BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Sun Belt Conference on Saturday announced its Indoor Track & Field Awards, recognizing standout performances from the 2026 season. The awards were voted on by the head coaches of the Sun Belt Conference track & field programs.
The league also announced the All-Sun Belt Conference honorees from the 2026 Sun Belt Indoor Championships.
The student-athletes recognized include:
Men’s Indoor Track Performer of the Year: Henry Lyon, Louisiana
Men’s Indoor Field Performer of the Year: Aiden Hayes, Texas State
Men’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year: Ja’Shaun Lloyd, Texas State
Men’s Indoor Track & Field Newcomer of the Year: Henry Lyon, Louisiana
Men’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: John Frazier, Texas State
Men’s Indoor Track & Field Elite Award Winner: Kamil Przybyla, Arkansas State
Women's Indoor Track Performer of the Year: Abigail Parra, Texas State
Women's Indoor Field Performer of the Year: Melanie Duron, Texas State
Women's Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year: Daijah Miller, Louisiana
Women's Indoor Track & Field Newcomer of the Year: Daijah Miller, Louisiana
Women's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: John Frazier, Texas State
Women’s Indoor Track & Field Elite Award Winner: Latiana Acker, Coastal Carolina
Men’s Indoor Track Performer of the Year and Newcomer of the Year: Henry Lyon, Louisiana
Louisiana’s Henry Lyon was named both the Men’s Indoor Track Performer of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors after finishing on the podium a trio of times at the championship. The senior transfer claimed the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championship in both the 3K and 5K. Lyon placed second overall in the Mile run and accounted for 28 points at the SBC Indoor meet. Throughout the year, Lyon was named the SBC Indoor Track Athlete of the Week twice. He also marked himself in the record book as he set Louisiana indoor school records in the Mile Run (4:05.30) and 3K (8:01.28), breaking both marks set in 1983. At the indoor championship in Birmingham, Lyon set the Louisiana indoor record in the 5K (14:34.11).
Men’s Indoor Field Performer of the Year: Aiden Hayes, Texas State
Texas State senior Aiden Hayes was named the Men’s Indoor Field Performer of the Year. He finished inside the top three in every appearance while consistently producing marks among the nation’s elite. He battled throughout the season with teammate Tshephang Dankuru for both the Texas State and Sun Belt Conference lead, posting jumps of 2.14m, 2.15m and a season-best 2.22m. That mark currently ties him for fourth nationally and secured his qualification to the NCAA Indoor Championships. Hayes delivered a historic performance at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships, clearing 2.22m to break the conference meet record and share the conference title.
Men’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year: Ja’Shaun Lloyd, Texas State
Texas State Freshman Ja’Shaun Lloyd was named the Men’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year. Lloyd captured conference titles in the 60 meters (6.68) and 60-meter hurdles (7.91) while adding a runner-up finish in the 200 meters (21.07). His 29.5 points earned him Men’s High Point Scorer honors and marked the highest individual total at the conference meet since 2011.
Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: John Frazier, Texas State
Head Coach John Frazier guided the Texas State men’s and women’s programs to sweep the Sun Belt Indoor Championships for the first time in program history. On the men’s side, he led the group to the program’s second Sun Belt Indoor Championship and first since 2016. Under Frazier’s leadership, the Bobcats compiled 140.5 points at the championship. Frazier led the Texas State women’s program to back-to-back Sun Belt Indoor Championships, securing the 2026 title with a commanding 126.5 points — a 45.5-point margin over second place. The championship marked the program’s sixth Sun Belt Indoor title.
Women's Indoor Track Performer of the Year: Abigail Parra, Texas State
Texas State senior Abigail Parra was named the Women’s Indoor Track Performer of the Year. Throughout the 2026 indoor campaign, Parra recorded three first-place finishes, captured two Sun Belt Championship titles, broke two Texas State school records, earned Sun Belt Track Athlete of the Week honors twice and set a new Sun Belt Championship meet record in the women’s mile. She opened the season with a program-record performance in the 3000 meters (9:29.24), earning her first conference weekly honor, and followed it by breaking the Texas State mile record with a time of 4:40.41 to secure another victory and her second Track Athlete of the Week award. At the Championship, Parra captured gold in the women’s mile with a meet-record time of 4:43.08 and added another conference title in the 800 meters (2:13.68). She also secured silver in the 3000 meters with a time of 9:46.12. Parra finished the championship with 28 total points, earning Women’s High Point Scorer honors.
Women's Indoor Field Performer of the Year: Melanie Duron, Texas State
Texas State senior Melanie Duron was named the Women’s Indoor Field Performer of the Year. Duron recorded four top-three finishes this season, including two victories, while leading the Sun Belt in the shot put from start to finish. She steadily elevated her performance level each meet, producing marks of 16.58m, 16.61m and a season-best 17.01m, which positioned her among the nation’s top competitors and placed her on the NCAA Indoor Championships qualifying bubble. Duron captured the women’s shot put title for the second consecutive year with a winning throw of 17.01 meters.
