NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference on Thursday announced its Outdoor Track & Field Awards, recognizing standout performances from the 2023 season. The awards were voted on by the head coaches of Sun Belt Conference track & field programs. 

The Sun Belt also announced the All-Sun Belt Conference honorees from the 2023 Sun Belt Outdoor Championships. 

The student-athletes recognized include: 

•    Men's Track Co-Performers of the Year: Kirami Yego, South Alabama & Taahir Kelly, Texas State
•    Men's Field Performer of the Year: Ali Unlu, ULM
•    Men's Freshman of the Year: Colby Eddowes, Arkansas State
•    Men's Newcomer of the Year: Grady Leonard, Texas State
•    Men's Coach of the Year: Jim Patchell, Arkansas State

•    Women’s Track Performer of the Year: Pauline Meyer, Arkansas State
•    Women’s Field Performer of the Year: Camryn Newton-Smith, Arkansas State
•    Women’s Freshman of the Year: Elisabet Runarsdottir, Texas State
•    Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Jaybe Shufelberger, Arkansas State
•    Women’s Coach of the Year: Jim Patchell, Arkansas State
 
Men’s Track Co-Performer of the Year: Kirami Yego, South Alabama
South Alabama’s Kirami Yego won two different events at the conference outdoor championships, to receive his fourth consecutive honor. Yego set a new facility record in winning the 10,000 meters at the Sun Belt Championships and also set a new meet record in the winning the 5000 meters at the Sun Belt Championships. He has continued to etch his name into the recordbooks as one of the greatest distance runners in conference history, as he has won the distance events at four consecutive championships including both indoor and outdoor over the last two seasons.
 
Men’s Track Co-Performer of the Year: Taahir Kelly, Texas State
Texas State's Taahir Kelly won three different events at the conference outdoor championships and earned four medals to become the Track Co-Performer of the Year. Kelly was also the men’s high-point scorer, tied with his teammate Dominick Yancy with 23 points. He earned gold in the men’s 200, men’s 4x100 and men’s 4x400 and was the anchor leg in the men’s 4x4. Kelly finished as the runner-up in the men’s 400 by 0.05 seconds to his teammate Yancy. He aided the 4x1 and 4x4 relay teams in settting facility records at the conference meet and finished 1st in five of the six races (prelims and finals) he ran at the conference championships. Kelly ends his Texas State career with nine conference gold medals in indoor and outdoor as an individual and in relays.
 
Men’s Field Performer of the Year: Ali Eren Unlu, ULM
ULM's Ali Eren Unlu ranks sixth nationally in the high jump after setting a new personal record at the Sun Belt Conference Championship, clearing 7-3.75 (2.23 meters) to win his second consecutive conference title. It was just his fourth outdoor meet of the season after finishing as a First-Team All-American in the high jump during the indoor season. He also claimed a high jump championship at the Mount SAC Relays on April 14 and finished third at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.
 
Men’s Freshman of the Year: Colby Eddowes, Arkansas State
Arkansas State's Colby Eddowes won his second Freshman of the Year honor after becoming the Decathlon champion with a meet-record and facility-record 7,349 points. He totaled 18 points in his first outdoor championships, also placing fifth in the long jump and in the high jump. Eddowes also set the season conference record in the decathlon earlier in the season with 7,543 points and was also ranked second in the conference in the long jump (7.75m/25-5.25), fourth in the 110-meter hurdles (13.83) and tied for sixth in the high jump (2.05m/6-8.75).
 
Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Grady Leonard, Texas State
Texas State's Grady Leonard was the Sun Belt runner-up in the men’s hammer throw and shot put at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships, as he scored points in three different events: hammer, shot put and discus (6th). Leonard set the school record earlier in the year in the men’s hammer throw (66.65m/218-8) and claimed six of the top-seven throws in school history in the men’s hammer throw over the course of the season. In individual meets, Leonard tallied three first-place finishes over the course of the season.
 
