of the prelim. Even so, few men in the country were as good in those two events as Franklin was and the leaps that he took to get there were wildly impressive.

Most Improved Award (Women)

*Focuses on athletes who were in the national picture, does not include freshmen or athletes who are in their first year of NCAA competition

Nominees: Claire Seymour (BYU), Shafiqua Maloney (Arkansas), Sarah Hendrick (Kennesaw State), Olivia Hoj (BYU), Amaris Tyynismaa (Alabama), Kaley Richards (UMass Lowell)

Claire Seymour (BYU): At the Husky Classic in late-February, BYU’s Claire Seymour turned in a time of 2:02 for 800 meters, beating some notable professionals and teammates. This was a five-second PR, immediately put the Cougar into contention for an All-American finish at the indoor national meet. At only her first NCAA Championship, Seymour nearly matched her PR by winning her prelim and placing 5th in the final. She validated her breakout performance at the national meet and gave us every reason to believe that the BYU runner was amongst the best in the nation.

Shafiqua Maloney (Arkansas): Maloney entered the 2021 indoor season after focusing most of her career on the 200 and 400 meter races, only contesting the 800 three times late in the 2020 indoor season. After a 2:08 rust-buster, the Arkansas Razorback ran 2:05 and then over the course of the remaining meets leading up to the NCAA Championships, Maloney consistently took one second off of her PR. At the indoor national meet, the senior qualified for the final and ran a fast 2:01 to finish 3rd overall, only 0.01 seconds off of 2nd place. Few women consistently made improvements that she did and it was incredible to see her almost always running a new PR.

Sarah Hendrick (Kennesaw State): Kendrick began the 2021 indoor season with a solid 2:06 800 meter personal best and ended the winter months with a shiny 2:03 PR. The junior from Kennesaw State was consistent in her primary event and was finishing amongst the top-two in each of her 800 meter races. Her 2:03 came at the Atlantic Sun Indoor Championships which was a seven-second win for Hendrick. At her first NCAA Championship, she snuck into the 800 meter final and matched her seed with an 8th place finish and All-American honor.

Olivia Hoj (BYU): Without cross country eligibility remaining, BYU’s Olivia Hoj was able to focus solely on the indoor track season. She dropped the NCAA #3 and NCAA #4 times in the mile (4:31) and 3k (8:56), respectively. The Cougar ace had never contested the mile prior to this season and her 3k was a 15-second PR from her 2019 season. At the national meet, Hoj was instrumental in BYU’s DMR team winning the title and the next night, she finished 7th in the 3k. Overall, she was a top talent and seeing her run so fast during the regular season was not at all expected.

Amaris Tyynismaa (Alabama): The Crimson Tide sophomore turned heads when she dropped 9:03 for 3000 meters at the South Carolina Invitational, a 41-second PR. Only one week later, Tyynismaa recorded a 4:33 mile, a remarkable 14-second PR from her 2020 indoor season. Tyynismaa was consistently posting top times in the mile during the indoor season and ultimately qualified for the NCAA Championships in the mile, 3k and DMR. However, she opted to focus on only the DMR. Alabama’s new middle distance ace’s growth over the course of the year proves that she is someone who could eventually compete for an individual national title before her collegiate career is over. No one has had the turnaround that she has since the fall.

Kaley Richards (UMass Lowell): Richards of UMass Lowell qualified for her first indoor national meet this year with her flat-track converted 4:35 from Camel City. The senior wasn’t competing against many of the top NCAA women leading up to the national meet, but she looked like a veteran in Arkansas. Richards easily qualified for the mile final, placing 2nd in her prelim, and ended her indoor season with a 4th place finish and All-American honor. She showed incredible poise, peaked in the postseason and was able to capitalize on her opportunities despite not having a lot of national meet experience.