Women's Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year: Daijah Miller, Louisiana
Louisiana’s Daijah Miller captured both Women’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year honors as well as Newcomer of the Year accolades. The freshman claimed the SBC Indoor title in the women's triple jump with a mark of 12.62m/41-5. Miller recorded the best mark in the Sun Belt Conference during the 2026 indoor season and won the individual title in the triple jump at the Howie Ryan Invitational (40-9.75) and was second at the Dr. Rick McGuire Invitational (40-1.25).
Arkansas State’s Kamil Przybyla was named the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Indoor Track & Field Elite Award Winner as Coastal Carolina’s Latiana Acker was named the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Indoor Track & Field Elite Award Winner.
The SBC Elite Award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the Sun Belt Conference Championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The SBC Elite award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating on the final day for each of the Sun Belt Conference’s championships.
2026 Sun Belt Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference First Team
Ava Studney, App State
Miranda Burgett, Arkansas State
Latiana Acker, Coastal Carolina
NaJ Watson, Georgia Southern
Shatalya Dorsett, Georgia Southern
Alanna Smith, Georgia Southern
Adonijah Currie, Georgia Southern
Alaysha Veal, Louisiana
Daijah Miller, Louisiana
Lara Check, Marshall
Charleen Elizondo, South Alabama
Cadence Lapp, Southern Miss
Addison McLaurin, Southern Miss
Olivia Smith, Southern Miss
Emme Bates, Southern Miss
Abigail Parra, Texas State
Melanie Duron, Texas State
Elisabet Runarsdottir, Texas State
Faith Jones, Troy
2026 Sun Belt Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Second Team
Kendall Johnson, App State
Kevell Byrd, Georgia State
Madison Bailey, Louisiana
Ella Segura, Louisiana
Callie Wilson, Coastal Carolina
Emelia Thurston, Coastal Carolina
Maya Anderson, Georgia State
Reem Tammam, Louisiana
Markayla Moore, Marshall
Kennedi Sanders, Southern Miss
Valencia Watson, Southern Miss
Jaellene Burgess, Southern Miss
Paige Archer, Texas State
Chinenye Uzoh, Texas State
Sophia Haberer, Texas State
Sophie Daugard, Texas State
Haley Hall, Texas State
Kerrah Evans, Texas State
Kathryn Evans, Texas State
Alexia Macias, Texas State
2026 Sun Belt Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Third Team
Savannah Moore, App State
Micayla Collins, App State
Addison Ollendick-Smith, App State
Josie Jackson, App State
Nicole Wells, App State
Jayla Adams, App State
Ja-Naya Linder, App State
Damyja Alejandro-Ortiz, App State
Lilly Nichols, App State
Mia Conroy, Arkansas State
Maya Studney, Coastal Carolina
Kennedy Hood, Georgia Southern
Jayla Kennedy, Georgia State
Isabelle Russell, Louisiana
Lily Murray, Louisiana
Presleigh Montalvo, South Alabama
Jamie Willis, South Alabama
Kayden Engel, South Alabama
Hannah Kemele, Texas State
2026 Sun Belt Men’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference First Team
Colby Eddowes, Arkansas State
Kamil Przybyla, Arkansas State
Caemon Scott, Louisiana
Henry Lyon, Louisiana
Brady Keller, South Alabama
Terek Logan, South Alabama
Brody Hamilton, South Alabama
Jordan Morrison, South Alabama
Blayton Bernard, South Alabama
Valentino Rudolph, Southern Miss
Piers Cameron, Southern Miss
Conner Mozee, Southern Miss
De’Aundre Ward, Southern Miss
Javel Fullerton, Southern Miss
Jacoby Tanner, Southern Miss
Isaiah Thomas, Southern Miss
Ja’Shaun Lloyd, Texas State
Aiden Hayes, Texas State
Tshephang Dankuru, Texas State
Stafon Roach, ULM
2026 Sun Belt Men’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Second Team
Menachem Chen, Arkansas State
Brandon Williams, Arkansas State
Aviel Gasko, Arkansas State
Bruce Payerli, Arkansas State
Parker Noffz, Arkansas State
Nieko Garnes, South Alabama
Jadon Thomason, South Alabama
Will Fredrick, South Alabama
Samuel Warriner, South Alabama
Nikoby Johnson, Southern Miss
Justin Lipscomb, Marshall
Trashaun Smith, Marshall
Chris Preddie, Texas State
Benedikt Schweizer, ULM
Bradley Riccardi, ULM
Matthew Malcolm, ULM
Thibault Buchard, ULM
Mario Santin, ULM
2026 Sun Belt Men’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Third Team
Brett Jacobs, Arkansas State
Gavin Schaer, Arkansas State
Kohl Feucht, Louisiana
Darius Charles, Louisiana
Reed Boudreaux, Louisiana
Matthew Maynard, Louisiana
Camren Hardy, Louisiana
Mark Daley, Louisiana
Kobe Mendez, Louisiana
Praiyer Jones, Louisiana
Jonathan Henderson, South Alabama
Samuel Mika, South Alabama
Tyler Nichols, Southern Miss
Elias Palmer, Texas State
Easton Hammond, Texas State
Ty’Shaun Lloyd, Texas State
Ethan Moffett, Texas State
Mihaijlo Katanic, Texas State
Joshua Gill, ULM