Christopher Welch, Kelsey Ramirez Named Indoor Athletes of the Year
FRISCO, Texas – Houston Baptist’s Christopher Welch and Stephen F. Austin’s Kelsey Ramirez are the 2021 Southland Conference Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Year, the league announced Thursday. Alongside the superlative awards, the indoor all-conference rosters were also announced. Southland yearly awards and all-conference teams are presented by
Ready Nutrition.
Welch claimed the men’s Athlete of the Year award after securing a trio of top finishes at the 2021 Southland Indoor Track & Field Championships, finishing first overall in the triple jump, second overall in the long jump and running the second leg of the distance medley relay (DMR) event, where the Huskies finished in third place. Ramirez was named the women’s Athlete of the Year after scoring 28.5 points and claiming the meet’s Most Valuable Performer award. She earned a pair of second-place finishes in the 3,000 and 5,000-meter events, finished first overall in the mile and pushed the Ladyjacks’ DMR team to a gold medal as the anchor leg.
Stephen F. Austin’s Phil Olson was named the Men’s Coach of the Year after leading the Lumberjacks to 105 points and the overall team title. After leading the Wildcats to the women’s team trophy, Abilene Christian head coach Jerrod Cook was named the Women’s Coach of the Year.
Southland Conference Indoor Track & Field superlative awards are nominated and voted upon by the league’s head coaches. Voting for oneself or one’s own athletes is not permitted. All-conference distinction is given to the first-, second- and third-place finishers in each championship event final.
For athletes that achieved
qualifying marks this season, the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships will be a three-day event hosted at the Randal Tyson Center in Fayetteville, Ark., March 11-13.
Men’s Athlete of the Year – Chris Welch, Jr., Houston Baptist
Welch was named Athlete of the Year after securing a trio of podium finishes for the Huskies at the Southland Indoor Championships, including the top performance in the triple jump (15.78m). The junior currently ranks 11th nationally in the triple jump with his 16.13m (52-11.0 ft) mark at the H-Town SpeedCity Series II (Jan. 30).
Men’s Outstanding Running Events Performer – Auhmad Robinson, Fr., Stephen F. Austin
SFA freshman Auhmad Robinson played a key role in the Lumberjacks’ team title, running anchor in the 4x400m relay that finished in first with a 3:12.96, pushing SFA to the top of the standings with 105 points. He finished perfect in the 200m event, taking first overall in the preliminaries with a 21.29 and dropping his time to a 21.09 for a gold medal in the finals portion.
Men’s Outstanding Field Events Performer – Denim Rogers, Sr., Houston Baptist
Houston Baptist’s Denim Rogers secured the heptathlon title after scoring 5,571 points and topping the field in the 60m and 60m hurdles portions of the multi event. He claimed an 8.15 finish in the 60m hurdles heptathlon race, tying the Southland Indoor Championships meet record along the way.
Men’s Freshman of the Year – Auhmad Robinson, Fr., Stephen F. Austin
In addition to being named Outstanding Running Events Performer, Robinson was also named the league’s Freshman of the Year with his stellar performance at the conference meet for the Lumberjacks. He earned Southland Track Athlete of the Week twice this season and currently ranks 41st nationally in the 200m event.
Men’s Newcomer of the Year – Destine Scott, Jr., Northwestern State
Northwestern State’s Destine Scott scored a second team all-conference nod after finishing second overall in the 200m event with a 21.21 clip. The junior ranks 64th in the nation for the 200m race. The junior joins the Demons’ roster as a transfer from Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kan.
Men’s Coach of the Year – Phil Olson, Stephen F. Austin
Olson’s latest coaching accolade marks his fourth on the men’s side, with his last Coach of the Year honor coming in the 2015 season. He steered the ‘Jacks to their first team title since the 2015 campaign and the fourth in program history.
Women’s Athlete of the Year – Kelsey Ramirez, Sr., Stephen F. Austin
Ramirez claims her latest superlative after earning a pair of second team all-conference distinctions in the 3,000m and 5,000m events and two more first team nods in the mile and DMR races.
Women’s Outstanding Running Events Performer – Kelsey Ramirez, Sr., Stephen F. Austin
The senior also claimed Outstanding Running Events Performer with her 28.5-point outing at the Southland Indoor Championships. She pushed her team to a third-place finish after accounting for over 30 percent of the Ladyjacks’ total points.
Women’s Outstanding Field Events Performer – Kaitlin Smith, Sr., Houston Baptist
Houston Baptist’s Kaitlin Smith claimed first-team honors in the pentathlon event after solidifying a victory with 3,925 points. She also took fifth place in the high jump and sixth overall in the long jump. Smith currently ranks 19th in the country in the pentathlon with her 3,934-point performance at the Texas Tech Invitational (Jan. 29).
Women’s Freshman of the Year – KeAyla Dove, Fr., Sam Houston
Sam Houston’s KeAyla Dove was named Freshman of the Year after her second-place finish in the shot put event. Dove launched a mark of 15.15m (49-08.5 ft) to claim the silver medal at the conference meet.
Women’s Newcomer of the Year – Shanell Atkins, Jr., New Orleans
Shanell Atkins earned Newcomer of the Year honors for New Orleans after taking gold in the women’s weight throw event, where she threw a 19.21m (63-00.25 ft) mark. Additionally, the junior took fifth overall in the shot put with a toss of 13.98m (45-10.5 ft). She joined the Privateers this season after transferring from Central Florida.
