Gideon Cheplak, Natashia Jackson Tabbed Southland Outdoor Athletes of the Year
FRISCO, Texas – McNeese’s Gideon Cheplak and Northwestern State’s Natashia Jackson are the 2021 Southland Conference Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Year, respectively, the league announced Thursday. Southland yearly awards are presented by
Ready Nutrition.
Men’s Athlete of the Year, Newcomer & Outstanding Running Events Performer– Gideon Cheplak, McNeese
Cheplak cleaned up with this season’s Southland postseason superlative honors, earning Men’s Newcomer of the Year and Outstanding Runner of the Year, along with his Athlete of the Year award. At the 2021 Southland Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Cheplak claimed gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m races. After transferring to McNeese from El Paso Community College, Cheplak forced his way to the front of the pack amongst Southland distance competitors and currently ranks first in the league in the outdoor 10,000m event with his 29:33.40 finish at the 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays (March 25).
Men’s Outstanding Field Events Performer – Christopher Welch, Houston Baptist
Christopher Welch claimed the Southland Men’s Field Event Performer of the Year honor after stamping a gold medal in the triple jump and a silver medal in the long jump at the Southland Outdoor Championships. Welch stands 12th in the NCAA West Region in the long jump with his 7.82m (25-08.0 ft) mark at the J Fred Duckett Twilight Meet (April 24) and 10th in the West Region for the triple jump with his 16.19m (53-01.5 ft) leap at the Victor Lopez Classic (March 27).
Men’s Freshman of the Year – Dennis Kipngeno, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Dennis Kipngeno was voted the Southland Men’s Freshman of the Year after a pair of silver-medal finishes in the 5,000m and 10,000m races out the outdoor conference championships. Kipngeno completed his freshman outdoor season for the Islanders ranked fourth in the Southland in the 5,000m race and third in the conference in the 10,000m event.
Men’s Coach of the Year – Phil Olson, Stephen F. Austin
Phil Olson captured his fifth Southland Men’s Coach of the Year honor after pushing the Lumberjacks to their fifth team outdoor conference title in program history and their first since the 2016 season. Olson has 11 individual Lumberjacks and a pair of relay teams competing this week at the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary Championships in College Station, Texas.
Women’s Athlete of the Year & Outstanding Running Events Performer – Natashia Jackson, Northwestern State
Natashia Jackson claimed Women’s Athlete of the Year and Outstanding Running Events Performer honors after securing a trio of gold medals at the Southland Outdoor Championships. Jackson pushed the Lady Demons to first-place finishes in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays and secured her fourth-consecutive conference championship in the 400m event with a 53.14 finish.
Women’s Outstanding Field Events Performer – Annina Brandenburg, Abilene Christian
Annina Brandenburg sealed the Women’s Outstanding Field Events Performer award after a trio of podium finishes for the Wildcats at the outdoor championships. Brandenburg bagged gold medals in the shot put and discus events and locked up a second-place performance in the javelin competition.
Women’s Freshman of the Year – Nissi Kabongo, Stephen F. Austin
Nissi Kabongo was tabbed the Southland Women’s Freshman of the Year, following her performance at the Southland Championships, where she took second place in the women’s 400m hurdles and first place in the high jump event. She earned 18.75 points on her own for the Ladyjacks in what would turn out to be another conference championship for the SFA women.
Women’s Newcomer of the Year – Mathilde Coquillaud-Salomon, Stephen F. Austin
Mathilde Coquillaud-Salomon locked up the second individual honor for SFA after being voted the Southland Women’s Newcomer of the Year. In her first season of outdoor competition after transferring from the University of South Carolina, Coquillaud-Salomon racked up 26.75 points for the Ladyjacks at the Southland Outdoor Championships, earning first place in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles races. She also took third place in the high jump and pushed SFA to a sixth-place finish in the 4x400m relay event.
Women’s Coach of the Year – Phil Olson, Stephen F. Austin
In addition to being named the Men’s Coach of the Year, Olson was also named the Southland Women’s Coach of the Year for the 10th time after pushing the Ladyjacks to their 10th conference title in program history, the most in Southland Conference history. In addition to a team championship, Olson also coached the SFA women to four individual conference titles.
Outdoor track & field individual awards are nominated and voted on by the league’s head coaches. Voting for oneself or one’s own athletes is not permitted. The top three finishers from each event’s final at the championship meet are automatically named All-Southland Conference.
