NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference on Tuesday announced its Indoor Track & Field Awards, recognizing standout performances from the 2024 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 2024 Sun Belt Indoor Championships. 

The student-athletes recognized include: 

•    Men’s Track Performer of the Year: Daniel Harrold, Texas State
•    Men’s Field Performer of the Year: Bradley Jelmert, Arkansas State
•    Men’s Freshman of the Year: J’Marcus Sewell, ULM
•    Men’s Co-Newcomers of the Year: Shawn Collins, Texas State & Sacha Perrier, South Alabama
•    Men’s Coach of the Year: Jim Patchell, Arkansas State 

•    Women’s Track Performer of the Year: NaJ Watson, Georgia Southern
•    Women’s Field Performer of the Year: Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi, ULM
•    Women’s Freshman of the Year: Ebba Hedberg, Coastal Carolina
•    Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Michelle Ogbemudia, Arkansas State
•    Women’s Coach of the Year: Jim Patchell, Arkansas State

Men’s Track Performer of the Year: Daniel Harrold, Texas State
Texas State’s Daniel Harrold currently sits tied for 7th in the nation in the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.62 and is qualified for the NCAA Championships. Harrold recorded this mark at the 2024 SBC Championships and was named the conference champion. This mark also set the new Texas State, Sun Belt Conference and SBC meet record. Before this year a SBC athlete has never gone under 7.70 in the 60-meter hurdles and Harrold accomplished that feat three times. He also recorded the six fastest times in the SBC for the event this year with times of 7.62, 7.65, 7.68, 7.68, 7.70 and 7.71. He also recorded seven of the fastest time in Bobcat history in the event this season.

Men’s Field Performer of the Year: Bradley Jelmert, Arkansas State
Arkansas State’s Bradley Jelmert was the Sun Belt champion in the pole vault with a meet-record clearance of 5.62m (18-5.25). Jelmert is the Sun Belt record holder and No. 2 nationally in the event with a mark of 5.72m (18-9.25) which also set the school record. He was also unbeaten (6-0) in competition this season, with all six of his top marks being over 18 feet.

Men’s Freshman of the Year: J’Marcus Sewell, ULM
ULM’s J’Marcus Sewell placed second at the SBC Championships and broke the ULM school record in the 200m with a personal-best time of 21.35 and fifth in the 60m with a 6.89. Sewell was also on the 4x400 relay team that finished third with a time of 3:17.14 at the SBC Championships.

Men’s Co-Newcomers of the Year: Shawn Collins, Texas State
In his first season with the Bobcats, Shawn Collins was a part of the 4x400 team that placed first at the SBC Championships and set the meet record with a time of 3:10.70. Collins also placed 2nd in the 400 at the meet with a time of 47.67, which is the 5th-best time in the SBC rankings. Collins was a part of the 4x400 team that recorded a 3:08.19, which is the 3rd-best time in school history. In the 60-meters, he has the fourth best time in the SBC with a time of 6.75. Collins recorded two 6.75s this year and sits 10th in the Texas State record books. In the 200 meters Collins recorded a 21.12 which is the 2nd fastest time recorded in the SBC this year and placed him 10th in the school record books.


Men’s Co-Newcomers of the Year: Sacha Perrier, South Alabama
In his first indoor season with South Alabama, Sacha Perrier finished in the top-5 in all five races he participated in. Earlier this year, Perrier blistered to a time of 14:09.00 to claim fourth place at the Music City Challenge and fifth all-time in the Jaguar record books. During the Sun Belt Indoor Championships, he won a Sun Belt Title and claimed a bronze medal, competing in the 3000 and 5000 meters. Perrier shined in the 5000 meters, running a blazing time of 14:30.39 to bring home the title and defeat all his other competitors by 1.16 seconds. He went on to cruise to a third-place finish in the 3,000 meters, clocking a time of 8:19.29.

Men’s Coach of the Year: Jim Patchell, Arkansas State
Arkansas State’s Jim Patchell led the Red Wolves to a historic fifth consecutive sweep of the Sun Belt Indoor Championships – something no other team has accomplished. He guided the Red Wolves’ men’s team to a fifth-straight indoor title, the first team in conference history to do so on the men’s side. Under his watch, A-State has won seven men’s indoor championships.

Women’s Track Performer of the Year: NaJ Watson, Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern’s Naj Watson was the top meet scorer at the conference championships. She finished 2nd in the 60m dash with a new personal best of 7.39 (equaling the Georgia Southern School Record), while winning the 200m dash in a new personal best time of 23.38 (#2 on the Georgia Southern all-time list) and anchoring the Eagles to a new Championships meet and school record in the 4x400m relay in a time of 3:40.99 (54.30 split).

Women’s Field Performer of the Year: Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi, ULM
ULM’s Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi was the 2024 SBC Indoor Long Jump Champion (6.04m 19' 9.75") and 2024 SBC Indoor Triple Jump Champion (13.01m 42' 8.25"). She was named SBC Indoor Field Athlete of the Week twice this season. Ilunga Mbuyi broke the ULM school record in the triple jump at the Arkansas Qualifier on Feb. 16 with a mark of 13.13m and placed first In the triple jump at the Howie Ryan Invitational with a result of 13.12m. She also finished second at the Vanderbilt Invitational (12.84m) and first at the LSU Purple Tiger (12.85m) in the triple jump.

Women’s Freshman of the Year: Ebba Hedberg, Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina’s Ebba Hedberg took second in the women’s pentathlon at the Sun Belt Championships with a total score of 3,722 points. Hedberg earned gold in the women’s high jump at the championships with a clearance of 1.73m/5-8 and currently holds the Coastal Carolina school record in the event.

Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Michelle Ogbemudia, Arkansas State
Arkansas State’s Michelle Ogbemudia was the Sun Belt champion in the weight throw with a school-record toss of 21.12m (69-3.5). She was also a bronze medalist in the shot put (15.90m/52-2) to total 16 points scored. Ogbemudia led the conference the entire season in the weight throw and ranked third in the shot put. Her weight throw mark of 21.12m ranks 25th nationally.

Women’s Coach of the Year: Jim Patchell, Arkansas State
Arkansas State’s Jim Patchell led the Red Wolves to a historic fifth consecutive sweep of the Sun Belt Indoor Championships – something no other team has accomplished. He guided the A-State women’s team to its fifth straight indoor crown – the most since Western Kentucky’s run of six straight from 2006-11. Under his watch, the Red Wolves have won six women’s indoor crowns.

2024 Sun Belt Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference First Team
Bella Coscetti, Arkansas State
Cheyenne Melvin, Arkansas State
Michelle Ogbemudia, Arkansas State
Cadence Lapp, Arkansas State
Hanyla Milligan, Arkansas State
Rahel Broemmel, Arkansas State
Ebba Hedberg, Coastal Carolina
Molly Jones, Coastal Carolina
NaJ Watson, Georgia Southern
Alanna Smith, Georgia Southern
Sofia Molina, Georgia Southern
Lauren Euler, Georgia Southern
Kennedy London, Louisiana
Kylee Mastin, Marshall
Abby Herring, Marshall
Trinity Benson, Southern Miss
Melanie Duron, Texas State
Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi, ULM
Claudine Raud-Gumiel, ULM
 
2024 Sun Belt Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Second Team
Rhys Ammon, App State
Jasmine Donohue, App State
Nicole Wells, App State
Addison Ollendick-Smith, App State
Selase Sampram, Arkansas State
Amanda Kinloch, Coastal Carolina
Lauren Gordon, Coastal Carolina
Amanda Kinloch, Coastal Carolina
Zionna Perez-Tucker, Coastal Carolina
Amelia Canetto, Coastal Carolina
Keniya Walker, Georgia State
Miranda Stanhope, James Madison
Taylor Davis, Louisiana
Dianna Goodman, Marshall
Za’Isha Fraser, Southern Miss
Mathilde Canet, Texas State
Elisabet Runarsdottir, Texas State
Taejha Badal, Texas State
 
 
2024 Sun Belt Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Third Team
Ashlee Osaji, App State
Camryn Lorick, Coastal Carolina
Ellie Wolski, Coastal Carolina
Imani Moore, Georgia Southern
Maleah Heard, Georgia State
Jordyn Henderson, James Madison
Bodine Degli-Umberti, South Alabama
Alexis Gratia, South Alabama
Addison McLaurin, Southern Miss
Trinity Flagler, Southern Miss
Savi’a Varnell, Southern Miss 
Jada McDougle, Southern Miss
Luize Opola, Texas State
Kimberly Gloria, Texas State
Alexia Tiscareno Macias, Texas State
Abigail Parra, Texas State
Aliyah Simmons, Texas State
 
2024 Sun Belt Men’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference First Team
Colby Eddowes, Arkansas State
Bradley Jelmert, Arkansas State
Lasse Funck, Arkansas State
Hannes Fahl, Arkansas State
Cash Kunkel, Arkansas State
Tyren Hannah, Louisiana
Sebastian Loschner, South Alabama
Sacha Perrier, South Alabama
Kingsley Unorji, Southern Miss
Zayne Palomino, Southern Miss
Dominick Yancy, Texas State
Brian West II, Texas State
Daniel Harrold, Texas State
Chris Preddie, Texas State
Avery Veiseh, Texas State
Shawn Collins, Texas State
Rojs Puks, ULM
Santana Richardson, ULM
Reid Guirlando, ULM
Juwan Blignaut, ULM
 
2024 Sun Belt Men’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Second Team
Willem Coertzen, Arkansas State
Jacob Pyeatt, Arkansas State
Dawson Mayberry, Arkansas State
Kenyon Parker, Arkansas State
Reece Shelby, Louisiana
Jarell Joseph, Louisiana
Joseph Patterson, Louisiana
Peyton Chiasson, Louisiana
Caemon Scott, Louisiana
Mekhi Boutte, Louisiana
Antoni Hoyte-Small, Louisiana
Javed Jones, Louisiana
Sebastian Reyneke, South Alabama
Dorian Curry, South Alabama
Francois Prinsloo, South Alabama
Kyle Rademeyer, South Alabama
Kelvin Chiku, Southern Miss
De’Aundre Ward, Southern Miss
J’Marcus Sewell, ULM
Stafon Roach, ULM
 
 
2024 Sun Belt Men’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Third Team
John Carswell, Arkansas State
Noah McMurtrey, Arkansas State
Handre Jonker, Arkansas State
Andrew Mason, Arkansas State
Trejun Jones, Louisiana
Xavier Johnson, South Alabama
Omar Austin, Southern Miss
Piers Cameron, Southern Miss
Kaya Ludgood, Southern Miss
Easton Hammond, Texas State
Aiden Hayes, Texas State
Devin Bilbo, ULM
Algirdas Strelciunas, ULM
Jay Louison-Roe, ULM
Ericleon May, ULM
Santana Richardson, ULM
Imani Coleman, ULM