USTFCCCA Awards
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA May 18, 2021   

NCAA OTF National Athletes of the Week (May 18)

NEW ORLEANS – National Athletes of the Week for May 18 were announced on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Here are those individuals who earned national honors from the USTFCCCA for their efforts during the continuing outdoor track & field season.

Find out more about each of these athletes by clicking their names or scrolling below.

National Athlete of the Week is an award selected and presented by the USTFCCCA Communications Staff at the beginning of each week to 10 collegiate indoor track & field athletes, when applicable (male and female for each of the three NCAA divisions and the NJCAA).

Nominations are open to the public. Coaches and sports information directors are encouraged to nominate their student-athletes; as are student-athletes, their families and friends, and fans of their programs. Nominated athletes are noticed before those athletes found through searching TFRRS.

The award seeks to highlight not only the very best times, marks and scores on a week-to-week basis, but also performances that were significant on the national landscape and/or the latest in a series of strong outings. Quality of competition, suspenseful finishes and other factors will also play a role in the decision.

NCAA DIVISION I MEN – Wesley Kiptoo, Iowa State

Sophomore | Distance
Marakwet, Kenya

Let’s count up the titles that Wesley Kiptoo of Iowa State hauled in at the Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Manhattan, Kansas.

10,000 meters on Friday? That’s one.

Steeplechase on Saturday? That’s two.

5000 meters on Sunday? That’s three.

Wait a second. I thought you said “That’s three.”

That’s because we did.

Kiptoo became the first athlete in the history of the Big 12 Outdoor Championships to complete that trifecta and very well could be one of the few to do so in a Power 5 Conference.

Did we mention that Kiptoo also set meet records in each of those events as well? Try 28:22.98 for the 10,000, 8:31.82 for the steeplechase in his NCAA DI debut and 13:29.92 in the 5000.

This is the first time since at least 2015 that an athlete from Iowa State has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Tyra Gittens, Texas A&M

RS Junior | Combined Events
Nashville, Tennessee

What can’t Tyra Gittens do?

Already the collegiate record holder in the pentathlon, Gittens added the third-best heptathlon total in collegiate history to her ledger at the 2021 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Gittens amassed 6418 points in College Station, Texas, putting her behind only collegiate record holder Diane Guthrie (6527) and Brianne Theisen (6440).

A modest start jump-started an all-time, never-before-seen performance in world history.

Gittens opened at 13.47 (+3.0) in the 100H, which was her second slowest time of the season. That lit a fire under her, though, as Gittens then cleared 1.95m (6-4¾) in the high jump to match the sixth-best performer in collegiate history, as well as tie the all-time collegiate heptathlon best held by the athlete with whom Gittens now shares the No. 6 spot (Akela Jones).

After concluding Day 1 with 3920 points – putting her ahead of the pace set by four of the top-5 athletes in collegiate history (Jones totaled 4023 in four events at the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships) – Gittens turned her attention to the long jump. Fresh legs allowed Gittens to soar a wind-legal 6.96m (22-10) to become the fourth-best performer in collegiate history, regardless if it happened in the open or within the confines of the multi.

When you mix what Gittens did in the high jump and long jump, no woman in history had done that before in a heptathlon. Read that again – history, like world history.

Gittens also finished runner-up in the open high jump and fourth in the open long jump.

This is the first time that Gittens has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Gittens earned an indoor honor back on February 2.

NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Kornelius Klah, Minnesota State

Senior | Hurdles
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Kornelius Klah was a big reason why Minnesota State was able to capture its ninth consecutive NSIC title.

Klah’s title haul began with the 110H as he ran away from the field to finish first in 14.05. He came back to win the 400H in a season best 52.87 – a time that ranks No. 14 on the NCAA DII Descending Order List. He closed out his weekend anchoring the victorious 4×400 relay.

This is the second time in program history a male athlete has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Myles Hunter was the first Maverick to earn the honor on March 22, 2016.

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Ida Narbuvoll, U-Mary

Senior | Distance
Narbuvoll, Norway

Ida Narbuvoll was an integral part of the Marauders’ quest for their third straight NSIC crown.

She claimed three individual event titles herself and scored an important 30 points for her team.

Narbuvoll’s haul started on Friday when she captured the 10,000 title in 35:15.50. She returned to the track on Saturday to claim event crowns in the 1500 and 5000. She won the 1500 in 4:26.07 by a narrow margin of 0.54 seconds before clocking 16:44.94 over 5000. Her final victory gave the Marauders the boost they needed to capture the team title.

This is the first time since at least 2015 a female athlete from U-Mary has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Matthew Wilkinson, Carleton

Senior | Distance
Greenwood, Minnesota

Matthew Wilkinson ran away from the competition and into the record book this weekend at the MIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Hamline in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Wilkinson clocked a solo 8:44.01 effort in the steeplechase to notch the third-fastest mark in NCAA Division III history, less than one second off the 8:43.78 standard set by Peter Kosgei of Hamilton back in 2008. Just 0.08 seconds separates Wilkinson from the No. 2 spot on the chart.

During the same meet, Wilkinson won the 5000 – an event in which he is also the national leader – in 14:34.58 and helped Carleton to a runner-up finish in the 4×800 relay.

This is the first time since at least 2015 that an athlete from Carleton has been named National Athlete of the Week.

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Bailey Forsyth, Pacific Lutheran

Junior | Sprints
Langley, Washington

Conference titles? Check.

National-leading times? Double check.

Help her team – and relay team – to a runner-up finish? That, too.

Bailey Forsyth turned in some remarkable efforts at the Northwest Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Forsyth started in the prelims of the 100, where she clocked the fastest of the bunch at 11.76 (+0.9) that put her No. 2 on the Descending Order List. She wasn’t done there, as she dropped that down to 11.73 (+2.0) in the final to take over the national lead in that event.

Then she returned to the track for the 200 final, an event in which she had a seasonal best of 24.62. Well, Forsyth demolished that and became the first NCAA DIII athlete to crack the 24-second barrier this season with her 23.86 (+2.0) winner.

Forsyth also toted the baton second on the runner-up 4×100 relay team.

This is the first time since at least 2015 that an athlete from Pacific Lutheran has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.