Aouani, Demas Named Southland Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Lamar freshman runner Iliass Aouani and Sam Houston State senior Danielle Demas were named the Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches, the conference office announced Monday.
Aouani has been selected as the men’s athlete of the year, outstanding runner and freshman of the year after capturing the 5,000-meter run at the indoor championships with a time of 14:16.51, winning the 3,000-meter in 8:12.97 and being a part of Lamar’s first-place distance medley relay team (9:57.20). The Milan, Italy, native was also the men’s high point scorer, recording a total of 22.5 points. This past October, the freshman won the Southland Cross Country Championship and was named the men’s cross country athlete and freshman of the year.
Tyler Adams earned outstanding field performer after claiming a first-place finish in heptathlon and a second place finish in the high jump at the indoor meet. Adams, a sophomore from Oakwood, Texas (Buffalo H.S.), earned 5,277 points in the heptathlon, winning the heptathlon high jump and 1,000-meter run, and had a mark of 7-01.5 (2.17 meters) in the high jump.
Dontrell Lyons of Southeastern Louisiana was named men’s newcomer of the year for winning the 400-meter dash and running a leg of Southeastern’s first-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay. The Colby County Community College transfer and Karnes City, Texas, native posted a time of 46.80 in the 400-meters and ran a leg in the 4x400-meter relay which set a Southland indoor meet record with a time of 3:08.97.
Demas earned women’s athlete of the year and outstanding runner honors for the Bearkats after taking first in three total events, becoming the women’s high point scorer with 28 points. The Houston, Texas (Cypress Creek H.S.), native won the 60-meter dash in a time of 7.48 seconds, while taking first place in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.23 seconds. The senior also placed second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.06 seconds.
Sam Houston’s Ashley Jenkins claimed outstanding field performer honors for her first-place weight throw mark of 70-09.25 (21.57 meters), a facility and indoor meet record. The Dallas, Texas (Hillcrest H.S.), native also placed sixth in the shot put with a throw of 46-08.75 (14.24 meters). Jenkins has won Southland Field Athlete of the Week four times this season.
Silvia LaTella of Lamar earned freshman of the year accolades as she claimed the silver in the triple jump. The Varese, Italy, native posted a mark of 40-06.76 (12.36 meters).
Earning men’s and women’s coach of the year honors was Dave Self of Sam Houston State. Self coached the Bearkat men to their first indoor title and the women to their fourth, the second most of any current Southland women’s program.
The top-three finishers in each event earned All-Southland Conference honors. The winner earned first-team honors, the second place finisher earned second-team accolades while third place finishers received a spot on the third-team.
Men’s Individual Award Winners
Male Athlete of the Year: Iliass Aouani, Lamar
Male Outstanding Field Events: Tyler Adams, Sam Houston State
Male Outstanding Running Events: Iliass Aouani, Lamar
Male Newcomer of the Year: Dontrell Lyons, Southeastern Louisiana
Male Freshman of the Year: Iliass Aouani, Lamar
Men’s Coach of the Year: Dave Self, Sam Houston State
Men’s Indoor Track and Field All-Conference Teams
| Event |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
| 60-Meter Dash |
Amir James, NSU |
Corneil Lionel, ACU |
Justin Jenkins, SHSU |
| 60-Meter Hurdles |
Michael Nicholls, UNO |
Kerry Gleason, SFA |
Jordan Washington, SFA |
| 200-Meter Dash |
Amir James, NSU |
Rosen Daniel, ACU |
Chris Jefferson, SHSU |
| 400-Meter Dash |
Dontrell Lyons, SLU |
My’Lik Kerley, SFA |
Rosen Daniel, ACU |
| 800-Meter Run |
Jeffrey Moore, SHSU |
Andre Colebrook, SLU |
Nathan Gillis, LU |
