Kai Schmidt, De’Shalyn Jones Named Outdoor Athletes of the Year
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Abilene Christian thrower Kai Schmidt and Northwestern State sprinter De’Shalyn Jones are the 2018 Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Year, the league announced Tuesday along with complete all-conference teams. Southland yearly awards are presented by
Ready Nutrition.
Men’s Athlete of the Year & Men’s Outstanding Field Events Performer – Kai Schmidt, Abilene Christian
Schmidt was awarded the conference’s top accolade after reaching the podium three times at the Southland Outdoor Championships. The senior from Krefeld, Germany, won the shot put and discus throw along with a bronze-medal finish in the javelin.
Men’s Outstanding Running Events Performer – Chris Jefferson, Sam Houston State
Jefferson put on a well-rounded effort for the Bearkats to help pace them to a team title. The junior took gold in the 200m, silver in the 100m and bronze in both the 4x100m and 4x400m.
Men’s Freshman of the Year – Zack Johnson, Sam Houston State
Johnson reached the top of the podium in his first year with the Bearkats, taking gold in the long jump. He narrowly missed out on a second medal, finishing fourth in the triple jump.
Men’s Newcomer of the Year – Matthew Arnold, Lamar
The junior from London, England, earned a silver medal in the 5,000m and bronze medal in the 3,000m steeplechase in his first season in Beaumont.
Men’s Coach of the Year – David Self, Sam Houston State
In his ninth year at the helm of Sam Houston State, Self led the Bearkats to their second straight men’s team title and fourth overall. It is the second time the program has won back-to-back titles since its first two in 2005 and 2006.
Women’s Athlete of the Year & Women’s Outstanding Running Events Performer – De’Shalyn Jones, Northwestern State
This marks Jones’ second consecutive season as the outdoor championship high point scorer, Athlete of the Year and Outstanding Running Events Performer. The senior out of Tyler, Texas, took gold in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m, all for the second straight year.
Women’s Outstanding Field Events Performer – Tristyn Allen, Sam Houston State
Allen earned Outstanding Field Events Performer honors for the second straight season, led by a repeat gold medal in the triple jump. The junior from Sealy, Texas, also took a silver medal in the long jump.
Women’s Freshman of the Year – Migle Muraskaite, Lamar
A Vilnius, Lithuania, native, Muraskaite made her mark at her first Southland outdoor meet. She took silver in the heptathlon while also getting on the podium with a silver in the javelin throw.
Women’s Newcomer of the Year – Allyson Girard, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
The junior transfer from Mesa Community College (Ariz.) earned a comfortable gold medal in the 1,500m finals to go along with a fourth-place finish in the 5,000m.
Women’s Coach of the Year – David Self, Sam Houston State
Self earned his third Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year award of his career after leading the Bearkats to their third team championship in five years. It is the program’s sixth overall, second only to Stephen F. Austin’s eight.
Outdoor track & field individual awards are nominated and voted on by the league’s head coaches. Voting for oneself or one’s own athletes is not permitted. The top three finishers from each event’s final at the championship meet are automatically named All-Southland Conference.
2018 Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams
| Event |
First Team |
Second Team |
Third Team |
| Women’s 10,000m |
Alexandria Hackett, ACU |
Rabea Schoneborn, AMCC |
Michaela Hackett, ACU |
| Men’s 10,000m |
Jamie Crowe, LU |
Nathan Jones, MCN |