Best Performance Award (Men)

*Must have run attached

Nominees: Teare and Hocker each run 3:50 in the mile to break the collegiate record, Oregon runs collegiate record in the DMR, Sam Tanner runs 3:34 for 1500 meters (indoors) to place 2nd overall in a pro field, Eliud Kipsang splits 3:51 on DMR anchor, Kiptoo runs meet record of 13:23 for 5000 meters, Cole Hocker wins mile/3k double in 3:53/7:46

Teare & Hocker Run 3:50: In a race set up for a collegiate record, Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker delivered with jaw-dropping 3:50 miles, easily taking down legendary Oregon runner Edward Cheserek’s former collegiate record by two seconds. This was a five-second PR for Teare and an eight-second PR for Hocker. The dynamic Duck duo were on the cusp of big mile times after their respective 7:46 3000 meter performances two week prior.

Oregon Breaks DMR Record: The men of Oregon had a lot of success in Arkansas this past indoor season and it all began at the Razorback Invitational during the last weekend of January. The quartet of Cole Hocker (2:49), Luis Peralta (47), Charlie Hunter (1:47) and Cooper Teare (3:54) broke their own DMR record from 2020 by five seconds with a nearly-unbelievable 9:19. The Ducks dominated this relay and won by eight seconds. What’s even more impressive about Oregon in the DMR is that a different group of four, still including Hunter and Teare, matched that record at the NCAA Championships and took home a title over an Ole Miss that is amongst one of the best ever.

Tanner Runs 3:34 in Pro Field: The young Husky star ran at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix and was flat-out incredible on two different fronts. First off, the time was awe-inspiring. 3:34 is faster than the collegiate indoor and outdoor record, and when converted, it puts Tanner in the same range as Teare and Hocker’s 3:50 mile. Secondly, it was impressive to see the New Zealand native expertly navigate his way through a loaded professional field. To finish 3rd overall in a race of that caliber shows Tanner’s top tactical knowledge (despite him not getting out of the prelims at the national meet) and puts him in a tier that many collegiates have never reached.

Kipsang Splits 3:51 on DMR: The Alabama men got a lot out of Eluid Kipsang in the DMR at the SEC Indoor Championships as he took the Crimson Tide from 10th place to 2nd place with his massive 3:51 split on the 1600 meter leg. Kipsang had already been a top miler in the nation with a 3:56 mile personal best (at the time). That was a huge result that put him in the upper-echelon of the men's mile in what was a top-heavy year for the event.

Hocker Wins Mile/3k Double: At only his first NCAA Indoor Championship, Oregon’s Cole Hocker dominated the mile and out-kicked teammate Cooper Teare in the 3k. Hocker led from the gun in the mile and recorded a stellar time of 3:53, winning by two seconds. Then, one hour later, he sat on Teare’s shoulder for 2950 meters before crossing the line victorious yet again. The sophomore seems to like racing in a variety of scenarios and has had no fear putting himself at the front of certain packs.

Best Performance Award (Women)

*Must have run attached

Nominees: Athing Mu runs 1:58 en route to collegiate record, Miller runs 2:00.68 to win national title, Kimeli wins tactical 5k national title, Wayment runs 4:30 mile to beat pros, Hurta runs 4:30 to beat Gear for national title

Athing Mu Runs 1:58 En Route to Collegiate Record: Athing Mu exceeded the lofty expectations placed upon her during her first NCAA indoor track season. The true freshman was a superstar in high school and carried that success in her primary event, the 800 meters. Mu opened her season with a solo 2:01 effort in the half-mile distance, but waited until the SEC Championships to compete in the half-mile again. At the conference meet, the Aggie broke not only the SEC meet record, but also the collegiate record with her Earth-shattering time of 1:58, winning the race by four seconds.

Miller Runs 2:00.68 to Win National Title: Baylor’s Aaliyah Miller had been a solid half-miler during her collegiate career, but things didn’t always fall into place for her at the NCAA Championships. This year, however, was different for Miller and she made that known when she took the field at the indoor national meet through the first 400 meters in a blistering 56 seconds. The Baylor Bear hung on for the win, even though her competitors were closing hard, in a new PR and NCAA meet record of 2:00.69.

