PORTLAND, Ore. – Corban University senior distance standout Jack Gladfelter has been named one of two 2026 Oregon Sports Awards Small College Athlete of the Year award winners, announced by Sport Oregon earlier Thursday morning as part of its annual statewide awards celebration recognizing Oregon's most accomplished athletes and sports figures.
Gladfelter will be honored on November 10th at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton alongside the state's top high school, collegiate, and professional athletes, as well as the newest class of inductees into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. He joins NCAA DIII Pacific University's Ally Hammond as the two Small College Athletes of the Year recipients.
The annual Oregon Sports Awards celebrate outstanding athletic achievement and contributions to sport across the state. Organized by Sport Oregon, the event serves as Oregon's premier sports recognition ceremony and honors athletes from every level of competition.
Gladfelter's selection follows a remarkable 2025-26 campaign in which he established himself as one of the NAIA's premier distance runners. During the 2025 cross country season and the 2026 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons, he earned four separate NAIA All-American honors while producing some of the finest distance performances in Corban school history.
The Port Angeles, Washington native opened the academic year with another strong national showing in cross country, placing 11th at the 2025 NAIA Cross Country National Championships after recording top-three finishes at both the Linfield George Oja Invitational and Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Championships. His 23:49.7 final time clocked at the Linfield George Oja Invitational set a program record in the 8,000m event, besting former teammate and previous Oregon Sports Awards Small College Athlete of the Year award winner Robert Swoboda by just over four seconds.
"This is really special for our team and university to have another Corban distance student-athlete honored with this award," Corban cross country head coach Stuart Eagon shared. "With Rob's award accounted for, two of the last five recipients for this award across all NCAA DII, DIII, NAIA, and junior college schools in the state of Oregon have been presented to Corban distance athletes. This is a moment of awe when I really stop and reflect, and I'm so proud of Jack and the way in which he has raced over this past year. He's a hard worker, who regularly run 90-100 miles per week, and is a great leader for both our cross country and track & field programs. He is committed to helping steward his teammates in a Christlike way, and the growth he has had as a person over the last 3+ years at Corban has been tremendous."
Gladfelter carried that momentum into the indoor track season, where he shattered Corban's indoor 5,000-meter school record at the prestigious Husky Classic with a personal-best time of 14:11.21 that ranked among the NAIA's top marks. He followed with a national runner-up finish in the men's 5,000m at the 2026 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, earning All-American honors after crossing the line in 14:14.31.
His outdoor season proved equally impressive, with Gladfelter capturing the Cascade Collegiate Conference title in the 10,000m and posted a personal-best 29:43.18 at the Bryan Clay Invitational that ranks second all-time in program history behind only Swoboda. He later secured a pair of All-American performances at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, finishing third in the men's 10,000m and sixth in the 5,000m to bring his career All-American total to six honors.
"Praise God for Jack being named one of Oregon's Small College Athletes of the Year," celebrated Warriors' track & field head coach Todd Bos. "Jack has certainly put in the work while at Corban, training diligently year-round. He was a four-time All-American last year alone, which is an unprecedented amount in a single year for a Corban student-athlete. Stuart Eagon also needs to be recognized for his work in coaching Jack, as they have formed a great duo during their time together. Again, we are very grateful to God for this award he's bestowed upon Jack and the recognition it brings to both Corban and our programs."
The recognition places Gladfelter among an elite collection of Oregon athletes being celebrated this year, including NCAA DI Athletes of the Year Kiara Romero of the University of Oregon and Dax Whitney of Oregon State University, Professional Athletes of the Year Sophia Wilson of the Portland Thorns and Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Sports Person of the Year Nick Carlin-Voigt of the University of Portland men's soccer program. From a Corban perspective, Gladfelter joins Swoboda (2022) and softball alumni Stephanie Nippert (2014) as previous Oregon Sports Awards Small College Athlete of the Year award winners.
Sport Oregon's 2026 Oregon Sports Awards ceremony will begin at 7pm on Nov. 10 at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton, with a welcome reception preceding the event. Tickets are available for purchase online via the Oregon Sports Awards home page on Sport Oregon's website, which can be found HERE.
Follow Corban Athletics:
Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram | YouTube | Email | Photo Galleries