National Athletes of the Year Announced For NAIA Outdoor T&F

NEW ORLEANS — Following the 2016 NAIA Outdoor Championships this past weekend in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Thursday this season’s National Athletes of the Year.

Lewis-Clark State’s Sam Atkin and Indiana Tech’s Brianna Woods were named the Men’s and Women’s Track Athlete of the Year, respectively.

Kale Wolken of Doane (Neb.) and Liz King of Concordia (Neb.) were named the Men’s and Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, respectively.

These awards were determined through a vote by USTFCCCA member coaches, based on performances both at this past weekend’s NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and throughout the entire regular season.

Information on each of the winners can be found below.

MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

SAM ATKIN, LEWIS-CLARK STATE

Atkin, a senior from Lincolnshire, England, won the NAIA national title at 5000 meters in 14:08.84 and finished third at 10,000 meters in 30:37.51. During the regular season, not only was he the only man in the NAIA to go sub-14 minutes in the 5000 (13:57) and sub-30 minutes in the 10000 (29.44), he also beat Oregon’s star distance runner Edward Cheserek at the Oregon Twilight.

MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

KALE WOLKEN, DOANE (NEB.)

Wolken, a senior from Tecumseh, Nebraska, broke the NAIA decathlon record at the NAIA Championships with 7,830 points, topping a record that was set 20 years ago. He was awarded the NAIA Men’s Performance of the Meet for his accomplishment. His mark moved him into No. 4 in the United States for the 2016 season. Kale was the Great Plains Athletic Conference Male Athlete of the Year and was the victor in the Drake Relays, topping a field of NCAA Division I opponents.

WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

BRIANNA WOODS, INDIANA TECH

Woods, a junior from Huber Heights, Ohio, won a pair of NAIA Championships national titles at both 100 meters in 11.45 and at 200 meters in 23.45 (both slightly windy). She also anchored the winning 4×100 relay. She finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the nation at 100 meters, No. 2 at 200 meters and as a member of several top-ranked relay teams (4×100, 4×200) and the third-ranked 4×400 team.

WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

LIZ KING, CONCORDIA (NEB.)

King, a senior from Billings, Montana, won the NAIA Championships national title in the hammer at 57.30m and was the national runner-up in the javelin at 49.23m. During the regular season she ranked second in the hammer throw (56.00m/183-9) and third in the javelin (46.96m/154-1). Prior to this weekend and other than when she competed at the prestigious Drake Relays, King won the javelin throw at every meet this season.