USTFCCCA Awards
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA April 29, 2024   

M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week (April 29, 2024)

NEW ORLEANS — Collegiate records didn’t stand a chance.

All-time marks also poured in throughout the weekend.

Here are our M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week for April 29, 2024!

  • NCAA Division I Men — Villanova 4xMile
  • NCAA Division I Women — Harvard DMR
  • NCAA Division II Men — Shemar Palmer, Fresno Pacific
  • NCAA Division II Women — Denisha Cartwright, Minnesota State
  • NCAA Division III Men — Christian Patzka, UW-Whitewater
  • NCAA Division III Women — Fiona Smith, Saint Benedict
  • NAIA Men — Payton Mauldin, Dordt (Iowa)
  • NAIA Women — Hannah Antkoviak, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
  • NJCAA Division I Men — Tapiwanashe Makarawu, New Mexico JC
  • NJCAA Division I Women — Anita Afrifa, Colby (Kan.) CC
  • NJCAA Division III Men — Bradley Ahrens, Mineral Area (Mo.)
  • NJCAA Division III Women — Lilly Alberts, Harper (Ill.)

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 – Villanova 4xMile

Oregon’s collegiate record in the 4xMile didn’t stand a chance.

Villanova demolished the Ducks’ 15-year-old CR by nearly 18 seconds with its 15:51.91 clocking in the College Men’s Championship of America at the Penn Relays. It was also the second-fastest mark in world history behind the 15:49.08 that the Irish national team put down in 1985.

Sean Donoghue, Charlie O’Donovan, Marco Langon and Liam Murphy had to work for it, though, as it was a competitive race throughout the proceedings. Murphy was first to the line after a 3:54.32 anchor leg that sent the Wildcats ahead of Virginia (15:52.30) and Georgetown (15:52.56). Of note is that the Hoyas’s all-U.S. team took down the American outdoor record of 16:08.54.

It was a remarkable weekend for Villanova, as it won its 22nd wheel in the 4xMile, one day after securing its 26th wheel in the distance medley relay. Murphy is a thread that ties them both together, as he anchored both foursomes for the Wildcats.

This is the second time in program history that male athletes from Villanova has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Former six-time All-American Jordy Willamsz took home the national weekly honor back on April 28, 2015.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Harvard DMR

Move over, Villanova.

You too, Washington.

Harvard now has the best distance medley relay in collegiate history.

The Crimson, with 2024 NCAA DI mile champion Maia Ramsden on anchor set an absolute collegiate record in the event at the Penn Relays on Friday. Harvard’s quartet got the baton around in 10:37.55, which obliterated Villanova’s 36-year-old outdoor CR by nearly 11 seconds and surpassed Washington’s indoor CR by nearly six seconds. This was also the Crimson’s first wheel in program history and the university’s first since 1936.

Sophia Gorriaran handed off the baton to Chloe Fair in seventh place after a 3:20.36 split over 1200 meters. Fair brought the Crimson up to fourth with a 53.20 split over 400 meters, followed by Victoria Bossong’s 2:02.54 marker on the third leg, which kept Harvard in third. Ramsden showed why she is the premier collegiate miler with a 4:21.47 anchor that sent the Crimson past both eventual runner-up Providence (10:39.04) and eventual third-placer Virginia (10:48.55).

This is the third time in program history that female athletes have been named M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week during the outdoor season. The quartet joins Gabby Thomas (May 8, 2018) and Courtney Smith (April 5, 2016) as past recipients of the national weekly honor.

NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Shemar Palmer, Fresno Pacific

Sophomore | Sprints

Shemar Palmer put the team on his back this weekend. 

Scoring 24 points across four events at the 2024 PacWest Track and Field Championships, the second year Sunbird departed Santa Barbara a champion in the 200 meters and the 400 meters. Palmer dusted the field in the latter event, dipping under 46 seconds for the first time in his career to finish 45.89, more than a second ahead of the next finisher. Opting for a bit more drama in the shorter race, he narrowly edged out Ajani Ince at the line  – 20.66 to 20.73 – to secure ten more points for FPU and capture the national lead. 