Kimeli Wins Tactical 5k National Title: The women’s 5k was the weirdest race of the NCAA Indoor Championships this year. No one seemed to want to push the pace from the front right off the bat and when a move was made, things eventually slowed down once again. Auburn’s Joyce Kimeli found herself at the front and decided to stay there. She remained composed and confident in her first indoor national meet and held off the late kick from Minnesota’s Bethany Hasz to secure her first NCAA individual title in a time of 15:48.

Wayment Runs 4:30 Mile to Beat Pros: BYU’s Courtney Wayment went into the Husky Classic with a 4:35 (mile) personal best from late-January and an 8:54 (3k) PR. In the Husky Classic mile, Wayment had the opportunity to compete against some professionals, but that didn’t deter her as she out-kicked Angel Picirillo and Hannah Green for the win in an NCAA-leading time of 4:30. Wayment was only running the mile for the second time in her career, as she is more of a 3k/5k specialist, but she looked like a veteran in this race against more experienced milers.

Hurta Runs 4:30 to Beat Gear For National Title: Coming into this indoor season, Colorado’s Sage Hurta hadn’t raced since the 2019 NCAA XC Championships due to injury. However, when she finally raced again at the Razorback Invitational, it was evident she was going to be an NCAA title contender. Hurta entered the indoor national meet after winning two races from the front, one in the 800 meters and one in the mile. In the NCAA mile final, with the race down to Hurta and Krissy Gear, the Buffalo star put in a huge surge at the 800 meters knowing that she had 2:00 half-mile speed. Gear wasn’t able to match Hurta’s turnover and the Colorado redshirt senior won her first NCAA title in a mile PR of 4:30.

Best Team / Distance Coach Award (Men's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the season

Nominees: Ben Thomas (Oregon), Chris Buckham (Arkansas), Ryan Vanhoy (Ole Miss), Andy Powell (Washington), Ed Eyestone (BYU)

Ben Thomas (Oregon): Not much needs to be said about Coach Ben Thomas after the national success of his distance runners. Cole Hocker, Cooper Teare and Charlie Hunter were on fire in the 800, mile, 3k and DMR this winter. The Ducks swept the distance events at NCAA Championships and earlier in the season, they recorded two NCAA records, a 3:50 mile by Teare and a 9:19 DMR by the three mentioned and half-miler Luis Peralta. Not only that, but the Ducks also had 3:56 miler Reed Brown and 3:59 miler Evan Holland (a true freshman). At this point, it's clear that Coach Thomas developed one of the more elite distance groups in recent memory.

Chris Buckham (Arkansas): The Arkansas men have incredible depth across the board and at the SEC Indoor Championships, the Razorbacks brought their "A" game. Points were constantly racked up in the distance events: 10 points in the mile, 12 points in the 3k and 27 points in the 5k. The 5k is what really stands out for Razorbacks as they went 2-3-4-5-6-8. The indoor national meet wasn’t quite as strong for the Razorbacks, but they still ended up earning three All-American honors.

Ryan Vanhoy (Ole Miss): In a world without Oregon, we would be talking a lot more about the Rebels who had a great season on the grass but, were unbelievably elite on the track. Mario Garcia Romo looks like a legitimate star while Waleed Suliman had his best finish in the mile at the NCAA Championships in his illustrious career. Meanwhile, the DMR ran an incredible time of 9:20 at the National Championships to finish 2nd overall with Everett Smulders and John Rivera capping their impressive 2021 campaigns. Overall, Coach Vanhoy helped push his top runners into another tier while also improving his depth in the middle distances. They had four milers go under the 4:00 barrier in the same meet and their overall success was outstanding.

Andy Powell (Washington): The highlights of Coach Andy Powell’s indoor season have to be Sam Tanner’s indoor collegiate record in the 1500 meters at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, freshman Cruz Culpepper going sub-4 and a slew of men running sub-14 in the 5k. Tanner spent a majority of the 2020 academic year training and racing in New Zealand, but when he returned to the 'States, he immediately took on professional runners and came away with a 3:34 personal best before running a 3:55 mile two weeks later. Culpepper finally got the coveted sub-4 in his first race as a Husky while the 5k squad, led by Andrew Jordan, were strong, top to bottom, and we even saw Jordan finish 9th at the NCAA Championships. Coach Powell’s men always have successful seasons on the indoor oval across the distance events.

