M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week (Dec. 12)
NEW ORLEANS – Do we really need to take a break?
Here are our M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week in collegiate track & field for December 12, 2023!
- NCAA Division I Men – Rivaldo Marshall, Iowa
- NCAA Division I Women – JaMeesia Ford, South Carolina
- NCAA Division II Men – Hunter Jones, Pittsburg State
- NCAA Division II Women – Brynn King, Roberts Wesleyan
- NCAA Division III Men – Joseph White, Carthage
- NCAA Division III Women – Grace Alley, Loras
- NAIA Men – Freider Fornasari-Banguera, Multnomah (Ore.)
- NAIA Women – April Phillips, Evangel (Mo.)
- NJCAA Men – Tyrice Taylor, Indian Hills (Iowa) CC
- NJCAA Women – Oarabile Tshosa, Indian Hills (Iowa) CC
Find out more about each of these athletes by 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 14 collegiate cross country athletes, when applicable (male and female for each of the three NCAA divisions, the NAIA 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 – Rivaldo Marshall, Iowa
Junior | Mid-Distance
Kingston, Jamaica
800 meters is still 800 meters.
Rivaldo Marshall is still dominating that distance.
Marshall – who won two 800-meter crowns while at Indian Hills (Iowa) CC, including the 2023 indoor crown, and transferred to Iowa this past offseason – set an early collegiate-leading mark of 1:47.83 at the Jimmy Grant Invitational. That was Marshall’s first home meet with Iowa.
This is the fourth M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week honor for Marshall in the past two years. Marshall earned three of them with the Warriors in 2023. He is now the first male athlete from Iowa to be named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.
NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – JaMeesia Ford, South Carolina
Freshman | Sprints
Fayetteville, North Carolina
JaMeesia Ford had a heck of a debut for South Carolina.
The Gamecock freshman went 35.83 over 300 meters at the Clemson Opener this past weekend to become the second-fastest performer in collegiate history behind 2022 The Bowerman winner Abby Steiner. That mark also tied the former collegiate record set by Merlene Ottey in 1981.
Ford certainly came to South Carolina as a heralded recruit. She is a multi-time NCHSAA champ and captured the 400-meter crown at the Nike Outdoor Nationals this past summer in 52.60.
This is the first time in program history that a female athlete from South Carolina has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.
NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Hunter Jones, Pittsburg State
Junior | Combined Events
Nickerson, Kansas
Hunter Jones was champing at the bit to compete.
There was no slowing him down once he stepped on the track this past weekend for the first event of the heptathlon at the Boo Rogers Combined Events.
Jones PR’d in the 60 meters (7.23), long jump (7.09m/23-3¼) and shot put (13.28m/43-7) on his way to a 5636-point total, which made him the seventh-best performer in NCAA DII history.
This is the third consecutive year that a male athlete from Pittsburg State has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.
NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Brynn King, Roberts Wesleyan
Grad Student | Pole Vault
The Woodlands, Texas
Brynn King keeps raising the bar.
King improved her NCAA DII record in the pole vault to 4.42m (14-6) this past weekend at the Nazareth Alumni Invitational. The Duke transfer entered the competition at 4.20m (13-9¼) and promptly topped that height on her way to a first-attempt clearance of 4.42m (14-6).
This is the second week in a row that King has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week. King is the first back-to-back award winner since Carly Muscaro back in 2017.
NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Joseph White, Carthage
Senior | Throws
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Joseph White is among the best in the nation.
He’s also among the elite in NCAA DIII history.
White improved his indoor PR in the shot put to 18.65m (61-2¼) at the Early Bird Open & Multi this past weekend to move up to No. 6 on the NCAA DIII all-time chart. His previous PR of 18.47m (60-7¼) came in a winning effort the NCAA Indoor Championships last year.
He is now a two-event division leader, also owning the top mark in the weight throw at 21.38m (70-1¾).
This is the third time in his career that White has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. He previously earned national honors twice in 2023.
NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Grace Alley, Loras
Grad Student | Combined Events
Seneca, Illinois
Grace Alley decided nine years was long enough for Amelia Campbell to hold the NCAA DIII pentathlon record, so she one-upped the former Carleton standout this past weekend.
Alley, competing at the Finals Week Invitational, amassed 3986 points to better Campbell’s former record by 72 points. It was also nearly 200 points more than any NCAA DIII athlete scored before March in division history (the previous best was 3794 points from 2020).
The Loras star notched a pair of PRs in the process: 1.74m (5-8½) in the high jump; 5.87m (19-3¼) in the long jump. Oh, Alley also won the triple jump at the St. Ambrose-hosted meet.
This is the second time that Alley has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. Alley previously earned national honors on December 14, 2022.
NAIA MEN – Freider Fornasari-Banguera, Multnomah (Ore.)
Senior | Sprints
Modena, Italy
Freider Fronasari-Banguera is ready to take the next step.
Fornasari-Banguera clocked a division-leading 6.70 PR in the 60 meters this past weekend at the Spokane Invitational. That came not long after he went 6.74 to place first in the prelims.
If the Multnomah (Ore.) standout keeps this up, he’ll make his first final at the NAIA Indoor Championships. Fornasari-Banguera was ninth at the NAIA Championships last year.
This is the second time in program history that a male athlete from Multnomah (Ore.) has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. Donte Sol earned the honor last year on February 14 following a blistering 6.61 effort in the 60 meters.
NAIA WOMEN – April Phillips, Evangel (Mo.)
Freshman | Jumps
Lee’s Summit, Missouri
April Phillips is already making a splash.
Phillips jumped a division-leading 1.74m (5-8½) this past weekend at the Crimson & Gold Invitational, a mark that would have won the event crown at the 2023 NAIA Championships. That came one week after she cleared 1.68m (5-6) at the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic in her debut. This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Evangel (Mo.) has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.
NJCAA MEN – Tyrice Taylor, Indian Hills (Iowa) CC
Sophomore | Mid-Distances
Linstead, Jamaica
For Tyrice Taylor it was another event, another national-leading mark – and another high ranking on the all-time NJCAA list.
Taylor won the 800 meters at the Iowa State Holiday Invitational in 1:48.49 to garner post the fastest time yet in the NJCAA this season. While the performance occurred on an oversized track, it moved him to No. 4 on the all-time, all-conditions NJCAA list in that event.
Last week Taylor clocked 1:09.34 in the 600 yards on a legal-sized track to lead the nation and vault to No. 5 all-time in that event as well. His absolute best in the 800 came last May, when he won the NJCAA Division I Outdoor 800 in 1:46.94, which is No. 5 on the outdoor all-time list as well.
This is the 10th time that a male athlete from Indian Hills has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. Taylor joins Traunard Folson (last week), Rivaldo Marshall (three times in 2022-23), Kendrick Winfield (2021-22), Kenny Bednarek (three times in 2018-19) and Nathan Winters (2016-17) in that regard.
NJCAA WOMEN – Oarabile Tshosa, Indian Hills (Iowa) CC
Sophomore | Sprints
Gaberone, Botswana
A week after bolting to the top of the national leader board in two events, Oarabile Tshosa reduced her schedule to just one event this past weekend.
The result was similar, as she improved her 200-meter best from 24.26 to 24.00 in winning the Iowa State Holiday Invitational.
Tshosa – who tops the 60-meter list this year with last week’s 7.41 – scored in three events for Barton (Kan.) CC in last May’s NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships, taking third in the 100, fourth in the 200 and running second leg on the winning 4×100 team.
This is the seventh time that a female athlete from Indian Hills has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. Tshosa joins herself (last week), Jahzara Hart (2022-23), Haleigh Hadley (2022-23), Kayla McCray (2021-22), Kahliyah Anderson (2021-22) and Tyaraa English-Paulson (2017-18) in that regard.