2021 Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams
| Event |
First Team |
Second Team |
Third Team |
| Women’s 100m |
Taylor Tolen, ACU |
Ajah Criner, UCA |
Capri Wilson, TAMU-CC |
| Men’s 100m |
Bryan Henderson, SHSU |
Zachary Jewell, UCA |
Kie’Ave Harry, NSU |
| Women’s 200m |
Ajah Criner, UCA |
Natashia Jackson, NSU |
Diana Granados, NSU |
| Men’s 200m |
Zachary Jewell, UCA |
Jonathon Sawyer, SLU |
Kennedy Harrison, NSU |
| Women’s 400m |
Natashia Jackson, NSU |
Imani Nave, SFA |
Indya Jackson, SLU |
| Men’s 400m |
Jonathon Sawyer, SLU |
Muzuri Mattar, SFA |
James Benson II, SLU |
| Women’s 800m |
Jessica Rabius, HBU |
LaSean Davis, SFA |
Brianna Nolen, SFA |
| Men’s 800m |
Alec Snell, UNO |
Terry Robinson Jr., UCA |
Keenan Lawrence, TAMU-CC |
| Women’s 1,500m |
Kelsey Ramirez, SFA |
Sophie Daigle, SLU |
Tamara Reeves, UCA |
| Men’s 1,500m |
Andrew Bosquez, SHSU |
Declan Neary, LU |
Jaden Forester, UNO |
| Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase |
Sara Steimel, UCA |
Ariana Jimenez, UNO |
Rachel Taylor, SFA |
| Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase |
Benjamin Drew, HBU |
Matthew Arnold, LU |
Kolyn Saltzman, UNO |
| Women’s 5,000m |
Irene Rono, ACU |
Arina Kleshchukova, UNO |
Kelsey Ramirez, SFA |
| Men’s 5,000m |
Gideon Cheplak, MCN |
Dennis Kipngeno, TAMU-CC |
Bradley Makuvire, SLU |
| Women’s 10,000m |
Irene Rono, ACU |
Arina Kleshchukova, UNO |
Elsa Rijpstra, NICH |
| Men’s 10,000m |
Gideon Cheplak, MCN |
Dennis Kipngeno, TAMU-CC |
Henry Kiplagat, MCN |
| Women’s 100m Hurdles |
Mathilde Coquillaud-Salomon, SFA |
Janiel Moore, NSU |
Kaitlin Smith, HBU |
| Men’s 110m Hurdles |
Joshua Smith, SHSU |
Paul Martin, SFA |
Jordan Atkins, UCA |
| Women’s 400m Hurdles |
Mathilde Coquillaud-Salomon, SFA |
Nissi Kabongo, SFA |
Janiel Moore, NSU |
| Men’s 400m Hurdles |
Leonardo Ledgister, TAMU-CC |
Joshua Smith, SHSU |
Gerald Coleman, UNO |
| Women’s 4x100m Relay |
R. Byrd, D. Granados, N. Jackson, J. Fields, NSU |
L. Ceasar, E. Sebastion, G. Thomas, D. Keys, UIW |
T. Tolen, S. Walker, M. Henson, A. Ambelang, ACU |
| Men’s 4x100m Relay |
P. Martin, J. Curry, A. Robinson, A. Callahan, SFA |
K. Cumberbatch, I. Kone, J. Grant, E. Cummings, UNO |
J. Williams, A. Williams, A. Franklin, J. Marshall, ACU |
| Women’s 4x400m Relay |
D. Granados, J. Moore, E. Wilson, N. Jackson, NSU |
T. Rhode, T. Rose, A. Anderson, A. Criner, UCA |
T. Dawkins, J. Wagner, L. Manciaz, Y. Steele, TAMU-CC |
| Men’s 4x400m Relay |
M. Mattar, P. Martin, J. Curry, A. Robinson, SFA |
R. Ruffin, J. Sawyer, D. Storr, J. Benson II, SLU |
K. Lawrence, K. Humber, T. Barrett, L. Ledgister, TAMU-CC |
| Women’s High Jump |
Nissi Kabongo, SFA |
Sullivan Wilke, UIW |
Mathilde Coquillaud-Salomon, SFA |
| Men’s High Jump |
Slavko Stevic, SLU |
Asani Hylton, SFA |
Parker Barrett, UIW |
| Women’s Pole Vault |
AnnMarie Broussard, NSU |
Riley Floerke, SFA |
Kaylee Bizzell, SFA |
| Men’s Pole Vault |
Branson Ellis, SFA |
Clayton Fritsch, SHSU |
Hudson Hall, HBU |
| Women’s Long Jump |
Jasmyn Steels, NSU |
Grace McKenzie, MCN |
Kaitlin Smith, HBU |
| Men’s Long Jump |
Rodney Ruffin, SLU |
Christopher Welch, HBU |
Asani Hylton, SFA |
| Women’s Triple Jump |
Ella Anttila, ACU |
Jasmyn Steels, NSU |
Malaiya Jedkins, MCN |
| Men’s Triple Jump |
Christopher Welch, HBU |
Tylen Guidry, LU |
Sean Germany, ACU |
| Women’s Shot Put |
Annina Brandenburg, ACU |
Ashley Davis, SLU |
KeAyla Dove, SHSU |
| Men’s Shot Put |
Tyler Richardson, ACU |
Cobe Graham, SHSU |
Stevon Crooks, SLU |
| Women’s Discus |
Annina Brandenburg, ACU |
Bellodgia Roberson, SFA |
Kristin McDuffie, NSU |
| Men’s Discus |
Tommy Nedow, SLU |
Kevin Steward, SFA |
Thomas Wilson, ACU |
| Women’s Hammer Throw |
Alanna Arvie, MCN |
Jemira Thomlinson, MCN |
Bellodgia Roberson, SFA |
| Men’s Hammer Throw |
Trenton Bridges, SFA |
Vojislav Gvero, UNO |
Brian Orlando, SHSU |
| Women’s Javelin Throw |
Charlotte Wissing, SLU |
Annina Brandenburg, ACU |
Blanche Beard, MCN |
| Men’s Javelin Throw |
Franck DiSanza, SLU |
Donavon Banks, MCN |
Cord Neal, SFA |
| Heptathlon |
Grace McKenzie, MCN |
Parl Eelma, LU |
Avery Ellis-Byerly, SFA |
| Decathlon |
Scott Boon, HBU |
JJ Ply, ACU |
Noah Berney, SFA |