Women’s Coach of the Year – Jerrod Cook, Abilene Christian
Abilene Christian head coach Jerrod Cook was named the Women’s Coach of the Year after leading the Wildcats to their first Southland Indoor Track & Field team title in program history. ACU completed the meet with nine medals overall and topped the standings with 107 points.
2021 Southland Conference Men’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams
| Event |
First |
Second |
Third |
| 60m |
Kie’Ave Harry, NSU |
Ismael Kone, AMCC |
Jack Marshall, ACU |
| 60m Hurdles |
Paul Martin, SFA |
Denim Rogers, HBU |
Ketavion Humber, AMCC |
| 200m |
Auhmad Robinson, SFA |
Destine Scott, NSU |
Jack Marshall, ACU |
| 400m |
Muzuri Mattar, SFA |
Leonardo Ledgister, AMCC |
Timor Barrett, AMCC |
| 800m |
Matthew Harding, MCN |
Terry Robinson Jr., UCA |
Jesse Applewhite, UCA |
| Mile |
Shea Foster, SLU |
Jaden Forester, UNO |
Anthony Cordero, SLU |
| 3,000m |
Shea Foster, SLU |
Dennis Kipngeno, AMCC |
Adam Cortez, SLU |
| 5,000m |
Shea Foster, SLU |
Adam Cortez, SLU |
Dennis Kipngeno, AMCC |
| 4x400m |
M. Mattar, J. Curry, J. Garcia, A. Robinson – SFA |
K. Humber, K. Lawrence, T. Barrett, L. Ledgister – AMCC |
D. Blake, E. Aggrey, K. Harrison, D. Scott – NSU |
| DMR |
J. Hamilton, S. Sullivan, T. Robinson Jr., M. Nores – UCA |
J. Forester, H. Coleman, C. Litolff, A. Snell – UNO |
T. Jacobs, C. Welch, N. Allen, B. Drew – HBU |
| High Jump |
Asani Hylton, SFA |
Slavko Stevic, SLU |
Theron Cobb, SFA |
| Pole Vault |
Clayton Fritsch, SHSU |
Branson Ellis, SFA |
Carter Scott, SFA |
| Long Jump |
Isaiah Cash, HBU |
Chris Welch, HBU |
Zachary Johnson, SHSU |
| Triple Jump |
Chris Welch, HBU |
Zachary Johnson, HBU |
Preston Whaley, AMCC |
| Shot Put |
Tommy Nedow, SLU |
Tyler Richardson, ACU |
Kevin Steward, SFA |
| Weight Throw |
Tyler Richardson, ACU |
Thomas Wilson, ACU |
Vojislav Gvero, UNO |
| Heptathlon |
Denim Rogers, HBU |
Asani Hylton, SFA |
Scott Boon, HBU |
2021 Southland Conference Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams
| Event |
First |
Second |
Third |
| 60m |
Lynell Washington, NSU |
Taylor Tolen, ACU |
Aarika Lister, NSU |
| 60m Hurdles |
Janiel Moore, NSU |
Kaitlin Smith, HBU |
Megan Kirby, ACU |
| 200m |
Taylor Tolen, ACU |
Shamarah Shannon, UNO |
Jayla Fields, NSU |
| 400m |
Nissi Kabongo, SFA |
Tyler Rose, UCA |
Indya Jackson, SLU |
| 800m |
LaSean Davis, SFA |
Maryn DeMaio, UIW |
Jessica Rabius, HBU |
| Mile |
Kelsey Ramirez, SFA |
Tamara Reeves, UCA |
Sophie Daigle, SLU |
| 3,000m |
Irene Rono, ACU |
Kelsey Ramirez, SFA |
Valentina Campos, AMCC |
| 5,000m |
Arina Kleshchukova, UNO |
Kelsey Ramirez, SFA |
Irene Rono, ACU |
| 4x400m |
D. Granados, J. Moore, E. Wilson, A. Harris – NSU |
S. Walker, M. Henson, R. Jordan, N. Johnson – ACU |
M. Griffin, J. Wagner, Y. Steele, L. Manciaz – AMCC |
| DMR |
B. Nolen, A. King, L. Davis, K. Ramirez – SFA |
A. Dohmen, S. Shannon, J. Drakes, A. Kleshchukova – UNO |
Q. Johnson, N. Williams-Mcfarland, C. Clark, V. Campos – AMCC |
| High Jump |
Zoe Spinn, ACU |
Nissi Kabongo, SFA |
Lauren Clarke, NSU |
| Pole Vault |
Annemarie Broussard, NSU |
Riley Floerke, SFA |
Alisa Novosad, UIW |
| Long Jump |
Chelsea Harrington, NICH |
Jayla Fields, NSU |
Klinta Blusina, LU |
| Triple Jump |
Lauren Clarke, NSU |
Ella Anttila, ACU |
Malaiya Jedkins, MCN |
| Shot Put |
Annina Brandenburg, ACU |
KeAyla Dove, SHSU |
Halie Daniel, SHSU |
| Weight Throw |
Shanell Atkins, UNO |
Kristin McDuffie, NSU |
Grace Walford, SLU |
| Pentathlon |
Kaitlin Smith, HBU |
Megan Kirby, ACU |
Madelyn McCabe, SLU |