FRISCO, Texas – Northwestern State's Samari Finney and East Texas A&M's Ibrahim Fuseini are the 2025 Southland Conference Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Year, the league announced Thursday. Outdoor all-conference teams were also announced.
Southland Conference Outdoor 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.
Women’s Athlete of the Year – Samari Finney, Northwestern State
Samari earned 27 points at the Southland Conference Championships, winning three gold medals and two bronzes. She started out her conference meet with a PR 20-9.25 to claim gold in the long jump, which is also the top mark in the Southland this season. She also was a part of both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays that both took home the gold. In the 4x400, she ran the third leg and pushed Northwestern State to a huge lead in the event and they rolled to victory. She also claimed bronze in the 400m with a PR 54.05 and in the 200(23.98). As a part of the 4x400 relay, Northwestern State is the top mark in the SLC of 3:31.82, which is nearly nine seconds better than second place in the conference.
Women's Outstanding Running Events Performer – Maygan Shaw, Northwestern State
Shaw won four gold medals at the Southland Conference Championships, scoring 25 total points, winning the 200m, 400m and as a member of the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. She ran a meet-record 400m dash in 52.10. Maygan won the SLC Female Track Athlete of the Week three times during the 2025 outdoor season.
Women's Outstanding Field Events Performer – Raven-Symone Jarrett, Northwestern State
Jarrett claimed first at the Southland Championships in the heptathlon, compiling 5414 points to earn a PR, smashing the school record and the top score in the Southland this season. During the heptathlon, she finished in either first or second in five of the seven events and in the top five in all of the events.
Women’s Freshman of the Year and Most Valuable Performer – Elizabeth Khatevi, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
As a freshman, Khatevi earned the most individual points at the championship meet with 30. She brought home gold in the women’s 800m, 1500m and 5000m.
Women’s Newcomer of the Year – Basia Mitchell, SFA
Mitchell scored a total of 14.50 points for the Lumberjacks. She placed second in the heptathlon, fifth in the 100m hurdles and sixth in the long jump.
Women’s Phil Olson Coach of the Year – Mike Heimerman
Coach Heimerman won coach of the year honors for the second-straight year after leading the Demons to a 180.5 point victory. The Demons took home the 2025 championships in both indoor & outdoor.
Men’s Athlete of the Year, Most Outstanding Running Events Performer and Most Valuable Performer – Ibrahim Fuseini
Fuseini of East Texas A&M claimed athlete of the year, most outstanding running events performer and most valuable performer honors with 25 points at the championship meet. He also set two championship meet records in the 200m and 4x100m relay. He also won gold in the 100m dash and as a member of the 4x400m relay team. Fuseini was named Men's Track Athlete of the Week two times this season.
Men’s Outstanding Field Events Performer – Marcus Francis, McNeese
Francis scored 24pts for the Cowboys at the championship meet. He placed first in the men's shot put (18.84m) and men's discus (53.70m). The winning shot put mark set a new PR and also broke the 34 year old McNeese School Record in the event. He won discus by nearly 20ft and is currently ranked No. 44 in the East Region. He also scored points for the Cowboys in the hammer throw (55.30m).
Men’s Freshman of the Year – Elkana Kipruto, SFA
Kiprtuo won the 10,000m and 5,000m at the Southland Conference Championships, scoring 20 total points. He set a school record in the outdoor 10,000m with a time of 28:37.88 – this is the 3rd fastest time run in SLC history.
Men’s Co-Newcomer of the Year – Emmanuel Ekuma, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Ekuma was named co-Newcomer of the Year at the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships, earning the honor after taking home bronze medals in both the hammer throw and the shot put.
Men’s Co-Newcomer of the Year – Armani Modeste, East Texas A&M
Modeste was a member of the Lions’ 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams. Modeste also earned points in the 200m and 400m dashes, placing fourth and seventh, respectively.
Leon Johnson Award (Men’s Coach of the Year) – Robert Hansen, SFA
Coach Hansen finds himself as the recipient of the Leon Johnson Award as Men’s Coach of the Year after leading the Lumberjacks to first place at the 2025 Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet.
