2023 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Regional Awards

NEW ORLEANS – Regional Athletes & Coaches of the Year for the 2023 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field season were announced on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Each of the four regions – Atlantic, Central, Midwest and West – honored both genders’ top track athletes and field athletes as well as the top men’s and women’s head coaches and assistant coaches.

Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches prior to the NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.

Men’s Track Athlete of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Prince Mcabelo – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)

Mcabelo, who hails from Johannesburg, South Africa, qualified for six events at the NJCAA Indoor Championships: 600 meters, 800 meters, 1000 meters, 4×400 relay, 4×800 relay and DMR. He is highest ranked as an individual in the 1000, where he is third nationally at 2:23.09.

CENTRAL REGION – Samuel Navarro – Fort Scott (Kan.) CC

Navarro, who hails from Houston, Texas, is ranked ninth nationally in the 800 meters at 1:50.79 and 15th nationally in the 1000 meters at 2:27.13. He earned Region VI High Point Athlete of the Meet honors after scoring 32 points with individual titles in the 800, 1000 and mile, as well as a carry on the runner-up DMR.

MIDWEST REGION – Rivaldo Marshall – Indian Hills (Iowa) CC

Marshall, who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, is ranked top-5 nationally in the 600 meters (No. 5, 1:17.94), 800 meters (No. 3, 1:48.46) and 1000 meters (No. 4, 2:23.23). He sits third on the NJCAA all-time, all-conditions chart in the 800 and fourth on that same list in the 1000.

WEST REGION – Kimar Farquharson – South Plains (Texas)

Farquharson, who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, set an NJCAA record in the 800 meters of 1:47.04 at the Texas Tech Jarvis Scott Open. Four of his individual marks are among the NJCAA all-time top-10 in their respective events and he also anchored the Texans’ 4×400 relay to the second-fastest mark in division history.

Men’s Field Athlete of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Montrell Covil – Bryant & Stratton (Va.)

Covil, who hails from Portsmouth, Virginia, is ranked among the top-20 athletes nationally in both the long jump and triple jump. He won the long jump title at both the Richard Drake Invitational and the Vince Brown Invitational and topped the triple jump podium at the MONDO College Invitational.

CENTRAL REGION – Mohamed Ahmed – Cloud County (Kan.) CC

Ahmed, who hails from Cairo, Egypt, is ranked among the NJCAA all-time greats in the weight throw with his PR of 20.38m (66-10½). He entered the NJCAA Indoor Championships on a three-meet win streak, which included a victory at the Region VI Indoor Championships.  

MIDWEST REGION – Waukeem Walters – Iowa Central CC

Walters, who hails from St. Catherine, Jamaica, is ranked among the nation’s top-5 athletes in both the long jump (No. 2, 7.56m/24-9¾) and triple jump (No. 5, 14.93m/48-11¾). He scored 18 points at the Region XI Indoor Championships with a victory in the long jump and a runner-up effort in the triple jump, an event in which he set his PR.  

WEST REGION – Kudakwashe Chadenga – South Plains (Texas)

Chadenga, who hails from Harare, Zimbabwe, tied the NJCAA record in the high jump at 2.26m (7-5) and is ranked second among all collegians this year. Six of his clearances rank among the all-time top-10 in NJCAA history.

Men’s Coach of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Shirvon Greene – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)

Greene, in his first year at Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.), guided ten athletes in nine events to the NJCAA Championships. The Mustangs have seven top-10 #EventSquad Rankings and are ranked No. 12 in the latest National  TFRI.

CENTRAL REGION – Philip Redrick – Fort Scott (Kan.) CC

Redrick, in his third year at Fort Scott (Kan.) CC, led the Greyhounds to the program’s first team title at the NJCAA Region VI Championships. The Greyhounds also won their second consecutive KJCCC Championship crown behind seven event champions. Fort Scott (Kan.) CC has 27 qualifiers for the NJCAA Championships and holds 11 top-15 national event rankings, including the top-ranked athlete in the 3000.