Ed Eyestone (BYU): The BYU men opted to compete in the NCAA XC Championships, but a trio of 5k runners and a miler dropped some big times on the indoor track. Conner Mantz, Casey Clinger and Brandon Garnica went 13:28, 13:28 and 13:29, respectively, at the UW Invite in the 5000 meters and the group led the NCAA during the entire winter at that distance. These three men didn’t run at the NCAA Championships, but freshman Lucas Bons did. After coming back from a mission trip, he recorded a massive 3:55 mile personal best, almost beating Washington’s Sam Tanner, and later went onto finishing 9th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Coach Eyestone can clearly coach a range of distances.

Best Team / Distance Coach Award (Women's Teams)

*Considers performances throughout the entirety of the season

Nominees: Lance Harter (Arkansas), Laurie Henes (NC State), Diljeet Taylor (BYU), Will Palmer (Alabama)

Lance Harter (Arkansas): Coach Lance Harter has done it again, his Razorbacks are the NCAA Indoor Champions. The distance squad racked up seven All-American honors, three of which came in the 3000 meters from Lauren Gregory, Katie Izzo and Abby Gray. Coach Harter’s Razorbacks saw three runner-up finishes as well. The only event the Razorbacks didn’t score in was the 5k, but they didn’t need those points to dominate the meet. When you look at their regular season results, it's hard to bet against the Razorbacks. They were incredible in pretty much any distance event, displaying elite-level depth and firepower.

Laurie Henes (NC State): The NC State Wolfpack didn’t exactly have the depth that some of these other teams did during the indoor season, but Coach Laurie Henes’ standout runners delivered. Elly Henes and Hannah Steelman positioned themselves amongst the nation’s best in the 3k and 5k, with both women eventually earning All-American honors in the 5k, finishing 3rd and 8th, respectively. Coach Henes also debuted top recruit Katelyn Tuohy who teamed up with a few others to earn a national meet medal in the DMR.

Diljeet Taylor (BYU): BYU’s Coach Diljeet Taylor had a plan for the winter cross country season and indoor track season: don’t have athletes crossover between the two. This worked out well for the Cougars as at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Coach Diljeet’s women, led by Courtney Wayment, picked up five All-American honors across the 800 meters, mile, 3k and DMR. Wayment and Olivia Hoj placed 1st and 7th in the 3k, Claire Seymour was 5th in the 800, Kate Hunter and Heather Hanson were 6th and 10th in the mile and their DMR team were crowned the champions. They were one of the few teams in the NCAA that were able to match the top-end firepower in the distance events that we also saw from the Arkansas women.

Will Palmer (Alabama): The Crimson Tide women are on the rise and Coach Will Palmer is someone who deserves some credit. Coach Palmer led Amaris Tyynismaa to a breakout season in the mile and 3k. Mercy Chelangat recorded a new PR in the 3k and was a front-runner at the SEC Indoor Championships in the 5k. Even though the Alabama women opted to focus on the NCAA XC Championships rather than the NCAA Indoor Championships, the way Coach Palmer’s women competed against SEC rivals (and the rest of the nation) was unmatched.

Most Valuable Runner Award (Men)

*Must have run attached this season

Nominees: Wesley Kiptoo (Iowa State), Cole Hocker (Oregon), Cooper Teare (Oregon), Charlie Hunter (Oregon), Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss)

Wesley Kiptoo (Iowa State): The Cyclone star was on fire during the entire indoor season, running each race exactly how he wanted to. Finishing 3rd to the Oregon duo in the 3k at the start of the season was his only loss on the indoor oval. Still, even that result was strong as he posted a time of 7:48. His dominance in the 5k was clear at the BIG 12 Indoor Championships and at the NCAA Indoor Championships where he took out both races in blistering times, gapping the field and taking home titles rather easily.

