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).
Each of the five regions – Great Lakes, Midwest, South, South Central, and West – honored both genders' top track athletes and field athletes as well as the top men's and women's head coaches and assistant coaches.
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.
Ahead of the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships this week in Asheville, North Carolina, Marian earns six honors for the Great Lakes Region.
Tristan Trevino earned the Men's Great Lakes Region Track Athlete of the Year honor for the outdoor season. The Junior ended the regular season ranked first nationally in the 1500 meters, fourth in the 800 meters, and was part of the third-ranked 4×800 relay. His 1500-meter PR of 3:43.49 came from the Bryan Clay Invitational and ranks him 12th in NAIA history. Trevino won the 1500 at the Crossroads League Outdoor Championships and set a meet record in the process.
Katie Woods earned the Women's Track Athlete of the Year honor after she ended the regular season ranked first nationally in the 1500 meters, third in the 800 meters, and was part of the second-ranked 4×800 relay. She scored 22.5 points at the Crossroads League Championships, capturing individual titles in the 800 and 1500, and running a leg on the winning 4×800 relay.
Katie Wise-Butler earned both the Men's and Women's Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year honors as she led the Knights to the Men's team title at the Crossroads League Outdoor Championships, scoring 229.5 points and winning eight events. She was named the Men's Crossroads League Coach of the Year, and Marian is ranked No. 2 nationally with three events rated No. 1 in the national #EventSquad Rankings. Wise-Butler also led the Women's team to the team title at the Crossroads League Outdoor Championships, scoring a meet-record 317.5 points and winning 13 events. She was named the Women's Crossroads League Coach of the Year as well, and Marian is ranked No. 4 nationally with 11 events rated top-10 in the national #EventSquad Rankings.
Presley Martin was named the Men's and Women's Assistant Coach of the Year for the Great Lakes Region. He coached the Knights' men's distance runners, who scored 45 points at the Crossroads League Outdoor Championships. Marian is rated No. 1 in both the 800 and 1500 meters in the national #EventSquad Rankings. On the women's side, Martin coached the Knights' distance runners to score 61 team points at the Crossroads League Outdoor Championships. Marian is rated No. 2 in both the 800 and 1500 meters in the national #EventSquad Rankings.
Marian kicks off action on Wednesday at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in Asheville, N.C., as the first event for the Knights kicks off at 9 AM.
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