Men’s Coach of the Year: Jim Patchell, Arkansas State
Arkansas State’s Jim Patchell Led Arkansas State's men's program to its first-ever Triple Crown, winning with 168.5 points as A-State swept the men's and women's team titles. The Triple Crown was earned with men's championships in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. The 168.5 points scored was the most in a men's outdoor championship since Western Kentucky scored 171 in 2003. Patchell guided the Red Wolves' men's team to their sixth outdoor SBC title while winning his 25th and 26th combined conference titles as head coach/program director.
 
Women’s Track Performer of the Year: Pauline Meyer, Arkansas State
Arkansas State's Pauline Meyer was the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships high-point Scorer with 30 points, tripling gold in the 1500 meters, 5000 meters and 3000-meter steeplechase. Meyer set meet and facility records in the 5000 meters (16:16.24) and steeplechase (10:11.04), while winning the 1500 with a time of 4:26.67.
 
Women’s Field Performer of the Year: Camryn Newton-Smith, Arkansas State
Arkansas State’s Camryn Newton-Smith was the Sun Belt Conference heptathlon champion with 5,818 points - breaking the conference, meet and facility records and ranking sixth in the NCAA. She set personal bests In th 100-meter hurdles (13.62) and shot put (12.94m/42-5.5), as well as an outdoor best in the high jump (1.78m/5-10). Newton-Smith also took bronze in the open high jump, clearing 1.73m (5-8). As of 5/15, she also ranks second in the high jump (1.78m/5-10), tied for fourth in the long jump (6.26m/20-6.5), sixth in the javelin (45.09m/147-11) and eighth in the conference in the 100-meter hurdles (13.62).
 
Women’s Freshman of the Year: Elisabet Runarsdottir, Texas State
Texas State's Elisabet Runarsdottir won the women’s hammer throw at the Sun Belt Championships, which made her the first freshman to win the women’s hammer title since 2009. Her 65.53 meter/215-0 toss at the Sun Belt Championships was an Iceland record, school freshman record, and 10th-best in school history. She earned three first-place finishes in the hammer over the course of the season and finished worse than 3rd once in seven outdoor meets this year. Runarsdottir is a NCAA West Prelim qualifier in the women’s hammer and is the only freshman in the top-24 marks of the NCAA West Prelims.
 
Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Jaybe Shufelberger, Arkansas State
Arkansas State's Jaybe Shufelberger was a silver medalist in the 10,000 meters (34:51.91) and placed fourth in the 5000 meters (16:43.82). She led the conference during the season in the 10,000 meters with a time of 34:05.47, while ranking fifth in the 5000 (16:36.83)and 10th in the 1500 meters (4:31.39.
 
Women’s Coach of the Year: Jim Patchell, Arkansas State
Arkansas State’s Jim Patchell Guided the Arkansas State women's team to its fourth consecutive Sun Belt outdoor title and ninth all-time - the most in conference history - as the Red Wolves swept the team championships for the second time in school history. A-State's 37-point margin of victory was the largest by a women's team since Western Kentucky In 2014. Patchell has now won 26 combined conference titles while at the helm of Arkansas State.

2023 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor All-Conference First Team
Sedrickia Wynn, Texas State
Trinity Benson, Southern Miss
Kimone Campbell, ULM
Pauline Meyer, Arkansas State
Lauren Tinkler, South Alabama
Alexis Glasco, Coastal Carolina
Mikah Alleyne, Marshall
Kiara Risher, South Alabama
Camryn Newton-Smith, Arkansas State
Macie Majoy, Marshall
Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi, ULM
Colette Uys, South Alabama
Bodine Degli-Umberti, South Alabama
Elisabet Runarsdottir, Texas State
Maria Bienvenu, Louisiana
Anayah Washington, Texas State
Sadi Giles, Texas State
Cara Johnson, Texas State
Destiny Charles, Southern Miss
Smilla Kolbe, Southern Miss
Savi’a Varnell, Southern Miss
 
