USTFCCCA Awards
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA March 26, 2024   

M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week (March 26, 2024)

NEW ORLEANS – Welcome to the outdoor season.

Here are the M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week in collegiate track & field for March 26, 2024.

  • NCAA Division I Men – Nico Young, Northern Arizona
  • NCAA Division I Women – Cynteria James, South Carolina
  • NCAA Division II Men – Evans Yamoah, Central Missouri
  • NCAA Division II Women – Brynn King, Roberts Wesleyan
  • NCAA Division III Men – Dontre Sinegal, McMurry
  • NCAA Division III Women – Audrey MacLean, Middlebury
  • NAIA Men – Tajean Houston, Texas Wesleyan
  • NAIA Women – Salieci Myles, William Carey (Miss.)
  • NJCAA Division I Men – Dominick Brister, Glendale (Ariz.) CC
  • NJCAA Division I Women – Lovina Ewusi, Western Texas
  • NJCAA Division III Men – Trenton Braswell, Mineral Area (Mo.)
  • NJCAA Division III Women – Kayla Franklin, Camden County (N.J.)

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 – Nico Young, Northern Arizona

Junior | Distance
Camarillo, California

Take a bow, Nico Young.

And hopefully a much-needed break.

While many were sleeping back on March 16, the two-time NCAA champion from Northern Arizona shattered Sam Chelanga’s nearly 14-year-old collegiate record in the 10,000 meters at The TEN. Young traversed 25 laps in 26:52.72, taking nearly 16 seconds off Chelanga’s previous all-time best of 27:08.49.

That came exactly one week after Young completed the distance double at the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships with victories in both the 3000 meters and 5000 meters. Young also took down the collegiate record in the indoor 5000 with his 12:57.14 clocking back in January.

Young is the second male athlete from Northern Arizona to be named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. He joins Abdihamid Nur, who earned national weekly honors on May 10, 2022, in that regard.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Cynteria James, South Carolina

Freshman | Sprints
Miami, Florida

11.01 in the 100 meters is fast.

11.01 in the 100 meters in March is historically fast.

Cynteria James clocked the fastest wind-legal, 100-meter mark in collegiate history this past weekend at the Weems Baskin Invitational. James is also one of the quickest freshmen on the all-time chart, ranking fourth behind the likes of 2019 The Bowerman winner Sha’Carri Richardson, TeeTee Terry of Southern California and Grace Nwokocha of North Carolina A&T.

This is the second time in program history that a female athlete from South Carolina has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. James joins Jeannelle Scheper, who was honored on March 24, 2015, in that regard.

NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Evans Yamoah, Central Missouri

Redshirt Senior | Jumps
Accra, Ghana

Evans Yamoah is making headlines on an international level. 

The redshirt senior, who hails from Accra, Ghana, spent his first weekend of competition of the 2024 outdoor season at the African Games, and it did not disappoint. Yamoah returned to Central Missouri a champion in the high jump, being the only one in the field to clear 2.23m (7-3¾). His mark lies a single centimeter from the Ghana national record of 2.24 (7-4¼) meters which has stood since 1996, and currently sits number one throughout the entire continent. 

Yamoah displayed remarkable consistency on his way to the gold medal, as he required just a single jump on all but one of the previous heights. He beat out a fierce field which included Mpho Benjamin and Hammouda Saad, former bronze and silver medalists at the event. This performance lands him second on the all-collegiate list behind Carter Bajoit of Texas A&M who soared to 2.25 (7-4½) meters a week prior. 

This is the second time in program history that a male athlete from Central Missouri has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the Outdoor Track and Field season. Yamoah joins Cole Phillips who laid claim to the title on April 11, 2017.

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Brynn King, Roberts Wesleyan

Fifth Year | Pole Vault
The Woodlands, Texas

Apparently, taking a break is not on Brynn King’s to-do list.

Just weeks after winning the 2024 NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships pole vault title, the Roberts Wesleyan stadnout took her talents outdoors, and soared to 4.60m (15-1) at the Redhawk Invitational. The milestone has King sitting as the No. 11 all-time collegiate performer, No. 1 current collegiate performer, and sounds pretty nice alongside yet another Division II record. 

The fifth-year is leaps and bounds above where she was one year prior, as competing for Duke University, King only managed to touch 4.08m (13-5) outdoors. Now, she’s a few centimeters off her historic indoor mark of 4.65m (15-3) and the season is only beginning to warm up. 

This is the first time that King has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the Outdoor Track and Field season. King previously earned national weekly honors on four consecutive occasions that spanned from December 5 to January 23.

NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Dontre Sinegal, McMurry

Junior | Hurdles/Jumps
Benbrook, Texas

Dontre Sinegal is proving to be one of the best combo athletes in NCAA DIII this year.

Sinegal, fresh off three First-Team All-America honors at the 2024 NCAA DIII Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 60-meter hurdles and both horizontal jumps, climbed to the top of the seasonal Descending Order Lists in two events through the first three weeks of the season.

The McMurry standout opened the campaign with a wind-legal mark of 15.22m (49-11¼) in the triple jump at the Trinity Invitational and clocked an all-conditions PR of 14.10 (-1.0) in the 110-meter hurdles this past weekend at the TLU D3 Challenge. If this was last year, Sinegal would have already locked up a spot at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships in the hurdles, as his effort would have topped the year-end seasonal Descending Order List.

