FRISCO, Texas – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Elizabeth Khatevi and East Texas A&M's Enoch Fosuhene are the 2026 Southland Conference Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Year and Most Outstanding Running Events Performers, the league announced Thursday. Outdoor all-conference teams, track and field athletes of the year 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, Most Valuable Performer and Outstanding Running Events Performer – Elizabeth Khatevi, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi -- Distance -- So. -- Kenya
Khatevi won the Women's Outdoor Track & Field MVP for the second year in a row at the Outdoor Championships by leading all competitors with 24 individual points. She won three different medals at this meet, taking home gold in the 5000m, silver in the 1500m and bronze in the 800m. She set the all-time meet record in the 5000m at the Outdoor Championships with a time of 16:37.26, which ranks third in school history and 17th in the South Central Region currently. Khatevi set the new all-time Islanders program record in the 1500m at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 18, doing so with a time of 4:10.13 that currently ranks second in the NCAA South Central Region. At the same meet, set the school record in the 800m with a time of 2:03.41 that ranks sixth in the South Central Region.
Women's Outstanding Field Events Performer – Mariam Buenanueva Saleme, Lamar -- Multis -- Sr. -- Buenos Aires, Argentina
Mariam won the Southland Conference title in the heptathlon with a Lamar school record 5,679 points, which is the third best finish in Conference history. She placed in the top two in all but one event while earning first in the 800m (2:20.44) and 100m (13.69). That point total ranks 18th in all of NCAA Division I, third in the NCAA South Central Regional, and first in the Southland Conference. Buenanueva Saleme was also named SLC Field Athlete of the Week after breaking the then-school record in the heptathlon with 5,596 points at the Texas A&M 44 Farms Invitational, where she placed third.
Women’s Newcomer of the Year – Evaline Chepkoech, SFA
Chepkoech won Newcomer of the Year after scoring a total of 20 points for the Lumberjacks. She placed first in the 1500m and 800m races.
Women’s Freshman of the Year – Amara Idinna, East Texas A&M
Idinna is the freshman of the year after winning a total of 14 points. She placed second in the high jump (1.73m) and third in the 100m hurdles (13.42).
Women’s Phil Olson Coach of the Year – Mike Heimerman
Coach Heimerman won coach of the year honors for the third-straight year after leading the Demons to another outdoor track & field title.
Men’s Athlete of the Year, Most Outstanding Running Events Performer and Most Valuable Performer – Enoch Fosuhene, East Texas A&M
Fosuhene won the SLC Outdoor Meet Most Valuable Performer after scoring 21 points at the championship meet. He medaled in all four events he competed in, included a first-place finish in the 100m dash, second in the 200 meter dash, and bronze medalist in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. He currently ranked eighth in the region for the 100 meter dash and 18th in the 200 meter dash.
Men’s Outstanding Field Events Performer – Samuel Pavan, SFA
Pavan won the decathlon event at the SLC Outdoor Championships with a new personal best total of 7512 points. That total is currently the 22nd highest in the West Region. He added a seventh-place finish in the pole vault (4.77m) to total 12 points as the Jacks went back-to-back.
Men’s Newcomer of the Year – Paul Kiprotich, SFA
Kiprotich won Newcomer of the Year honors scoring 20 points. Kiprotich placed first in the 5,000m and 10,000m races.
Men’s Co-Freshman of the Year – Cheyne West, East Texas A&M & Samson Black, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Samson Black and East Texas A&M’s Cheyne West won co-freshmen of the year. Both athletes scored 14 points.
Leon Johnson Award (Men’s Coach of the Year) – Robert Hansen, SFA
SFA head coach Rob Hansen was named the Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. This comes after also winning the accolade for the second time during the indoor season, where he also led the Lumberjacks to a championship title.
