April 14, 2025
National Athlete of the Week is an award selected and presented by the USTFCCCA Communications Staff at the beginning of each week to multiple collegiate Track and Field athletes, when applicable (male and female for each of the three NCAA divisions, the National Junior College divisions, and the NAIA).
Nominations are open to the public. Coaches and sports information directors are encouraged to nominate their student-athletes; as are student-athletes, their families and friends, and fans of their programs. Nominated athletes are noticed before those athletes found through searching TFRRS.
The award seeks to highlight not only the very best times, marks and scores on a week-to-week basis, but also performances that were significant on the national landscape and/or the latest in a series of strong outings. Quality of competition, suspenseful finishes and other factors will also play a role in the decision.
NCAA DIVISION I MEN – Mykolas Alekna, California
Junior | Throws | Vilnius, Lithuania
It took Mykolas Alekna one fling of the disc to shatter his own world record – and the collegiate record – at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational this past weekend. The California standout’s first attempt flew 74.89m (245-8) and left him just 11cm (4½) inches from the first 75+ meter throw in world history (Comparatively, only three men had ever eclipsed 74 meters in their career).
Well, three throws later, Alekna did the (previously) unthinkable.
Alekna one-upped himself in a major way on his fourth attempt of the afternoon in Ramona, Oklahoma. How major? Try improving his WR by more than two feet to 75.56m (247-10).
This is the second week in a row – and the sixth time in his career – that Alekna has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Alekna is the first back-to-back honoree since Anderson Peters of Mississippi State in 2019.
NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Jayden Ulrich, Louisville
Senior | Throws | East Alton, Illinois
First throw. Best throw.
Jayden Ulrich needed just one attempt at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational this past weekend to cement herself as one of the best discus throwers in collegiate history.
Ulrich sent the implement 69.39m (227-8) to notch the second best mark in the record book behind Jorinde van Klinken’s 70.22m (230-5) effort from the 2021 USATF Throws Festival. The senior from East Alton, Illinois, had previously sat sixth on the all-time chart with her previous PR of 66.14m (217-0) that she recorded at the season-opening South Florida Alumni Invitational.
This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Louisville has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Ulrich is the first ACC athlete to be bestowed national weekly honors since Katelyn Tuohy on May 9, 2023.
NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Owen Fraser, Missouri S&T
Junior | Throws | Kirksville, MO
Imagine leading your division by over four meters.
For Owen Fraser of Missouri S&T, it’s a reality.
The junior heaved the discus 60.60m (198-9¾) at the Mule Relays to move into No. 10 all-time in NCAA DII history. Fraser’s previous best didn’t even crack the all-time top-25, yet his new PR marks the furthest an NCAA DII athlete has gone since 2022.
And then there’s the 2025 outdoor performance lists where Fraser sits nearly 14 feet ahead of Thomas McConnelee of Roberts Wesleyan, who recorded 56.16m (184-3) last week.
Fraser’s other claim to fame is the shot put, where he’s positioned second behind Cedric Pearson of Missouri Southern after a 17.92m (61-0¼) toss.
This marks the first time in program history that an athlete from Missouri S&T has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.
NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Esther Conde-Turpin, Azusa Pacific
Junior | Multis | Reunion Island, France
The Bryan Clay Invitational is a heaven for multis.
Don’t believe it? Four of the top-10 marks on the 2025 NCAA DII outdoor performance list would say otherwise.
One of those – the top spot – belongs to Esther Conde-Turpin of Azusa Pacific, who finished the weekend with 5,974 points in the heptathlon. The junior now owns two of the top-5 marks in NCAA DII history with the most recent sneaking in at No. 5. It also sits No. 2 on the all-college seasonal chart behind NCAA DI champion Jadin O’Brien of Notre Dame.
Conde-Turpin had strong competition from her own teammate Luisa Fischer and Blaklee Winn of Pittsburg State. Winn amassed 5,780 points with Fischer at 5,616 points to slide in at No. 9 and No. 18 on the NCAA DII all-time chart, respectively.
This marks the second time a female athlete from Azusa Pacific has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Conde-Turpin joins Jennifer Sandoval who was honored on April 20, 2021.
NCAA DIVISION III MEN – DonTre Sinegal, McMurry
Senior | Jumps | Benbrook, Texas
DonTre Sinegal bounded to a historic mark.
Sinegal triple jumped 15.76m (51-8½) at the War Hawk Classic in Abilene, Texas, to equal the sixth best performer in NCAA DIII history. That also matched the division’s best mark since 1992 (Cole Goodman of Rochester (N.Y.) also went 15.76m (51-8½) to win the NCAA title last year).
That’s not all Sinegal did, though: Sinegal also soared a wind-aided 7.58m (24-10½) in the long jump to cement his spot atop that event’s seasonal Descending Order List; clocked 14.10 (+3.3) in the 110-meter hurdles to finish runner-up; and anchored the runner-up 4×100 relay.
This is the second time this season – and the third time in his career – that Sinegal has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.
NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Yasmin Ruff, Washington (Mo.)
Senior | Pole Vault | Oak Park, Illinois
Before this past weekend, it had been seven years since an NCAA DIII woman vaulted 4.11m (13-5¾) or better. Notice how we said “before this past weekend” in the previous sentence.
Yasmin Ruff cleared 4.11m (13-5¾) at the Greenville Select Meet to take over sole possession of the No. 8 spot on the NCAA DIII all-time chart. That came on her third attempt at the height.