But wait, there’s more! Palmer proceeded to grab second place as a member of two relay teams: the 4×100 meters, which ran 41.14, and the 4×400 meters, which ran 3:09.12. 

This is the second time in program history that a male athlete from Fresno Pacific has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the Outdoor Track and Field season. Palmer joins Dejan Mileusnic who laid claim to the title on March 21, 2023.

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Denisha Cartwright, Minnesota State

Graduate Student | Sprints
Nassau, Bahamas

Denisha Cartwright wasn’t bound by relays this past weekend at the Drake Relays – but she did excel in them, too.

Cartwright dazzled all weekend, especially in the 100-meter hurdles where her slightly wind-aided 12.71 (+2.1) made her the third-fastest all-conditions performer in NCAA DII history.

That was her lone individual event of the meet, as she spent the rest of her weekend alongside a host of teammates in the 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, and sprint medley relay. The Mavericks sped past the line on their way to posting 44.76, 3:41.06, and 3:53.79 marks, respectively, collecting two wins in the process. 

This is the second time in program history that a female athlete from Minnesota State has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Cartwright joins three-time honoree Makayla Jackson who laid claim to the title on April 15, 2022, May 17, 2022, and April 18, 2023.

NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Christian Patzka, UW-Whitewater

Junior | Distance
Black Earth, Wisconsin

Steeplechase? 5000 meters?

It doesn’t matter: Christian Patzka makes history.

Patzka ripped through 5000 meters at the Gary Wilson Invitational in 13:51.23 to move up to No. 2 on the all-time divisional chart behind Alex Phillip’s record of 13:47.41. He had previously been ninth all-time before setting an outright PR by 0.70 seconds (Patzka ran 13:51.93 indoors).

There is a logjam at the top of the all-time list with Patzka, Dhruvil Patel and Spencer Moon all separated by just 0.42 seconds from second to fourth. Patel ran his 13:41.50 back in 2019, while Moon added his 13:51.65 marker to the ledger earlier this month.

Patzka isn’t a stranger to history this year. He went 8:43.98 in the steeplechase at the Bryan Clay Invitational for the fifth fastest performance in NCAA DIII history. He was already the second fastest man in divisional annals with his 8:42.46 clocking to win the NCAA title last year (That stood as the NCAA DIII record for all of one week until Christopher Collet covered the distance and cleared the barriers in 8:38.46).

This is the second time in program history that a male athlete from UW-Whitewater has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Patzka joins Parker Witt, who was honored on May 9, 2017, in that regard.

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Fiona Smith, Saint Benedict

Senior | Distance
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Fiona Smith won’t slow down.

Smith became just the second woman in NCAA DIII history to go sub-16 minutes both indoors and outdoors in the 5000 meters with her 15:53.27 effort this past weekend at the Drake Relays. She joined former Loras standout Kassie Parker in that regard (Of note: Smith is the only one to do so on a record-legal track in both venues; Parker ran hers on an oversized oval indoors). Under a roof, Smith went 15:50.48 for her outright PR in December at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener.

Earlier this season, Smith also turned in a 32:57.28 clocking over 10,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational for the second-fastest performance in NCAA DIII history.

This is the second time this year – and third time in her career – that Smith has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NAIA MEN – Payton Mauldin, Dordt (Iowa)

Senior | 400/800
George, Iowa

Payton Mauldin has been concentrating on the sprints for the last month, and it showed at the Drake Relays with two titles.

First, Mauldin won the 400 meters on Friday in a PR 46.38 to improve his status of NAIA leader, knocking 0.11 seconds off his 46.49 from March.

Then, on Saturday, Mauldin anchored the Defenders’ 4×400 relay to a come-from-behind victory. Mauldin split an eye-opening 45.29 as Dordt (Iowa) finished in a school-record time of 3:09.43.

Don’t forget Mauldin at longer distances. He is the reigning NAIA Indoor champion at 600 meters and has a 1:49.07 PR in the 800, set at last year’s Drake Relays.

This is the second time in his career that Mauldin has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week. He also earned the national weekly honor after the Drake Relays last year.

