Award History
NCAA DII OTF National Awards2025 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Awards
NEW ORLEANS – National Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2025 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field season were announced on Thursday 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 II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Pueblo, Colorado, but considered performances throughout the season when voting on these honors.
National Men's Track Athlete of the Year
William Amponsah was named the 2025 NCAA Division II Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Track Athlete of the Year. Amponsah, who hails from Agona Swedru, Central, Ghana, capped a record-breaking season with two titles at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships: one in the 5000 meters and another in the 10,000 meters. It’s in the 10,000 meters where Amponsah shattered the NCAA DII record earlier in the season with his 27:47.93 effort at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Amponsah cleaned up at the Lone Star Outdoor Championships, winning both of those events as well.
National Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
Matt Conly was named the 2025 NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Assistant Coach of the Year. Conly, in his fifth year as assistant coach at Grand Valley State, coached the Lakers’ throwers to combined for 29 of the team’s 60 points in winning the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships. His top athlete, Erika Beistle, led a 1-2 finish in the discus in setting a meet record after setting a DII all-time record earlier in the season.
National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
Jason Crow was named the 2025 NCAA Division II Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Assistant Coach of the Year. Crow, in his fifth year as assistant coach at Pittsburg State, coached the Gorillas’ sprinters to combine for 39 points as Pittsburg State won the team title at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships. His athletes won three events, led by Dapriest Hogans’ national record in the 200 meters. His sprinters swept five events in scoring 81 points to help the Gorillas win the team title at the MIAA Championships.
National Women's Coach of the Year
Jerry Baltes was named the 2025 NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Coach of the Year. Baltes, in his 26th year as Head Coach at Grand Valley State, led the Lakers to a third-place team finish at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships, earning 15 First-Team All-American honors led by national champion high jump champion Jaivon Harrison. Grand Valley State, which broke program records in three events this season, also won the team title at the GLIAC Championships, winning 16 events.
National Men's Coach of the Year
Kyle Rutledge was named the 2025 NCAA Division II Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Coach of the Year. Rutledge, in his fourth year as Director of Cross County and Track & Field at Pittsburg State, led the Gorillas to the team title at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships, scoring 111 points and winning seven events. Pittsburg State also won the team title at the MIAA Championships, winning 11 events and scoring 252.5 points.
National Women's Field Athlete of the Year
Emy Ntekpere was named the 2025 NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Field Athlete of the Year. Ntekpere, who hails from Vancouver, Washington, became the first athlete in NCAA history to win both the high jump and triple jump at the same NCAA Championships meet, which she did in Pueblo, Colorado. Her field series in the triple jump included the sixth best all-conditions mark in NCAA DII history of 13.32m (43-9), as well as three other marks 13.24m or farther. Earlier in the season, Ntekpere scored 40 points at the GNAC Championships with victories in the heptathlon, high jump, and both horizontal jumps.
National Men's Field Athlete of the Year
Javion Harrison was named the 2025 NCAA Division II Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Field Athlete of the Year. Harrison, who hails from Cleveland, Ohio, won the high jump at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships. Earlier this season, Harrison cleared 2.26m (7-5) for the ninth best mark in NCAA DII history, which also put him No. 3 on the All-College Descending Order List in 2025. Harrison topped 2.18m (7-1¾) at five different meets this season.
National Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Alexis Brown was named the 2025 NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Track Athlete of the Year. Brown, who hails from Mableton, Georgia, annihilated the record book this season. She set NCAA DII records in both the 100 meters and 200 meters in winning efforts at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships: 10.93 in the former that was No. 2 on the world list at the time; 22.35 in the latter that obliterated a 12-year-old division best. Brown clocked five of the ten fastest 100-meter marks in NCAA DII history this season alone to go along with three of the top-five in the 200 meters.