2025 Southland Conference Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams
| Event |
First |
Second |
Third |
| 100 meter dash |
Ibrahim Fuseini, ETAMU |
Corin Burns, UTRGV |
Tavis Wilson, NSU |
| 200 meter dash |
Ibrahim Fuseini, ETAMU |
Enoch Fosuhene, ETAMU |
Corin Burns, UTRGV |
| 400 meter dash |
Cameron Chin, Lamar |
William Achee, NSU |
Victory Achapoekri, SLU |
| 800 meter run |
Phillip Jensen e Castro, TAMUCC |
Tray'Quan Francis, McNeese |
Luke Parker, Lamar |
| 1,500 meter run |
Edouard Lecrivain, HCU |
Fredd Richardson, Lamar |
Riley Elliott, SFA |
| 5,000 meter run |
Elkana Kipruto, SFA |
Griffin Neal, UIW |
Freddy Richardson, UIW |
| 10,000 meter run |
Elkana Kipruto, SFA |
Griffin Neal, UIW |
Lloyd Sheppard-Brown, Lamar |
| 110 meter hurdles |
Olufolabo Ogunyemi, SLU |
Dishawn Lamb, NSU |
Ashton Munoz-Nieves, HCU |
| 400 meter hurdles |
Jarvis Anderson, SFA |
Jaden Powell, McNeese |
Denzel Hinds, HCU |
| 3,000 meter steeplechase |
Christopher Daniels, UIW |
Zephirin Darhan, SFA |
Ethan Malsich, UIW |
| 4x100 meter relay |
Oguz Uyar, Enoch Fosuhene, Armani Modeste, Ibrahim Fuseini -- ETAMU |
Galen Loyd, Mikkel Johansson, Elijah Rowe, Tavis Wilson -- NSU |
Christopher Murphy, Madonna Favour, Daryl Bachmann, Darryl George, Jr. – UNO |
| 4x400 meter relay |
Enoch Fosuhene, Philip Krenek, Armani Modeste, Ibrahim Fuseini– ETAMU |
Vincent Granini, Desmond Duncan, Galen Loyd, William Achee – NSU |
Alejandro Arellano, Jamari Harts, Ricky Young, Derrius Henry --UTRGV |
| High Jump |
Elijah Jackson, Lamar |
Hunter Murphy, SFA |
Nicholas Grullon, SFA |
| Pole Vault |
Brayden Hill, SFA |
Garrett Savage, SFA & Cade Carter, SFA |
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| Long Jump |
Justin Vincent, ETAMU |
Keamonie Archie, UTRGV |
Christopher Murphy, UNO |
| Triple Jump |
Bryson Williams, SFA |
Joshua Gillis-Harry, HCU |
Aaron Cooper, UTRGV |
| Shot Put |
Marcus Francis, McNeese |
Donroy Brown, SLU |
Emmanuel Ekuma, TAMUCC |
| Discus Throw |
Marcus Francis, McNeese |
Anthony Oliver, Lamar |
Micah Miller, SLU |
| Hammer Throw |
Anthony Oliver, Lamar |
Gerrit Viser, SLU |
Tyler Challis, McNeese |
| Javelin Throw |
Thomas Knoop, Lamar |
Gabriel Lim, SLU |
Alex Del Popolo, TAMUCC |
| Decathlon |
Leo Chauchard, UIW |
Jonas Gran, ETAMU |
Bruce Boon, NSU |
2025 Southland Conference Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams
| Event |
First |
Second |
Third |
| 100 meter dash |
Nayla Harris, UTRGV |
Sileena Farrell, NSU |
Kennedy Swann, SFA |
| 200 meter dash |
Maygan Shaw, NSU |
Jizzale Davis, UTRGV |
Samari Finney, NSU |
| 400 meter dash |
Maygan Shaw, NSU |
Onyah Onyinye Favour, SLU |
Samari Finney, NSU |
| 800 meter run |
Elizabeth Khatevi, TAMUCC |
Lilliana Guerrero, UTRGV |
Kailey Salazar, UTRGV |
| 1,500 meter run |
Elizabeth Khatevi, TAMUCC |
Eline Mast, HCU |
Inca Padfield, Lamar |
| 5,000 meter run |
Elizabeth Khatevi, TAMUCC |
Inca Padfield, Lamar |
Alicia Finnis, TAMUCC |
| 10,000 meter run |
Valentine Jemutai, SFA |
Ahston Rainey, Lamar |
Alicia Finnis, TAMUCC |
| 100 meter hurdles |
Kayli Johnson, Lamar |
Helen Baugaretn, UNO |
Raven-Symone Jarrett, NSU |
| 400 meter hurdles |
Esther Nwaze, SLU |
Silet Gray, NSU |
Analice Pursley, ETAMU |
| 3,000 meter steeplechase |
Samantha Gonzalez, UTRGV |
Oceane Cercueil, UIW |
Micah Mizell, TAMUCC |
| 4x100 meter relay |
Samari Finney, Maygan Shaw, Dynia Lewis, Sileena Farrell -- NSU |
Kierra Yarbough, Jada Gibson, Kennedy Swann, Whitenee Teagle -- SFA |
Ahmasia Brown, Kayla Smith, Kayli Johnson, Chantell Brown -- Lamar |
| 4x400 meter relay |
Kahliyah Anderson, Tranasia Jones, Margret Conteh, Samari Finney -- NSU |
Miriam Kauer, Nina Sorapuru, Esther Nwanze, Onyah Onyinye Favour -- SLU |
Aliyah Castillo, Zoe Adams, Trinity Kirk, Jizzale Davis -- UTRGV |
| High Jump |
Veronika Kramarenko, ETAMU |
Achol Maywin, UTRGV |
Isabella Gonzalez-Velasquez, UIW |
| Pole Vault |
Kalli Knott, NSU |
Iliana Singh, UIW |
Kira Van Den Ham, SFA & Peyten Ware, NSU |
| Long Jump |
Samari Finney, NSU |
Kayli Johnson, Lamar |
Blessing Samuel, ETAMU |
| Triple Jump |
Jaslyn Smith, NSU |
Nyadhol Thichoit, TAMUCC |
Kayli Johnson, Lamar |
| Shot Put |
Shakera Williams, NSU |
Efe Latham, UTRGV |
Jaslyn Russell, McNeese |
| Discus Throw |
Romi Griese, ETAMU |
Shakera Kirk, NSU |
Cassanra Rendon, ETAMU |
| Hammer Throw |
Hannah Hilding, UTRGV |
Breyunna Dowell, TAMUUC |
Cyan Green, TAMUCC |
| Javelin Throw |
Neelie Schiel, Lamar |
Cecile Bogliolo, Lamar |
Teodors Samac, NSU |
| Heptathlon |
Raven-Symone Jarrett, NSU |
Basia Mitchell, SFA |
Mariam Buenanueva-Saleme, Lamar |