Award History
NCAA DI ITF National Awards2025 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field National Awards
NEW ORLEANS – National Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2025 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field season were announced on Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Member coaches voted on these honors following the conclusion of 2025 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships two weeks ago in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but considered performances throughout the season when voting on these honors.
National Women's Coach of the Year
Jerry Schumacher was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Coach of the Year. Schumacher, in his third year as Head Coach at Oregon, led the Ducks to the team title at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships, scoring 55 points in six events. Oregon had a national champion in Wilma Nielsen (mile) and five runner-up finishes with two by Jadyn Mays (60 and 200 meters). The Ducks also won the team title at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, winning four events.
National Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Isabella Whittaker was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Track Athlete of the Year. Whittaker, who hails from Laurel, Maryland, set an American and collegiate record of 49.48 in winning the 400 meters at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships. She also ripped two laps in 49.70 as part of Arkansas’s 4×400 relay, which got the baton around in 3:25.20 for the fifth fastest mark in world history. Earlier in the season, Whittaker went sub-50 for the first time in 49.90 in a runner-up effort at the 2025 SEC Indoor Championships.
National Men's Track Athlete of the Year
Ethan Strand was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Track Athlete of the Year. Strand, who hails from Vestavia, Alabama, is the only athlete in collegiate history to hold collegiate records in both the mile and 3000 meters. He shattered the 3000-meter CR when he went 7:30.15 back in December at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. Then he went 3:48.32 in the mile to take down that CR at the John Thomas Terrier Classic. Fast forward to the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships in March and he won the NCAA 3000-meter title in a race that featured the top-seven fastest men in collegiate history.
National Men's Coach of the Year
Quincy Watts was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Coach of the Year. Watts, in his fourth year as Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at Southern California, led the Trojans to the team title at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships, scoring 39 points and collecting 14 First-Team All-America honors. USC, which set 19 all-time program top-10 marks this season, was also runner-up at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, winning four events.
National Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
Shalane Flanagan was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Assistant Coach of the Year. Flanagan, in her third year with the Ducks, helped lead the squad to the national title in leading a middle distance and distance crew that accounted for 23 points at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships. Scoring 15 points in the Mile, Wilma Nielsen was crowned the champion while Silan Ayyildiz placed fourth. The Ducks’ DMR placed runner-up at NCAAs and set the collegiate record earlier in the season (10:42.05). The distance group 79 points en route to team victory at the Big Ten Championships.
National Women's Field Athlete of the Year
Amanda Moll was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Field Athlete of the Year. Moll, who hails from Olympia, Washington, rewrote the record book in the pole vault throughout the indoor season that saw her cap it with an event title at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships. The Washington standout topped 16 feet twice this season, once at 4.88m (16-0) to take down the collegiate record at the Don Kirby Collegiate Elite; then again at 4.91m (16-1¼) to improve that mark at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
Ken Harnden was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Assistant Coach of the Year. Harnden, in his third year as Associate Head Coach at Auburn, coached six Tiger sprinter/hurdlers to earn individual All-America honors at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships. Four of his athletes finished in the top-3, led by Ja’Kobe Tharp winning the 60-meter hurdles in 7.45 (No. =5 all-time collegiately). His sprinters claimed two of the top-3 in the 60 with Kanyinsola Ajayi’s runner-up finish matching that of Makanakaishe Charamba in the 200.
National Men's Field Athlete of the Year
Daniel Reynolds was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Field Athlete of the Year. Reynolds, who hails from Granby, Colorado, won the weight throw with a new meet record of 25.08m (82-3½) at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships. That effort was the second best heave in collegiate history and helped cap an undefeated season for the senior, which also included a sweep of the throwing events at the Mountain West Indoor Championships (Reynolds won the weight throw at that meet with a mark of 25.06m (82-2¾) for what was the second best mark in collegiate history at the time).