MIDWEST REGION – Brent Ewing – Indian Hills (Iowa) CC

Ewing, in his fifth year at Indian Hills (Iowa) CC, led the Warriors to a third-place team finish at the NJCAA Region XI Championships. The Warriors have six top-4 #EventSquad Rankings and hold 13 top-10 marks on the NJCAA Descending Order List this year, including seven top-5 performances.

WEST REGION – Erik Vance – South Plains (Texas)

Vance, in his seventh year at South Plains (Texas), had his Texans ranked No. 1 in the National TFRI throughout the year. The Texans have 25 top-5 national event rankings, including the top-ranked performer in the 60H, 600, 800, 1000, 4×400 relay, 4×800 relay and high jump. South Plains (Texas) had 26 athletes qualify for the NJCAA Championships with 51 total qualifying marks.

Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Charez Weste – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)

Weste, in her first year as assistant coach at Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.), coached eight Mustang athletes to qualify for the NJCAA Indoor Championships in six events. Her athletes rank No. 1 in the Atlantic Region in the 400, 600, 800, 4×400 and 4×800, with top-10 national spots in the 600 and 800.

CENTRAL REGION – Brady Johnson – Colby (Kan.) CC

Johnson, in his fourth year as assistant coach at Colby (Kan.) CC, coached the Trojans’ distance runners to No. 1 #EventSquad Rankings in the 3000 and 5000, plus a No. 2 rating in the mile. His athletes claim the top-2 positions nationally in the 5000 and the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the 3000. At the Region VI Indoor Championships, his athletes claimed eight top-5 finishes, led by 5000-meter champion Sanele Masondo.

MIDWEST REGION – Jonathan Alexis – Iowa Central CC

Alexis, in his third year as assistant coach at Iowa Central CC, coached Triton athletes to No. 1 #EventSquad Rankings in the triple jump and heptathlon, while his high jump and long jump groups are No. 3 and his pole vaulters are No. 5. His athletes combined for four individual titles at the Region XI Indoor Championships and combined to score 103 of Iowa Central’s 271 team-championship points.

WEST REGION – Wes Miller – South Plains (Texas)

Miller, in his fourth year as assistant coach at South Plains (Texas), coached Texan athletes to No. 1 #EventSquad Rankings in five events – 400, 600, 800, 1000 and 60 hurdles – while adding a No. 2 in the 200 and No. 3 in the 60. His athletes combined for 20 marks in the top-6 nationally and 37 top-25 NJCAA performances.

Women’s Track Athlete of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Shaquka Tyrell – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)

Tyrell, who hails from Linden, Guyana, qualified for a quartet of events at the NJCAA Indoor Championships: 600 meters, 800 meters, 1000 meters and DMR. She is ranked No. 1 regionally in both the 600 and 1000 and sits among the nation’s top-15 athletes in those events, too.

CENTRAL REGION – Miracle Thompson – Cloud County (Kan.) CC

Thompson, who hails from Abia State, Nigeria, moved up to No. 5 on the NJCAA all-time chart in the 60-meter hurdles with her 8.29 clocking at the Region VI Indoor Championships. During that same meet, Thompson won the 60 meters in 7.46 and split 58 seconds on the title-winning 4×400 relay. All told, Thompson scored 22.5 points at the Region VI Indoor Championships.

MIDWEST REGION – Chloe Garcia Grafing – Iowa Central CC

Garcia Grafing, who hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota, scored 32.5 points at the Region XI Indoor Championships with individual titles in the 1000 meters and 5000 meters, helped title-winning 4×800 and DMR teams, placed third in the mile and toted the baton on the third-place 4×400 relay. She is the national leader in the 1000 at 2:58.85 and sits third nationally in the mile at 5:08.28.

WEST REGION – Success Umukoro – South Plains (Texas)

Umukoro, who hails from Levelland, Texas, is ranked first nationally in both the 60 meters (7.39) and 200 meters (23.85). Both of those marks put her among the top-15 performers in NJCAA history.