This is the third time in program history that a female athlete from Washington (Mo.) has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Ruff joins 2023 honoree Emma Kelley and 2017 honoree Rebecca Widderhoff in that regard.
NAIA MEN – Joey Rauwerda, Saint Francis (Ind.)
Grad Student | Pole Vault | Grand Rapids, Michigan
Joey Rauwerda keeps reaching new heights in the pole vault.
It all started when he cleared five meters for the first time in finishing runner-up at the NAIA Indoor Championships, where he also became a 17-footer with his final height of 5.20m (17-0¾).
He’s regularly cleared 5.00m (16-4¾) this spring and took it up a notch further at Indiana Wesleyan’s Indiana Little State Championships with a 5.30m (17-4½) victory that gave him the NAIA lead this year and made him the first NAIA vaulter to go as high since 2021.
He even took three attempts at another barrier – 5.50m (18-0½).
This is the first time that an athlete from Saint Francis (Ind.) has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.
NAIA WOMEN – Olivia Lundman, British Columbia
Senior | Race Walk | Lantzville, British Columbia
It’s safe to say that Olivia Lundman owns the 5000-meter race walk among NAIA athletes.
Her most recent effort – 21:55.86 to win the Battle of Sparta by nearly four minutes – broke her own NAIA record and made her the first to go under 22 minutes in the event. She’s also the only NAIA athlete to break 23 minutes in the event.
This was the seventh time she’s broken the NAIA record in the event – twice this year – as she owns the top-8 marks in NAIA history.
Lundman, who competed in the Paris Olympics last summer on Canada’s marathon race walk mixed relay team, has won the last three NAIA crowns in the 5k race walk.
This is the third time that a female athlete from British Columbia has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Lundman joins Kiana Gibson (2024) and Rachel Mortimer (2023) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION I MEN – David Nyamufarira, New Mexico JC
Freshman | Sprints | Zimbabwe
One needs to include NJCAA athletes to find the fastest male collegiate sprinter this year as David Nyamufarira won the 100 meters at West Texas A&M’s Jo Meaker Classic in 10.02.
With a wind reading of +1.6 meters per second, Nyamufarira turned back the hosts’ Isaac Botsio as the reigning NCAA DII 100-meter champion ran 10.11. Nyamufarira’s time of 10.02 makes him No. =4 on the all-time NJCAA wind-legal list.
Earlier on that Saturday afternoon, Nyamufarira anchored the T-Birds’ 4×100 relay team to a 39.62 clocking in finishing runner-up for the year’s No. 3 time among NJCAA programs.
This is the ninth time that a male athlete from New Mexico JC has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Nyamufarira joins LeBron James (2025), Tapiwanashe (Carli) Makarawu (twice in 2024, once in 2023), Donald Chiyangwa (twice in 2023) and Andrei Romanov (twice in 2021) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Anita Afrifa, Colby (Kan.) CC
Sophomore | Sprints | Kumasi, Ghana
Anita Afrifa has never been faster in the 200 meters than she was at West Texas A&M’s Jo Meaker Classic in Canyon, Texas, on Saturday.
In fact, only two NJCAA athletes ever have as she sped the half lap in 22.95 for second place just behind former Texas Tech star Success Umukoro’s 22.93. Afrifa’s time makes her No. =3 all-time among NJCAA athletes with the fastest time since 2011.
Earlier in the day Afrira was third in her section of the 100 at 11.36, close to her PR 11.32 from last year, when she was NJCAA champ in both the 100 and 200.
This is the second time that an athlete from Colby CC has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Afrifa herself was honored last year.
NJCAA DIVISION III MEN – Nathan Ciarlette, Joliet (Ill.) JC
Freshman | Mid-Distances | Joliet, Illinois
New week, new NJCAA DIII all-time best for Nathan Ciarlette.
Ciarlette won the 1500 meters in Olivet Nazarene’s Tiger Open by 3.5 seconds in a PR 3:54.63. That lowered his PR by an even three seconds and also took 1.69 seconds off the fastest-known time NJCAA DIII history – a 3:56.32 by Robert Allen of CCRI in 2013.
Last week Ciarlette ran the 3000 meters in 8:32.63 for an NJCAA DIII best, and two weeks ago he ran 1:54.79 to move to No. 3 all-time on the NJCAA DIII 800-meter list.
Ciarlette came back later in the afternoon to add a PR in the 5000 at 15:59.67.
This is the second time that an athlete from Joliet JC has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Ciarlette himself was honored last week.
NJCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Ellie Logsdon, College of DuPage (Ill.)
Sophomore | Hurdles/Sprints | Genoa, Illinois
Ellie Logsdon made a big improvement in the 400-meter hurdles at the Wheaton Invitational.
How big? Try a PR by 2.99 seconds to clock 1:03.12. That runner-up finish also made her the fastest-known athlete in NJCAA DIII history, taking 0.99 seconds off the 1:04.11 registered by Chisom Chinedu of Union County (N.J.) in 2019.
Don’t overlook Logsdon in the sprints, either – she’s the reigning NJCAA DIII Outdoor champ in both the 400 hurdles and 200 meters (and was runner-up also in last year’s 100 and 400).
This is the seventh time that a female athlete from DuPage has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Logsdon herself was honored last year in joining Mia Tolbert (twice in 2021), Shaylinn Aver (2021), Emily Fetzer (2021) and Olivia Kalata (2021) in that regard.