Cole Hocker (Oregon): Despite being only 19-years old, Hocker is probably the favorite to win this award. His regular season was outstanding, running times of 1:48 (800), 3:50 (mile) and 7:48 (3k). Hocker was unable to take down Teare during the regular season, but doubled at Nationals and came away with two huge wins, earning times of 3:53 and 7:48 in the process. After that national meet performance, Hocker is probably the biggest and best new superstar in the NCAA scene.

Cooper Teare (Oregon): There is a very good argument for Cooper Teare. He ran the collegiate record in the mile (3:50), ran 7:48 in the 3000 meters (twice) and anchored home two of the fastest DMR times ever run. Sure, he didn't win an NCAA individual title, but he did beat Hocker on multiple occasions throughout the regular season. When you consider how good Hocker turned out to be, that is quite the accomplishment.

Charlie Hunter (Oregon): No one in the NCAA was a better combined 800/mile runner than Hunter was. He ran 1:45 (twice) this season and ran 3:53 in the mile. He navigated through an absolutely brutal race at the NCAA Indoor Championships to barely take home the win and was an integral piece of Oregon's DMR. Hocker and Teare gained all of the spotlight this past winter, but Hunter was just as deserving of that same attention.

Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss): The Rebel proved that his fall cross country season was not a fluke as he backed it up with a consistent winter track season which saw him run personal bests in the 3k (7:48) and the mile (3:56). At the SEC Championships, Garcia Romo won the 3k and anchored Ole Miss to another victory before finishing 3rd in the 3000 meters at Nationals. Running 3:53 on the last leg of Ole Miss' national qualifying DMR was incredible as he pushed the Rebels to an outstanding time and a 2nd place finish. Is he the best overall talent in the NCAA? Maybe not, but he is relatively more valuable to his team than almost anyone else.

Most Valuable Runner Award (Women)

*Must have run attached this season

Nominees: Athing Mu (Texas A&M), Joyce Kimeli (Auburn), Courtney Wayment (BYU), Sage Hurta (Colorado), Aaliyah Miller (Baylor)

Athing Mu (Texas A&M): Even with expectations that were sky-high, the Texas A&M freshman managed to exceed them. Setting collegiate records in the 600 meters and 800 meters, setting the NCAA-lead in the 400 meters and recording the fastest-ever 4x400 split, Mu really did it all this season. Her one shortcoming was missing an individual national title, but there will be ample opportunities for that in the future.

Joyce Kimeli (Auburn): After a slow start, Kimeli turned things on at the SEC Championships with a pair of upset victories in the 3k and 5k. She carried that momentum into the national meet where the Auburn senior pulled off another big-time upset, this time winning the 5k national title. She later closed the season with a 3rd place finish in the 3k. Kimeli put it all together when things mattered most and was one of the most clutch postseason runners in the nation.

Courtney Wayment (BYU): Within two weeks, Wayment had set new personal bests in the 800, mile and 3k, running NCAA-leading times in two of those three. Her marks of 4:30 and 8:54 were huge personal bests which vaulted the BYU runner into national title favorite status. That position was justified, as Wayment went on to lead the BYU women to a DMR victory and followed up with an individual title in the 3k. In her first National Championship, Wayment won two titles and put the rest of her competitors on watch heading outdoors. From start to finish, it's hard to say that any true long distance runner was better than this BYU star.

Sage Hurta (Colorado): After an extended hiatus due to a posterior tibia injury, Hurta returned to competition looking like she hadn’t missed a beat. At the time, the Colorado senior set an NCAA-lead in the mile at Iowa State, clocking a personal best of 4:31. That followed a statement 800 meter performance where she ran 2:02 all alone. She entered the NCAA Championships as the co-favorite with Krissy Gear, but took over once the racing began. Hurta clocked another personal best in the final, running 4:30 and winning in dominant fashion. That race also capped an undefeated season.

Aaliyah Miller (Baylor): Speaking of undefeated seasons, Miller went four-for-four in 800 meter races (excluding prelims) in 2021. After a couple of years of up-and-down racing, Miller put together a fantastic season which culminated in arguably the best performance of this winter. At the NCAA Championships, Miller took the 800 meter final out in a blistering 56 second through first 400 meters, held on to tie the previous collegiate record and secured the national title. Her time of 2:00.69 matches the former collegiate record puts her in a great position to chase a sub-2:00 mark during outdoors.