NAIA WOMEN – Hannah Antkoviak, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)

Junior | Hurdles
Allegan, Michigan

Hannah Antkoviak continues to impress in the 400-meter hurdles.

Antkoviak won her first-ever Drake Relays title, improving on last year’s second-place finish in superb fashion by breaking her own NAIA record with a time of 56.20. That bettered the old best of 56.71 set in winning last year’s NAIA Outdoor Championships. Antkoviak now has each of the top-6 marks in NAIA history and eight of the top-10.

This is the fourth time that a female athlete from Olivet Nazarene has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season, as Antkoviak earned the honor once earlier this year and twice last year.

NJCAA DIVISION I MEN – Tapiwanashe Makarawu, New Mexico JC

Sophomore | Sprints
Harare, Zimbabwe

When Tapiwanashe “Carlie” Makarawu runs his best times, you know they must be special.

He did so twice at Texas Tech’s Corky/Crofoot Shootout.

Most notable was his wind-legal 19.93 PR in the 200 meters, which is the No. 2 performance among collegians from all divisions and sits No. 3 in NJCAA history. Makarawu also clocked a wind-aided 10.02 in the 100 meters to move to the top of the NJCAA DI qualifying list. (His legal best in the 100 remains the 10.05 he ran to win the NJCAA Division I title last year.)

This is the seventh time that a male athlete from New Mexico has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Makarawu, who also earned the honor earlier this year plus once last year, joins Donald Chiyangwa (twice in 2023) and Andrei Romanov (twice in 2021) in that regard.

NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Anita Afrifa, Colby (Kan.) CC

Freshman | Sprints
Kumasi, Ghana

For the first time this spring, Anita Afrifa was able to concentrate on just one event.

The result was an easy victory in the 200 meters as her wind-aided time of 22.97 was the fastest at Fort Hays State’s Alex Francis Classic by 1.53 seconds. The mark also made her just the fourth NJCAA woman to run sub-23 under any conditions. She remains the wind-legal seasonal list leader at 23.42 from March.

Afrifa – undefeated by collegians of any division at any distance outdoors – also leads the NJCAA 100 with a wind-aided 11.44w, while her wind-legal best is 11.66.

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

NJCAA DIVISION III MEN – Bradley Ahrens, Mineral Area (Mo.)

Sophomore | Mid-Distances
Imperial, Missouri

Bradley Ahrens ran the 1500/800 double for the first time in over a month and had a pair of impressive performances at Indiana State’s Sycamore Open.

Ahrens, the reigning NJCAA Outdoor Division III champion, ran 3:57.45 for second place in the 1500 to strengthen his position as DIII list leader with a time that would have won any of the last three DIII titles.

Some 90 minutes later, Ahrens battled to win the 800 by just 0.01 seconds in 1:56.42, a time bettered this year among DIII athletes only by his own 1:54.97 while running fresh.

This is the sixth time that a male athlete from Mineral Area has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Ahrens, who earned the honor once last year, joins Trenton Braswell (2024), Sie’ntez Lerma (2023) and Donovan Denslow (twice in 2021) in that regard.

NJCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Lilly Alberts, Harper (Ill.)

Sophomore | Mid-Distances
Richmond, Illinois

Lilly Alberts prevailed in a head-to-head matchup of multiple NJCAA Division III list leaders at the Elmhurst Twilight Invitational.

Alberts, who leads the nation in the 800 meters and 1500 meters, dropped down in distance to face Ellie Logsdon of the College of DuPage (Ill.) over 400 meters. Logsdon was the national leader in the 400, as well as the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400-meter hurdles.

Notice how we said she “was” the national leader in the 400. That’s because Alberts won in a PR 56.09 ahead of Logsdon’s 57.70. Both of those marks would have easily won the last three DIII titles.

This is the seventh time that a female athlete from Harper has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Alberts, who earned the honor earlier this year and twice last year, joins Isabella Wojciechowski (2024) and Natalie Cook (twice in 2018) in that regard. It’s the 12th such award for Alberts across all sports, adding to seven in cross country and one in indoor track & field.