Award History
NJCAA ITF Regional Awards2025 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Regional Awards
NEW ORLEANS — Here are the Regional Athletes & Coaches of the Year for the 2025 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field season!
Men’s Track Athlete of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION – Tinashe Bure – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)
Bure, who hails from Johannesburg, South Africa, qualified in a region-high four events for the 2025 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships: 800 meters, 1000 meters, 4×400 relay and the distance medley relay. He was ranked among the top-20 athletes nationally in both the 800 meters (No. 14, 1:52.47) and 1000 meters (No. 16, 2:27.41).
CENTRAL REGION – Ishmael Acheampong – Butler (Kan.) CC
Acheampoing, who hails from Kumasi, Ghana, was the High Point Scorer at the Region VI Indoor Championships. He qualified in five events for the 2025 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, including the 800 meters, where he ranks ninth nationally at 1:51.83.
MIDWEST REGION – Raynier Galvez – Indian Hills (Iowa) CC
Galvez, who hails from Paterson, New Jersey, is ranked first nationally in both the 600 meters at 1:16.70 and the 800 meters at 1:48.34. Not only that, but Galvez is among the top athletes in NJCAA history in both events on an all-conditions basis: No. 2 in the 600 yards; No. 3 in the 800 meters. Galvez is also a member of two highly-ranked relays in the 4×400 and distance medley.
WEST REGION – Bovel McPherson – New Mexico JC
Bovel, who hails from Manchester, Jamaica, is ranked first nationally in the 400 meters and third nationally in the 200 meters. His 45.93 mark in the 400 meters that he ran at the Jarvis Scott Open is an NMJC school record and puts him second on the NJCAA all-time chart.
Men’s Field Athlete of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION – Zalen Wiggins – Richard Bland (Va.)
Wiggins, who hails from Dinwiddie, Virginia, owns the top national rank among all field athletes in the Atlantic Region. He is 16th in the long jump with his PR 7.16m (23-6) effort.
CENTRAL REGION – Trevon Hamer – Barton (Kan.) CC
Hamer, who hails from Georgetown, Guyana, is ranked among the national leaders in both the long jump and triple jump with marks that he notched at the Region VI Indoor Championships. He tops the chart in the triple jump at 16.25m (53-3¾), which also puts him among the top-10 athletes in NJCAA history. Hamer is fourth in the long jump at 7.59m (24-11). He won the triple jump and finished second in the long jump at the Region VI Indoor Championships.
MIDWEST REGION – Tate Joens – Indian Hills (Iowa) CC
Joens, who hails from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is ranked second nationally in both the shot put and weight throw. He swept the throwing events at the Region 11 Indoor Championships and took down the meet record in the shot put with his PR heave of 18.04m (59-2¼).
WEST REGION – Tafadzwa Chikomba – Meridian (Miss.) CC
Chikomba, who hails from Chiredzi, Zimbabwe, went undefeated through the regular season in the long jump and soared 8.05m (26-5) at the Music City Challenge for the best mark by an NJCAA athlete since 1995. He also posted marks of 8.01m (26-3½) and 7.95m (26-1), which rank No. 5 and No. 7 on the all-time chart.
Men’s Coach of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION – Shirvon Greene – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)
Greene, in his 16th year as Head Coach at Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.), led the Mustangs to the No. 1 ranking in the Atlantic Region. His athletes hold No. 1 rankings in a region-high six events – 800, 1000, Mile, 3000, 4×400 and DMR – and have a region-high 10 qualifiers to the national championships.
CENTRAL REGION – Robert Spies – Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
Spies, in his sixth year as Head Coach at Hutchinson (Kan.) CC, led the Blue Dragons to the program’s first-ever team title at the Region 6 Indoor Championships, winning four events and scoring in 13 of 20 events. Hutchinson qualified 18 individuals and one relay to the national championships.