2026 Southland Conference Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams
| Event |
First |
Second |
Third |
| 100 meter dash |
Enoch Fosuhene, ETAMU |
Oguz Uar, ETAMU |
Yoran Kabengele-Kabala, UNO |
| 200 meter dash |
Oguz Uar, ETAMU |
Enoch Fosuhene, ETAMU |
Keldrick Turner, UNO |
| 400 meter dash |
Keldrick Turner, UNO |
William Achee, NSU |
Charlie Bartholomew, NSU |
| 800 meter run |
Raphael Aureau, HCU |
Keyshawn Garcia, SFA |
Dillon Smith, TAMUCC |
| 1,500 meter run |
Anthony Zapata, UIW |
Ethan Malesich, UIW |
Nirmit Dahiya, UTRGV |
| 5,000 meter run |
Paul Kiprotich, SFA |
Ryan Binskin, SFA |
Mathayo Bundotich, TAMUCC |
| 10,000 meter run |
Paul Kiprotich, SFA |
Ryan Binskin, SFA |
Mathayo Bundotich, TAMUCC |
| 110 meter hurdles |
SJ Marais, HCU |
Dishawn Lamb, NSU |
Cheyne West, ETAMU |
| 400 meter hurdles |
Jarvis Anderson, SFA |
Cheyne West, ETAMU |
Davis Wenthe, Lamar |
| 3,000 meter steeplechase |
Devon Judelson, SFA |
James Butler, UIW |
Ethan Malsich, UIW |
| 4x100 meter relay |
Eddy Vu, Keoante Gaines, Antoine Evans, Kalen Beavers -- NSU |
Yoran Kabengele-Kabala, Olamipo Ladipo, Keldrick Turner, Daryl Bachmann -- UNO |
Jayshon Hardimon, Oguz Uyar, Kingsley Ayebide, Enoch Fosuhene -- ETAMU |
| 4x400 meter relay |
Desmond Duncan, Kason Jones, Charlie Bartholomew, Will Achee -- NSU |
Ethan Ellis, Tre Brown, Tyler Minter, Davis Wenthe -- Lamar |
Cameron Wooley, Oguz Uyar, Enoch Fosuhene, Myles Reddings -- ETAMU |
| High Jump |
Calen Jones, ETAMU |
Hunter Murphy, SFA |
Julius Malone, HCU |
| Pole Vault |
Brayden Hill, SFA |
Lawson Fritsch, McNeese |
Jonah Ulbricht, UIW |
| Long Jump |
Roy Morris, NSU |
Kenson Tate, Lamar |
Elijah Rowe, NSU |
| Triple Jump |
Bryson Williams, SFA |
Joshua Gillis-Harry, HCU |
Armando Rivera, TAMUCC |
| Shot Put |
Josh Ty-Brown, SLU |
Emmanuel Ekumma, TAMUCC |
La'Darion Dudley, NSU |
| Discus Throw |
Tarajh Hudson, NSU |
Samson Black, TAMUCC |
Emmanuel Ekuma, TAMUCC |
| Hammer Throw |
Anthony Oliver, Lamar |
Gerrit Viser, SLU |
Samson Black, TAMUCC |
| Javelin Throw |
Chase Hight, TAMUCC |
Matic Vidmar, UTRGV |
Jordan Bowling, TAMUCC |
| Decathlon |
Sam Pavan, SFA |
Mika Funck, UIW |
Tommaso Franze, UIW |
2025 Southland Conference Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams
| Event |
First |
Second |
Third |
| 100 meter dash |
Juvonna Cornette, NSU |
Jizzale Davis, UTRGV |
Sileena Farrell, NSU |
| 200 meter dash |
Onyah Favour, SLU |
Jizzale Davis, UTRGV |
Kaliyah Poston, UTRGV |
| 400 meter dash |
Rushana Dwyer, NSU |
Onyah Favour, SLU |
Margaret Conteh, NSU |
| 800 meter run |
Evaline Chepkoech, SFA |
N Vanee Anchike, UTRGV |
Elizabeth Khatevi, TAMUCC |
| 1,500 meter run |
Evaline Chepkoech, SFA |
Elizabeth Khatevi, TAMUCC |
N Vanee Anchike, UTRGV |
| 5,000 meter run |
Elizabeth Khatevi, TAMUCC |
Valentine Jemutai, SFA |
Ashton Rainey, Lamar |
| 10,000 meter run |
Valentine Jemutai, SFA |
Alicia Hy-Finnis, TAMUCC |
Ashton Rainey, Lamar |
| 100 meter hurdles |
Sandy Sakyi, ETAMU |
Dior Williams, UTRGV |
Amara Idinna, ETAMU |
| 400 meter hurdles |
Talyna Ligier, UTRGV |
Dasya Tolbert, UIW |
Krystan Bright, Lamar |
| 3,000 meter steeplechase |
Neele Heyne, TAMUCC |
Jeny Barcenas, McNeese |
Garance Dubray, SFA |
| 4x100 meter relay |
Ashley Lingueno, Jizzale Davis, Dior Williams, Kaliyah Poston -- UTRGV |
Timejha Furlow Jada Gibson, Kennedy Swann, Whitenee Teagle -- SFA |
Samari Finney, Sileena Farrell, Juvonna Cornette, Maria Uoibang --NSU |
| 4x400 meter relay |
Samari Finney, Margaret Conteh, Rushana Dwyer, Kahliyah Anderson -- NSU |
Aliyah Castillo, Jizzale Davis, Talyna Ligier, Treasure Vallerie --UTRGV |
Breanna Vecerra, Miriam Kauer, Zoe Wilson, Onyah Favour -- SLU |
| High Jump |
Jenneil Jacobie, ETAMU |
Amara Idinna, ETAMU |
Iradi Blasco, Nicholls |
| Pole Vault |
Peyton Berry, ETAMU |
Kira Van Den Ham, ETAMU |
Alaine Hernandez, UIW |
| Long Jump |
Samari Finney, NSU |
Basia Mitchell, SFA |
Jai'Lin King, UIW |
| Triple Jump |
La'Zariah Bethany, UTRGV |
Ke'Asia Hall, Lamar |
Layloni Watson, HCU |
| Shot Put |
Natalia Rankin-Chitar, TAMUCC |
Efe Latham, UTRGV |
Ryah Dates, NSU |
| Discus Throw |
Romi Griese, ETAMU |
Shakera Kirk, NSU |
Shantangelo Williams, NSU |
| Hammer Throw |
Breyunna Dowell, TAMUCC |
Margaret Mannering, NSU |
Jaslyn Russell, McNeese |
| Javelin Throw |
Anisha Gibbons, NSU |
Neelie Schiel, LAmar |
Teodors Samac, NSU |
| Heptathlon |
Mariam Buenanueva-Saleme, Lamar |
Basia Mitchell, SFA |
Isabella Gonzalez-Velazques, UIW |