Jim Akins was named the National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2025 NJCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field season. Akins, in his fourth year as assistant coach at Mineral Area (Mo.), coached the Cardinals throwers to account for 53 of the team’s 84.5 points in finishing third at the 2025 NJCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. His athletes won three of the throwing events and finished runner-up in another event with four different athletes.