Award History
NAIA ITF National Awards2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Awards
NEW ORLEANS – National Athletes & Coaches of the Year for the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field season were announced on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
These awards were voted on by USTFCCCA member coaches following the conclusion of the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Brookings, South Dakota, based off performances at that meet, as well as throughout the rest of the season.
Only athletes and coaches from member institutions are eligible to win awards.
National Women's Field Athlete of the Year
Machaeda Linton was named the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year. Linton, who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, swept the horizonal jumps at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships, setting a meet record in the long jump of 6.03m (19-9½) in the process. She entered the NAIA Championships as the national leader in both horizontal jumps and earned conference titles in both of those events as well.
National Men's Field Athlete of the Year
Robert Atwater was named the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Men’s Field Athlete of the Year. Atwater, who hails from Detroit, Michigan, competed across four field events at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Brookings, South Dakota, ultimately winning the long jump and placing fourth in the heptathlon. He set PRs in both, soaring 7.52m (24-8¼) in the former and amassing 5111 points in the latter. Earlier in the season, Atwater totaled 23.5 points in field events at the GPAC Indoor Championships.
National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
Nate Wolf was named the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year. Wolf, in his ninth year as assistant coach at Dordt (Iowa), oversaw strong efforts by his charges at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships, where they scored 31 of the Defenders’ 41 points. Putting up points by the bushel wasn’t anything new to Wolf’s athletes: Dordt (Iowa) saw them amass 92 of the team’s 167 points at the GPAC Indoor Championships.
National Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Lisa Voyles was named the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. Voyles, who hails from Danville, Kentucky, scored 22 points at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships with a clean sweep of the 1000 meters and mile, as well as a leg on the runner-up distance medley relay. Voyles set a 1000-meter PR of 2:46.84 in the process. She entered the NAIA Championships as the national leader in both of those events that she won, plus top-10 rankings in both the 600 meters and 3000 meters.
National Women's Coach of the Year
Doug Edgar was named the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Women’s Coach of the Year. Edgar, in his 15th year at Indiana Tech, led the Warriors to their fourth consecutive team title at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Indiana Tech scored 88 points this year with national titles in four events and multiple scorers in several others. Earlier in the season, the Warriors won the team title at the WHAC Indoor Championships with 190 points. Indiana Tech maintained the No. 1 position in the National TFRI all season long.
National Men's Coach of the Year
Bradley Sowder was named the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Men’s Coach of the Year. Sowder, in his third year as head coach at Cumberlands (Ky.), led the Patriots to the team title at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Cumberlands (Ky.) left no doubt as to its prowess at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex as it totaled 80 points, nearly double that of the runner-up. The Patriots scored in seven events with multiple scorers in three. Earlier in the season, Cumberlands (Ky.) steamrolled the competition at the Mid-South Conference Indoor Championships, where it scored 295 points, 132 more than its closest pursuer.
National Men's Track Athlete of the Year
Luca Santorum was named the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year. Santorum, who hails from Rome, Italy, scored 22.5 points at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Brookings, South Dakota, to help lead Cumberlands (Ky.) to its first team title in program history. He won both the 1000 meters and mile and assisted on the first-place distance medley relay. Santorum’s 2:22.70 clocking in the 1000 set an NAIA all-time, all-conditions best. Earlier in the season, Santorum earned Mid-South Conference Athlete of the Year and Mid-South Conference Freshman of the Year honors.
National Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
Zonatvius Johnson was named the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year. Johnson, in his second year as assistant coach at Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), watched his athletes score all 28 of the Tigers’ points at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Brookings, South Dakota. Earlier in the season, Johnson’s athletes put up 106 points at the CCAC Indoor Championships and broke two meet records. His athletes ranked top-3 nationally in three events during the regular season and their event groups were top-4 in the national #EventSquad Rankings as well.