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FINAL VOTES

Best Freshman Award

Men

Garrett: Yusuf Bizimana (Texas)

Maura: Sean Dolan (Villanova)

Sam: Yusuf Bizimana (Texas)

Eric: Sean Dolan (Villanova)

Ben: Yusuf Bizimana (Texas)

Michael: Sean Dolan (Villanova)

Overall Winner: Sean Dolan (Villanova)*

*Tie broken by TSR contributor Nate Lopez

Women

Garrett:

Maura: Athing Mu (Texas A&M)

Sam: Athing Mu (Texas A&M)

Eric: Athing Mu (Texas A&M)

Ben: Athing Mu (Texas A&M)

Michael: Athing Mu (Texas A&M)

Overall Winner: Athing Mu (Texas A&M)

Most Improved Award

Men

Garrett: Alec Sandusky (Cincinnati)

Maura: Alec Sandusky (Cincinnati)

Sam: Finley McLear (Miami (OH))

Eric: Finley McLear (Miami (OH))

Ben: Jason Gomez (Iowa State)

Michael: Finley McLear (Miami (OH))

Overall Winner: Finley McLear (Miami (OH))

Women

Garrett: Amaris Tyynismaa (Alabama)

Maura: Amaris Tyynismaa (Alabama)

Sam: Amaris Tynnismaa (Alabama)

Eric: Amaris Tynnismaa (Alabama)

Ben: Amaris Tynnismaa (Alabama)

Michael: Kaley Richards (UMass Lowell)

Overall Winner: Amaris Tynnismaa (Alabama)

Best Performance Award

Men

Garrett: Hocker Wins Double Gold

Maura: Tanner Runs 3:34 in Pro Field

Sam: Teare & Hocker Run 3:50 Miles

Eric: Teare & Hocker Run 3:50 Miles

Ben: Tanner runs 3:34 in Pro Field

Michael: Teare & Hocker Run 3:50 Miles

Overall Winner: Teare & Hocker Run 3:50 Miles

Women

Garrett: Athing Mu Runs 1:58 En Route to Collegiate Record

Maura: Athing Mu Runs 1:58 En Route to Collegiate Record

Sam: Athing Mu Runs 1:58 En Route to Collegiate Record

Eric: Miller Runs 2:00.68 to Win National Title

Ben: Miller Runs 2:00.68 to Win National Title

Michael: Miller Runs 2:00.68 to Win National Title

Overall Winner: Athing Mu Runs 1:58 En Route to Collegiate Record*

*Tie broken by TSR contributor Nate Lopez

Best Distance Coach / Team Award

Men

Garrett: Ben Thomas (Oregon)

Maura: Ben Thomas (Oregon)

Sam: Ben Thomas (Oregon)

Eric: Ben Thomas (Oregon)

Ben: Ben Thomas (Oregon)

Michael: Ben Thomas (Oregon)

Overall Winner: Ben Thomas (Oregon)

Women

Garrett: Lance Harter (Arkansas)

Maura: Diljeet Taylor (BYU)

Sam: Diljeet Taylor (BYU)

Eric: Diljeet Taylor (BYU)

Ben: Diljeet Taylor (BYU)

Michael: Diljeet Taylor (BYU)

Overall Winner: Diljeet Taylor (BYU)

Most Valuable Runner Award

Men

Garrett: Cole Hocker (Oregon)

Maura: Mario Garcia Romo (Ole Miss)

Sam: Cole Hocker (Oregon)

Eric: Cole Hocker (Oregon)

Ben: Cole Hocker (Oregon)

Michael: Cole Hocker (Oregon)

Overall Winner: Cole Hocker (Oregon)

Women

Garrett: Courtney Wayment (BYU)

Maura: Courtney Wayment (BYU)

Sam: Sage Hurta (Colorado)

Eric: Courtney Wayment (BYU)

Ben: Courtney Wayment (BYU)

Michael: Joyce Kimeli (Auburn)

Overall Winner: Courtney Wayment (BYU)