MIDWEST REGION – Brent Ewing – Indian Hills (Iowa) CC
Ewing, in his seventh year as Head Coach at Indian Hills (Iowa) CC, led the Warriors to a region-high No. 3 national ranking after three weeks in the No. 1 position earlier in the season. Indian Hills finished third in the Region 11 Indoor Championships, winning five events. Four of Indian Hills’ event groupings rate No. 1 in the national #EventSquad rankings.
WEST REGION – Wes Miller – South Plains (Texas)
Miller, in his first year as Head Coach at South Plains (Texas), led the Texans to the No. 1 national ranking. South Plains leads the national in four events – 200, 60H, SP and 4×400, including the national record-setter in the 60H, and has four top-5 ranked #EventSquad groupings – 60, 200, PV and LJ.
Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION – Shanique McKenzie-Daniel – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)
McKenzie-Daniel, in her first year as assistant coach at Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.), coached the Mustang sprinters and middle-distance runners to leading a region-high six events – 800, 1000, Mile, 3000, 4×400 and DMR. She also assisted in producing a region-high 10 qualifiers to the national championships across six events.
CENTRAL REGION – Greg Franklin – Allen (Kan.) CC
Franklin, in his first year as assistant coach at Allen (Kan.) CC, coached the Red Devils’ sprinters/hurdlers to account for all 42 of the program’s points at the Region 6 Indoor Championships. His athletes set school records in winning the 60 meters (leading a 1-2 finish) and 60-meter hurdles, and added a runner-up finish in the 4×400.
MIDWEST REGION – Marc Bierbaum – Iowa Western CC
Bierbaum, in his seventh year as Director of Cross Country/Track & Field, coached the Reivers’ distance runners to 19 individual national qualifying marks and two relays. His athletes set school records in the 1000 and DMR, with the latter setting the No. 2 time in NJCAA history on tracks of all sizes.
WEST REGION – Kathleen Raske – New Mexico JC
Raske, in her first year as men’s assistant coach at New Mexico JC, coached the T-Birds’ sprinters to three national No. 1 #EventSquad rankings – 60, 200 and 400 – with the 600 group rating No. 2. Her sprinters and hurdlers set two new school records and established 20 all-time top-10 school marks while combining for multiple qualifiers to the nationals championships in the 60 (five), 200 (seven) and 400 (six) while the 4×400 is ranked No. 2 nationally.
Women’s Track Athlete of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION – Attoya Harvey – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)
Harvey, who hails from West Demerana, Guyana, qualified for the 2025 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in a region-high six events: 600 meters, 800 meters, 1000 meters, mile, 4×400 and distance medley relays. She is ranked first regionally in three of those individual events and among the top-10 nationally in two individual events.
CENTRAL REGION – N Vanee Anchike – Cloud County (Kan.) CC
Anchike, who hails from Kumasi, Ghana, tops the Descending Order List in the 1000 meters with her 2:52.39 clocking at the Graduate Classic. She scored 32.5 points at the Region VI Indoor Track & Field Championships with a trio of victories in individual events (mile, 3000 meters, 5000 meters) and a leg on the winning distance medley relay.
MIDWEST REGION – Juliana Sakat – Iowa Western CC
Sakat, who hails from Greater Accra Region, Ghana, set NJCAA and Ghana national records in the 5000 meters with her 16:20.80 effort at the Washburn Open & Multis. That is one of three individual events in which she holds school records: the mile and 3000 meters are the others, with her mile mark of 4:48.52 sitting as the fifth fastest all-conditions performance in NJCAA history. Sakat completed the 1000-3000-5000 sweep at the Region 11 Indoor Championships.
WEST REGION – Amal Kachouri – New Mexico JC
Kachouri, who hails from Sfax, Tunisia, headlines the Descending Order List in the 800 meters at 2:10.41c and sits third in the 1000 meters at 2:56.84. She is also among the nation’s top-10 fastest athletes in both the 600 meters and mile.
Women’s Field Athlete of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION – Brinel Thomas – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)
Thomas, who hails from St. Andrews, Grenada, soared 5.56m (18-7) in the long jump for the region’s best mark in that event. That also slots her in at 11th on the national chart.
