Award History
NAIA OTF National Awards2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Awards
NEW ORLEANS – National Athletes & Coaches of the Year for the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field season were announced on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches after the conclusion of the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Marion, Indiana. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.
National Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Briana Campbell was named the National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year for the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field season. Campbell, who hails from Jamaica, won scored 32 points at the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, sweeping the 100, 200 and 100 hurdles and running a leg on Life’s runner-up 4×100 relay team – all in the span of about 2½ hours. Her victory in the 100 hurdles came in lowering her own NAIA record to 13.01 (her third NAIA record in the event this year). Her wind-legal best this year in the 200 of 23.23 places her No. 5 all-time in NAIA history, and she had the year’s fastest 100 all-conditions NAIA performance at 11.38w with her win at the NAIA Championships.
National Men's Track Athlete of the Year
Zach Turner was named the National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year for the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field season. Turner, who hails from Crete, Nebraska, swept the 110-meter and 400-meter hurdle titles at the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships – his victory in the 110 hurdles in 13.72 breaking a 22-year-old meet record. Earlier in the season, he set the NAIA record in the 110 hurdles at 13.52 and now owns seven of the 11 fastest wind-legal times in NAIA history. In the 400 hurdles his best of 49.99 made him No. 2 all-time NAIA with the fastest time since 2005.
National Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
Tanner Gust was named the National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field season. Gust, in his third year as assistant coach at Dickinson State (N.D.), coached the Blue Hawks’ throwers to three All-American performances in helping the team to a program-best fourth-place finish at the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. His crew earned a No. 1 rating in the national #EventSquad Rankings in the discus, plus No. 2 in the shot put and hammer.
National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
Steve Weiler was named the National Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field season. Weiler, in his fourth year as Lead Endurance Coach at British Columbia, coached two of the Thunderbirds’ three event champions in winning the team title. Both of those titles were in leading 1-2 efforts – Dylan Ulrich and Maximillen Filion in steeplechase along with Lowell Solmes and Tyler Wilson in the 5000 race walk.
National Women's Coach of the Year
Laurier Primeau was named the National Women’s Coach of the Year for the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field season. Primeau, in his 10th year as head coach at British Columbia, led the Thunderbirds to the team title at the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with 105 points, winning six events for a fourth-straight title. For the Thunderbirds – unable to compete in 2020 (meet canceled) and 2021 (COVID-19 restrictions) – it was five in a row after winning in 2019.
National Men's Coach of the Year
Laurier Primeau was named the National Men’s Coach of the Year for the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field season. Primeau, in his 10th year as Head Coach at British Columbiaa, led the Thunderbirds to the team title at the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with 74 points, winning three events (most in the meet) and having two 1-2 finishes (steeplechase and 5000 race walk) along with a 1-3-5 in the javelin. UBC’s margin of victory – 21 points – was the largest in the meet since 2019, when the Thunderbirds last won the team title.
National Women's Field Athlete of the Year
Faith Duncan was named the National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year for the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field season. Duncan, who hails from Anderson, Indiana, set PRs in three events at the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, led by a victory in the shot put at 16.79m (55-1) that places her No. 3 all-time in NAIA history. She also set lifetime bests in the discus (runner-up at 49.76m/163-3, just 6cm/2” from winning) and hammer (52.62m/172-8). She swept River States Conference titles in all three events and was undefeated in the shot put this season.
National Men's Field Athlete of the Year
Christian Rios was named the National Men’s Field Athlete of the Year for the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field season. Rios, who hails from Highland, Indiana, scored 17 points at the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, led by a runner-up finish in the hammer (losing by just 0.05m/2”) while also placing in the shot put (fourth) and discus (fifth). He earned MVP honors at the Crossroads League Outdoor Championships, scoring 30 points in sweeping the shot put, discus and hammer.