Markus Schweikert, UCA |
| Men’s Decathlon |
Brian Donna, SLU |
James Manders, AMCC |
Rodney Littlejohn, UIW |
| Women’s Heptathlon |
Grace McKenzie, MCN |
Migle Muraskaite, LU |
Baylee Lara, SHSU |
| Men’s Hammer Throw |
Josh Hernandez, SHSU |
Aaron Akens, SHSU |
Michael Seither, SLU |
| Women’s Hammer Throw |
Yarixza Rivera, SHSU |
Vigdis Jonsdottir, SLU |
Kayla Melgar, ACU |
| Men’s Long Jump |
Zachary Johnson, SHSU |
Rodney Ruffin, SLU |
Tyler Adams, SHSU |
| Women’s Javelin Throw |
Morgan Woods, MCN |
Migle Muraskaite, LU |
Charlotte Wissing, SLU |
| Men’s Pole Vault |
Clayton Fritsch, SHSU |
Garrett Larson, SHSU |
Chad Horstmann, SFA |
| Women’s Long Jump |
Sarea Alexander, UIW |
Tristyn Allen, SHSU |
Jasmyn Steels, NSU |
| Women’s 3,000m Steeple |
Brittany Innis, SFA |
Taryn Surratt, SFA |
Danielle Martinez, UIW |
| Men’s 3,000m Steeple |
Ryan Cleary, ACU |
Adam Herrera, UIW |
Matthew Arnold, LU |
| Women’s Shot Put |
Kristine Hanks, SHSU |
Halie Daniel, SHSU |
Chantel Ward, HBU |
| Men’s Discus |
Kai Schmidt, ACU |
Joshua Hunter, ACU |
Ryan Simmons, ACU |
| Men’s High Jump |
Eric Moore, UCA |
Tyler Adams, SHSU |
Lentz Similien, MCN |
| Men’s Triple Jump |
John Lemke, MCN |
Brian O’Bonna, LU |
Lentz Similien, MCN |
| Men’s Shot Put |
Kai Schmidt, ACU |
Hiram Morales, MCN |
Cedric Paul, NSU |
| Women’s Discus |
Kayla Melgar, ACU |
Tasha Crosse, SHSU |
Lonnie Smith, ACU |
| Women’s High Jump |
Sashane Hanson, AMCC |
Makenzie Smajstrla, SHSU |
Fadeke Adeola, UNO |
| Women’s Triple Jump |
Tristyn Allen, SHSU |
Sarea Alexander, UIW |
Natayla Nance, HBU |
| Men’s Javelin Throw |
Donavon Banks, MCN |
Cord Neal, SFA |
Kai Schmidt, ACU |
| Women’s Pole Vault |
Kaylee Bizzell, SFA |
Hannah McWilliams, AMCC |
Mackenzie West, ACU |
| Women’s 4x100m |
D. Gordon, D. Jones, D. Moore, N. Jackson – NSU |
D. Jackson, C. Singleton, I. Nave, A. Teel – SFA |
T. Williams, D. Phillips, D. Taylor, T. Hardy – LU |
| Men’s 4x100m |
K. Harry, M. Larkins, A. James, T. Carr – NSU |
A. Piper, J. Love, T. Hawkins, K. Lacy – SFA |
F. McCall, C. Jefferson, AJ Tisdel, L. Coleman – SHSU |
| Women’s 1,500m |
Allyson Girard, AMCC |
Kelsey Ramirez, SFA |
Alex Eykelbosch, MCN |
| Men’s 1,500m |
Garett Cortez, UIW |
Grant O’Callaghan, SLU |
Joshua Wilkins, NSU |
| Women’s 100m Hurdles |
Daeshon Gordon, NSU |
Jerica Love, UIW |
Braneshia Payton, NSU |
| Men’s 110m Hurdles |
Fabian McCall, SHSU |
Kerry Gleason, SFA |
Darion Dunn, MCN |
| Women’s 400m |
Natashia Jackson, NSU |
Imani Nave, SFA |
Kodii Church, SHSU |
| Men’s 400m |
Avery Williams, ACU |
Blaze Brownlow, ACU |
Daniel Lawson, UCA |
| Women’s 100m |
De’Shalyn Jones, NSU |
Thai Williams, LU |
Kenaysia Dixon, SHSU |
| Men’s 100m |
Micah Larkins, NSU |
Chris Jefferson, SHSU |
Cliff Resais, SLU |
| Women’s 800m |
Kierstin Santana, HBU |
Camry Grigsby, SHSU |
Jamie Eckford, SHSU |
| Men’s 800m |
Alex Hanson, UCA |
Drake Murphy, SFA |
Daniel Shelton, HBU |
| Women’s 400m Hurdles |
Daeshon Gordon, NSU |
Dominique Jackson, SFA |
Megan Smith, SHSU |
| Men’s 400m Hurdles |
Kerry Gleason, SFA |
Collin Sepulveda, UIW |
Gerald Coleman, SLU |
| Women’s 200m |
De’Shalyn Jones, NSU |
Kenaysia Dixon, SHSU |
Imani Nave, SFA |
| Men’s 200m |
Chris Jefferson, SHSU |
Cliff Resais, SLU |
Amir James, NSU |
| Women’s 5,000m |
Michaela Hackett, ACU |
Alexandria Hackett, ACU |
Rabea Schoneborn, AMCC |
| Men’s 5,000m |
Enrique Soto, MCN |
Matthew Arnold, LU |
Jorge Quintero, UIW |
| Women’s 4x400m |
T. Style, D. Jones, N. Jackson, W. Lageroy – NSU |
T. Spivey, J. Mitchell, C. Grigsby, K. Church – SHSU |
T. Mays, V. Jackson, L. Simmons, E. Sebastion – UIW |
| Men’s 4x400m |
J. Williams, B. Brownlow, A. Williams, R. Linton – ACU |
D. Murphy, T. Hawkins, K. Gleason, C. Fentress – SFA |
E. Pouncy, E. Woods, C. Jefferson, L. Coleman – SHSU |