Women’s Field Athlete of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Jelese Alexander – Essex County (N.J.)

Alexander, who hails from Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago, is ranked fifth nationally in the pentathlon with 3235 points and sixth nationally in the high jump at 1.70m (5-7). 

CENTRAL REGION – Kelsie Murrell-Ross – Barton (Kan.) CC

Murrell-Ross, who hails from St. David, Grenada, is ranked first nationally in the shot put at 16.30m (53-5¾) and fourth in the weight throw at 16.19m (53-1½). That mark in the shot put has her ranked third in NJCAA history and won the event title at the Region VI Championships.  

MIDWEST REGION – Miracle Ailes – Iowa Western CC

Ailes, who hails from Keokuk, Iowa, broke the NJCAA record in the high jump when she cleared 1.87m (6-1½) at the Northwest Missouri Open. She is ranked first nationally both in that event, as well as the long jump at 6.17m (20-3). Ailes scored 20 points in field events at the Region XI Indoor Championships thanks to winning both the high jump and the long jump.

WEST REGION – Aaliyah Lindsay – New Mexico JC

Lindsay, who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, is ranked among the national top-10 in both horizontal jumps – triple jump (No. 4, 11.93m/39-1¾) and long jump (No. 7, 5.74m/18-10) – and the pentathlon (No. 8, 3040 points).

Women’s Coach of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Lionel Leach – Essex County (N.J.)

Leach, in his fifth year at Essex County (N.J.), led his athletes to 15 top-10 event rankings in the Atlantic Region, with five of those marks leading the region. On the national level, Leach’s athletes hold three top-10 rankings, including two that sit within the top-5.

CENTRAL REGION – David Schenek – Barton (Kan.) CC

Schenek, in his 16th year at Barton (Kan.) CC, led the Cougars to the team title at the NJCAA Region VI Championships. Schenek’s athletes won seven events and set two region championship records.

MIDWEST REGION – Dee Brown – Iowa Central CC

Brown, in his 19th year at Iowa Central CC, led the Tritons to the team title at the Region XI Championships and had 12 event champions. Brown coached Chloe Garcia Grafing and Taylor McCreedy to a combined four individual titles, in addition to two relay crowns.

WEST REGION – Keith Blackwill – New Mexico JC

Blackwill, in his 17th year at New Mexico JC, had the Thunderbirds ranked No. 1 in the National TFRI all season long.

Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Eddie Green – Essex County (N.J.)

Green, in his third year at Essex Country (N.J.), coached Wolverine athletes to five No. 1 rankings in the Atlantic Region. His squad of just six athletes was led by Jelese Alexander, who ranked in the national top-10 in three events – pentathlon (No. 5), high jump (No. 6) and 400 (No. 9).

CENTRAL REGION – Ted Schmitz – Cloud County (Kan.) CC

Schmitz, in his 43^rd year as associate head coach at Cloud County (Kan.) CC, coached T-Bird athletes to 11 NJCAA qualifying marks, all in the top-10 for their event. His athletes combined for 64 of the team’s 153 points at the Region VI Indoor Championships.

MIDWEST REGION – Jonathan Alexis – Iowa Central CC

Alexis, in his third year as assistant coach at Iowa Central CC, coached Triton athletes to capture five individual titles at the Region XI Indoor Championships, including 1-2-3 sweeps of the triple jump and pentathlon. His pentathletes are rated No. 1 in the #EventSquad Rankings, while his high jumpers (No. 3) and long jumpers (No. 4) are also in the top-5.

WEST REGION – Arman Hall – New Mexico JC

Hall, in his first year as assistant coach at New Mexico JC, coached T-Bird athletes to No. 1 #EventSquad Rankings in four events – 200, 400, 600 and 800. Nine of his athletes have qualified to the NJCAA Indoor Championships in a total of 18 events.