2023 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor All-Conference Second Team
Jonae Cook, Arkansas State
Mariah Atwater, App State
Rahel Broemmel, Arkansas State
Elizabeth Martin, Arkansas State
Jaybe Shufelburger, Arkansas State
Kennedy London, Louisiana
Katherine Stuckly, Texas State
Alexis Gratia, South Alabama
Imani Moore, Georgia Southern
Jacqueline Pokuaah, Louisiana
Selase Sampram, Arkansas State
Utitofon Sam, Texas State
Shelby Staib, James Madison
Safiya John, Southern Miss
Sydney Clemens, Coastal Carolina
Amanda Kinloch, Coastal Carolina
Kayla Sweeney, Coastal Carolina
Imani Flanagan, Georgia State
Blake Blakemore, Georgia State
Keniya Walker, Georgia State
Shadae Worrell, Georgia State
 
2023 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor All-Conference Third Team
Naj Watson, Georgia Southern
Cheyenne Melvin, Arkansas State
Kylee Mastin, Marshall
Starlynn Costa, South Alabama
Miranda Stanhope, James Madison
Ta’La Spates, Louisiana
Diana Goodman, Marshall
Olaia Becerril Alvarez, ULM
Jada Branch, App State
Melanie Duron, Texas State
Deborah Bulai, Texas State
Arianna White, Southern Miss
Claudine Raud-Gumiel, ULM
Trinity Flager, Southern Miss
Jada McDougle, Southern Miss
Kadence Wilson, James Madison
Sofia Lavreshina, James Madison
Virginia Keys, James Madison
Holly Mpassy, James Madison

2023 Sun Belt Men’s Outdoor All-Conference First Team
Myles Thomas, Arkansas State
Taahir Kelly, Texas State
Dominick Yancy, Texas State
Lasse Funck, Arkansas State
Hannes Fahl, Arkansas State
Calbert Guest, App State
Kirami Yego, South Alabama
Will Glass, Arkansas State
Javed Jones, Louisiana
Ali Eren Unlu, ULM
Bradley Jelmert, Arkansas State
Chris Preddie, Texas State
Jeremy Nelson, Louisiana
Javon Osbourne, Troy
Francois Prinsloo, South Alabama
Aimar Palma Simo, Arkansas State
Callan Saldutto, ULM
Colby Eddowes, Arkansas State
Ashton Callahan, Texas State
Daniel Harrold, Texas State
Brian West, Texas State
 
2023 Sun Belt Men’s Outdoor All-Conference Second Team
Denarrion Ard, Arkansas State
Jonah Morris, App State
Ronnie Saunders, Marshall
Jacob Pyeatt, Arkansas State
Braydon Bennett, Coastal Carolina
Nathan Fergusson, Louisiana
Dorian Curry, South Alabama
Nick Russell, Louisiana
Deondre Hardy, Coastal Carolina
Grady Leonard, Texas State
Jacob Tracy, Arkansas State
Cole Stewart, Troy
Sebastian Reyneke, South Alabama
Trejun Jones, Louisiana
Brock Appiah, Louisiana
Floyd Pond, Louisiana
Jamhad Booth, Louisiana
Antoni Hoyte-Small, Louisiana
Caemon Scott, Louisiana
 
2023 Sun Belt Men’s Outdoor All-Conference Third Team
Niejel Wilkins, App State
Patryk Baran, Arkansas State
Grayson Young, Arkansas State
Albrey Gossett, Coastal Carolina
Devonte Harris, Coastal Carolina
Ashlund Dixon, Coastal Carolina
Omar Austin, Southern Miss
Brett Armbruster, Marshall
Teagan Flanagan, South Alabama
Javel Fullerton, Southern Miss
Aiden Hayes, Texas State
Timothy Gale, Louisiana
Obdarius Ware, Louisiana
Morgan Reese, Troy
Simon Thor, Texas State
Jalen Boyd, South Alabama
Xavier Rogers, South Alabama
Kendal White, South Alabama
Javon Glen, South Alabama