| Mile Run |
Jeffrey Moore, SHSU |
Tobias Riker, LU |
Oliver James, MCN |
| *4x400-Meter Relay |
Southeastern La. |
Stephen F. Austin |
Sam Houston State |
| 3,000-Meter Run |
Iliass Aouani, LU |
Alex Dunbar, LU |
Phillip Baar, TAMUCC |
| 5,000-Meter Run |
Iliass Aouani, LU |
Alex Dunbar, LU |
Charles Mathenge, SFA |
| *DMR |
Lamar |
Stephen F. Austin |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
| High Jump |
Eric Moore, UCA |
Tyler Adams, SHSU |
Clarence Robinson, SLU |
| Pole Vault |
Devin King, SLU |
Garrett Larson, SHSU |
Ashton Summers, SHSU |
| Long Jump |
Emmanuel Williams, NSU |
Aaron Williams, NSU |
Jacorious Jeter, NSU |
| Triple Jump |
Aaron Williams, NSU |
Emmanuel Williams, NSU |
John Lemke, MCN |
| Shot Put |
Alexander Young, SLU |
Hiram Morales, MCN |
Cedric Paul, NSU |
| Weight Throw |
Alexander Young, SLU |
Jonathon Kinchen, SLU |
Jelani Rainey, ACU |
| Heptathlon |
Tyler Adams, SHSU |
Luke Woods, ACU |
Garrison Fick, HBU |
*4x400-Meter Relay:
1. Southeastern La. – (Dontrell Lyons, Maverick Bowleg, Andre Colebrook, Ashley Riley)
2. Stephen F. Austin – (Jonathon Joe, Kerry Gleason, D’Lance Sharp, My’Lik Kerley)
3. Sam Houston State – (Kevin Beasley, Jeffrey Moore, Robert Monticone, Eric Pouncy)
*Distance Medley Relay:
1. Lamar – (Tobias Riker, Damerian Toliver, Stuart Ferguson, Iliass Aouani)
2. Stephen F. Austin – (Charles Mathenge, Tedrick Hawkins, Samuel Wallace, Quinlin McGregor)
3. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – (Vinnie Van Puyvelde, Angelo Garland, William Maraggia, Philipp Baar)
Women’s Individual Award Winners
Female Athlete of the Year: Danielle Demas, Sam Houston State
Female Outstanding Field Events: Ashley Jenkins, Sam Houston State
Female Outstanding Running Events: Danielle Demas, Sam Houston State
Female Freshman of the Year: Silvia LaTella, Lamar
Women’s Coach of the Year: Dave Self, Sam Houston State
Women’s Indoor Track and Field All-Conference Teams
| Event |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
| 60-Meter Dash |
Danielle Demas, SHSU |
Aliyah Davis, SFA |
Sharrona Williams, SLU |
| 60-Meter Hurdles |
Danielle Demas, SHSU |
Alexia Fortenberry, UNO |
Dominique Jackson, SFA |
| 200-Meter Dash |
Aliyah Davis, SFA |
Danielle Demas, SHSU |
Paula Smith, SHSU |
| 400-Meter Dash |
Kimone Green, ACU |
Jordan Grady, SHSU |
Jessica James, ACU |
| 800-Meter Run |
Camry Grigsby, SHSU |
Briana McCall, SHSU |
Alexandra Sokolova, LU |
| Mile Run |
Verity Ockenden, LU |
Alexandria Hackett, ACU |
Diana Garcia-Munoz, ACU |
| *4x400-Meter Relay |
Sam Houston State |
Abilene Christian |
Stephen F. Austin |
| 3,000-Meter Run |
Verity Ockenden, LU |
Alexandria Hackett, ACU |
Aubrey Till, ACU |
| 5,000-Meter Run |
Alexandria Hackett, ACU |
Rainy Castaneda, UIW |
Ana Moreno, SHSU |
| *DMR |
Lamar |
Sam Houston State |
Abilene Christian |
| High Jump |
Caitlin Jones, SFA |
Sashane Hanson, TAMUCC |
Jasmine Waring, UIW |
| Pole Vault |
Kenzie Walker, ACU |
Sharron-Ann Ourso, SLU |
Ashley Thompson, SHSU |
| Long Jump |
Sarea Alexander, UIW |
Paula Smith, SHSU |
Deja Phillips, LU |
| Triple Jump |
Por’sha Thomas, NSU |
Silvia LaTella, LU |
Breann Denson, NSU |
| Shot Put |
Kristine Hanks, SHSU |
Jessica Spelling, SFA |
Jermisha Frazier, SLU |
| Weight Throw |
Ashley Jenkins, SHSU |
Jermisha Frazier, SLU |
Rechelle Bessard, NSU |
| Pentathlon |
Avery Zamzow, SHSU |
Madeline Kaufmann, SFA |
Courtney Lord, SHSU |
*4x400-Meter Relay:
1. Sam Houston State – (Briana McCall, Camry Grigsby, Ruth Amaku, Jordan Grady)
2. Abilene Christian – (Kimone Green, Petrene Plummer, Chartia Hurt, Jessica James)
3. Stephen F. Austin – (Tiffany Williams, Valerie Osamar, Aliyah Davis, Dawnshae Evans)
*Distance Medley Relay:
1. Lamar – (Alexandra Sokolova, Sarah Shim, Georgia Tuckfield, Verity Ockenden)
2. Sam Houston State – (Camry Grigsby, Jasmine Lewis, Briana McCall, Nicole Aponte)
3. Abilene Christian – (Diana Garcia-Munoz, Chartia Hurt, Petrene Plummer, Marina Guerrero Puigdevall)