This is the second time in program history that a male athlete from McMurry has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Sinegal joins Jayden Sloan, who took home national weekly honors on May 4, 2021, in that regard.

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Audrey MacLean, Middlebury

Freshman | Distance
Tiburon, California

Audrey MacLean didn’t wait to leave her mark this outdoor season.

The Middlebury freshman is a two-event national leader in the 5000 meters and steeplechase. MacLean went 17:17.26 in the 5000 meters two weeks ago at the Ross and Sharon Iwin Collegiate Track & Field and followed that up with a 10:50.74 effort in the steeplechase at the Mangrum Invitational this past weekend.

MacLean was the top finishing freshman at the NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships back in November. MacLean took tenth overall.

This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Middlebury has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NAIA MEN – Tajean Houston, Texas Wesleyan

Junior | Hurdles
Kingston, Jamaica

Tajean Houston started this year right where he left off last year – only faster.

Houston won the 110-meter hurdles in a PR 13.83 at Baylor’s Clyde Hart Classic. That bettered his previous best of 13.87 achieved in winning last year’s NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He hasn’t lost a hurdles race at any distance to another collegian since March 16 of last year, including winning the 60 hurdles at the NAIA Indoor Championships earlier this month.

This is the first time that a male or female athlete from Texas Wesleyan has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NAIA WOMEN – Salieci Myles, William Carey (Miss.)

Junior | Hurdles
Westmoreland, Jamaica

Salieci Myles has a big lead on this year’s NAIA list in the 100 hurdles at 0.83 seconds, and it’s no surprise.

Myles’ season-leading time of 13.35, setting while taking third at the Bulldog Alumni Relays, is the third-fastest known performance in NAIA history. She has the two performances faster – 13.28 and 13.31 to win last year’s NAIA Outdoor Championships and Stars & Stripes Athletic Conference Championships, respectively.

This is the second time that a female athlete from William Carey has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season as Myles earned the honor last year also.

NJCAA DIVISION I MEN – Dominick Brister, Glendale (Ariz.) CC

Sophomore | Sprints
Peoria, Arizona

Dominick Brister knew a fast 200 was coming outdoors – he just didn’t know how fast.

He got his answer with a 20.37-second clocking at the Willie Williams Classic, winning his section and finishing second overall as the top collegian.

Brister’s previous best of 20.76 came while earning runner-up honors earlier this month at the NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. He leads this year’s NJCAA list in the 200 and rates No. 4 with PRs in two other events – the 100 at 10.32 and the 400 at 47.36, the latter his debut in the event.

This is the first time that a male or female athlete from Glendale has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Lovina Ewusi, Western Texas

Freshman | Hurdles/Sprints
Ghana

Lovina Ewusi opened up the outdoor season with a pair of wins at the Wes Kittley Invitational, sweeping the 100 hurdles (13.87) and 400 hurdles (1:01.84) – her 100H time leads this year’s NJCAA list while the 400H mark rates No. 3. Last weekend, she added another high ranking – No. 2 in the 200 with a wind-aided 23.86 while finishing third at the Masked Rider Open.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the versatile Ewusi in the 4×400 when Western Texas contests the event outdoors as she was on the Westerners’ runner-up squad at the NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships earlier this month (along with placing second and fourth in the 60 hurdles and 200, respectively).

This is the sixth time that a female athlete from Western Texas has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Ewusi joins Grace Obour (2023), Abigail Kwarteng (three times in 2018) and Janet Amponsah (2015) in that regard.

NJCAA DIVISION III MEN – Trenton Braswell, Mineral Area

Sophomore | Throws
Marble Hill, Missouri

Trenton Braswell had a unique result when he competed in all four throwing events at Missouri S&T’s Miner Invitational.

His efforts gave him the seasonal NJCAA lead all four times, topped by PRs in the discus at 46.25m (151-9) and hammer at 46.00m (150-11). He also had marks of 14.40m (47-3) in the shot put and 51.41m (168-8) in the javelin.

Braswell placed in all four events at last year’s NJCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, placing second in the discus, third in both the shot and javelin and fifth in the hammer. Of note, his discus mark at the Miner Invitational would have won the NJCAA DIII title in each of the last three years.

This is the fifth time that a male athlete from Mineral Area has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Braswell joins Sie’ntez Lerma (2023), Bradley Ahrens (2023) and Donovan Denslow (twice in 2022) in that regard.

NJCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Kayla Franklin, Camden County (N.J.)

Sophomore | Throws
Somerdale, New Jersey

Kayla Franklin started off the outdoor season with a big head-to-head matchup in three throwing events at the Towson Spring Opener in mid-March.

Franklin went up against three-event NJCAA DIII champ Kara Knorr of RCSJ Gloucester (N.J.) and not only came up with two wins but two national-leading performances as well. Franklin won the shot put at 11.03m (36-2¼) and discus at 34.59m (113-6) to defeat her rival, while losing only the javelin at 29.03m (95-3) with a mark that has her No. 3 on this year’s NJCAA DIII list in that event.

This is the first time that a female or male athlete from Camden County has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.