CENTRAL REGION – Celine Riddle – Barton (Kan.) CC
Riddle, who hails from Ocho Rios, Jamaica, swept the horizontal jumps at the Region VI Indoor Championships and was named Women’s Field Athlete of the Meet. She ranks fourth nationally in the triple jump at 12.20m (40-½) and seventh nationally in the long jump at 5.80m (19-½).
MIDWEST REGION – Mercy Honesty – Iowa Western CC
Honesty, who hails from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, bounded an NJCAA-leading 12.95m (42-6) in the triple jump at the Region 11 Indoor Championships to break the school, meet and facility record and become the No. 9 performer in NJCAA history. She is undefeated in the triple jump this season and also ranks among the nation’s top-15 athletes in the long jump.
WEST REGION – Tania Da Silva – New Mexico JC
Da Silva, who hails from Porto Alegre, Brazil, launched the weight 20.82m (68-3¾) to notch the second best mark in NJCAA history. She also has the No. 5 performance at 19.81m (65-0).
Women’s Coach of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION – Shirvon Greene – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)
Greene, in his 16th year as Head Coach at Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.), led the Mustangs to the No. 1 ranking in the Atlantic Region. His athletes hold No. 1 rankings in a region-high nine events – 600, 800, 1000, Mile, 3000, 60H, 4×400 and DMR – and have a region-high eight qualifiers to the national championships.
CENTRAL REGION – Drew Mahin – Cloud County (Kan.) CC
Mahin, in his 13th year as Head Coach at Cloud County (Kan.) CC, led the Thunderbirds to the team title at the Region 6 Indoor Championships, winning nine events. Cloud County is ranked No. 2 nationally and accumulated 22 top-10 national marks, including No. 1 ratings in the 60, 600 and 1000.
MIDWEST REGION – Dee Brown – Iowa Central CC
Brown, in his 21st year as Director of Track & Field/Cross Country at Iowa Central CC, led the Tritons to a No. 5 national ranking, finishing within 10 points of winning the Region 11 Indoor Championships. Two of Iowa Central’s athletes combined for 57 points – Abbigail Hutchinson with 33 (highest among men and women) and Eden Brouwers with 24 (highest among women’s field eventers).
WEST REGION – Kathleen Raske – New Mexico JC
Raske, in her first year as Head Coach at New Mexico JC, led the T-Birds to the No. 1 national ranking. New Mexico amassed 47 NJCAA marks, with 23 athletes qualifying for the national championships, including national leaders in four events with No. 1 #EventSquad rankings in the 60 and 200.
Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION – Shanique McKenzie-Daniel – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.)
McKenzie-Daniel, in her first year as assistant coach at Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.), coached the Mustang athletes to leading a region-high nine events – 600, 800, 1000, Mile, 3000, 60H, LJ, 4×400 and DMR. She also assisted in producing a region-high eight qualifiers to the national championships across nine events.
CENTRAL REGION – Ted Schmitz – Cloud County (Kan.) CC
Schmitz, in his 43rd year as assistant coach at Cloud County (Kan.) CC, coached Thunderbird athletes to score 64.5 of Cloud County’s 175.5 points in winning the team title at the Region 6 Indoor Championships. His athletes won titles in six events – 200, 600, 800, HJ, 4×400 and DMR – and have the top-rated #EventSquad groups in three events – 600, 800 and 1000.
MIDWEST REGION – Marc Bierbaum – Iowa Western CC
Bierbaum, in his seventh year as Director of Cross Country/Track & Field, coached the Reivers’ distance runners to 18 individual national qualifying marks and two relays. His athletes set school records in the mile, 3000, 5000 and DMR, with the latter setting the fastest time in NJCAA history on tracks of all sizes.
WEST REGION – Jeff Becker – New Mexico JC
Becker, in his 14th year as assistant coach at New Mexico JC, coached T-Bird middle-distance and distance runners to several high national rankings – Nos. 1, 4 & 6 in the 800, Nos. 2 & 4 in the 1000, No. 5 in the mile, No. 1 in the DMR and No. 2 in the 4×800.