NEW ORLEANS – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field season were announced on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The Cascade Conference claimed three of the four West Region Athlete of the Year honors while also sweeping all of the coaching awards.
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.
Men’s Track Athlete of the Year:
WEST REGION — James Kerr — British Columbia
Kerr ended the regular season ranked first nationally in the 400-meter hurdles and 11th in the open 400 meters. His PR in the 400-meter hurdles of 50.95 came at the Bryan Clay Invitational and ranks him seventh in NAIA history. Kerr won conference titles in both the 400 and 400H.
Women’s Track Athlete of the Year:
WEST REGION — Mackenzie Campbell — British Columbia
Campbell ended the regular season ranked second nationally in both the 800 meters and 1500 meters. Her PRs – 2:06.55 and 4:22.12 – rank her among the top-15 athletes in NAIA history.
Women’s Field Athlete of the Year:
WEST REGION — Lizzy Grandle — Eastern Oregon
Grandle ended the regular season ranked first nationally in the heptathlon with 5160 points. She amassed that total in a winning effort at the Cascade Conference Outdoor Championships – the same meet where she finished fifth in three other field events (high jump, javelin throw, and shot put). Grandle also hit an NAIA “A” qualifying mark in the javelin throw at 42.95m (140-11).
Men’s Coach of the Year:
WEST REGION — Ben Welch — Eastern Oregon
Welch led the Mountaineers to the team title at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships, scoring 149 points and winning five events. Eastern Oregon set school records in three events this year and had three events rate top-4 in the national #EventSquad Rankings.
Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year:
WEST REGION — Bryan Terry — College of Idaho
Terry coached Coyotes’ throwers to account for 66 points at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships. His top athlete, Keenan Blair, was named CCC Championships MVP, and his shot put crew rates No. 3 in the national #EventSquad Rankings.
Women’s Coach of the Year:
WEST REGION — Laurier Primeau — British Columbia
Primeau led the Thunderbirds to the team title at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships, scoring 205 points and winning eight events. UBC has four athletes ranked No. 1 in the NAIA.
Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year:
WEST REGION — Elena Voloshin — British Columbia
Voloshin coached Thunderbird horizontal jumpers to sweep the long jump and triple jump at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships. Her top athletes – Amelia Cha and Igbunuoghene Ishaka – rank No. 1 in NAIA in long jump and triple jump, respectively.
Find the full list of honorres
HERE.