NATCHITOCHES—A total team effort from the Northwestern State track and field athletes and coaches to earn the Southland Conference Women's Outdoor Championship earned Mike Heimerman the SLC Women's Coach of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday.

Heimerman guided the women's track and field team to its first outdoor team title in program history, as the team clinched the title in the last event of the meet: the 4x400 relay.

The relay team solidified a comeback victory for NSU, as it won the title with 182.5 points, just ahead of rival McNeese's 181 points.

The women's team swept the indoor and outdoor team titles and has won three of the last four women's team titles in the last two seasons.

By winning the 4x400 relay, the quartet of Sanaria Butler, Vanessa Balde, Tranasia Jones and Maygan Shaw also were named First Team All-Conference in the event.

To earn first team, NSU nearly broke the meet record, running a 3:35.84.

The women's 4x400 relay team was one of seven NSU athletes or relays to capture first team honors.

Also joining the relay on the first team on the women's side are Butler (400-meter dash), Balde (100-meter hurdles) and Shakera Kirk (discus).

On the men's side, the 4x100 relay team, Djimon Gumbs (shot put) and Diamante Gumbs (discus) all earned a spot first team.

Balde won her gold, running a 13.63 to win the hurdles. She also captured a pair of bronzes and Third Team All-SLC selections in the 400-meter dash and as a member of the 4x100 relay team.

The 4x100 team of Balde, Butler, Shaw and Lynell Washington clocked a 45.22 to earn third team.

Balde's bronze in the 400 was a part of an NSU sweep in the event, as Butler (52.56) and Shaw (52.85) won the gold and silver, respectively, to earn first and second team honors.

Butler (23.48) and Shaw (23.67) also each found the podium in the 200-meter dash, earned second and third team honors.

Butler also earned second team in the long jump, posting a 19-8.25.

Kirk earned the final first team spot for NSU, tossing a personal-best 167-3 in the women's discus, which not only won her the gold, but earned her a spot in regionals.

In the women's hammer, Bernesha Knowles earned a third team selection, tossing a 174-5.

The final two all-conference spots from NSU went to Annemarie Broussard and Madison Brown, who made second and third team, respectively, in the women's pole vault.

On the men's side, each Gumbs twin earned a spot atop the medal stand and thus, earned a first team spot.

In the shot put, Djimon Gumbs threw a 62-1.75 to come away with the first team spot, while Diamante tossed a 184-7 in the men's discus. Diamante took the silver in the discus with a distance of 178-10.

Before the men's 4x100 relay team reached nationals, it earned the gold and a first team selection at the SLC Outdoor Championships. The quartet of Zachaeus Beard, Cyrus Jacobs, Keontae Gaines and Mikkel Johansson ran a 39.42, holding off a furious rally from Texas A&M-Commerce and New Orleans.

Beard, who earned a Second Team All-American spot at nationals in the men's 100-meter dash, collected a pair of silvers in individual events, including one in the 100, running a then-wind legal best of 10.19.

He also clocked a 20.48 in the 200, solidifying his second team selection.

Gaines (10.42) and Jacobs (20.97) both were named to the third team in the 100 and 200m respectively.

Jacobs also took home the silver in the 400-meter dash, running a 46.78 to collect a third team selection.

Beard, Jacobs, Jaysaun Smith and Desmond Duncan combined to earn the silver in the 4x400 relay, running a 3:08.27.

Taj Morris (110-meter hurdles), Andrew Gilreath (triple jump) and Randy Kelly (high jump) all earned third team selections to round out the performers.

 
Men's Outstanding Field Events Performer – Kyle Sieracki, UIW
Kyle Sieracki had himself quite the spring in the SLC. He found himself on the medal stand three times at the conference championships, coming in second in the men's javelin and winning the pole vault and decathlon. 

Men's Outstanding Running Events Performer – Griffin Neal, UIW
Griffin Neal ran his way right into this award as he took home the gold in both the 5,000-meter run and the 10,000-meter run. 
 
Men's Freshman of the Year – Alex Martin, McNeese
Freshman Alex, Martin made a splash taking home the gold medal in the 800-meter run, and found himself on the podium again, taking third place in the 1500-meter run

Men's Newcomer of the Year – John Adesola, UNO
John Adesola grabbed a gold medal in an exciting 110-meter hurdle race. He also competed on the third-place 4x100-meter relay. 

Men's Athlete of the Year – Kenson Tate, Lamar
Kenson Tate was outstanding this year winning the men's long jump and competing in the 5th place 4x100 relay as well as both the 100-meter dash & the 200-meter dash. 

Leon Johnson Award (Men's Coach of the Year) – Dr. Derek Riedel, UIW
Coach Riedel finds himself as the recipient the Leon Johnson Award as Men's Coach of the Year yet again. He lead the Cardinals to the team championship with 167 points. The Cards grabbed both the 2024 Indoor Championship & the 2024 Outdoor Championship.
 
Women's Athlete of the Year & Outstanding Field Events Performer – Morgan Talley, McNeese
Morgan Talley scored 36 points for the Cowgirls and became a familiar face at the podium. She took home the gold in the women's long jump, triple jump, and heptathlon. She grabbed third place in the 100-meter hurdles and competed in the high jump as well.

Outstanding Running Events Performer – Brianna Howard, Lamar
Brianna Howard took home the gold in both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash and was also a part of the gold medal 4x100-meter relay. 

Women's Freshman of the Year – Onyah Favour, Southeastern
Onyah Favour grabbed two fourth-place spots in a fast 400-meter dash field and was also a part of the fourth-place 4x400-meter relay. 

Women's Newcomer of the Year – Jeny Barcenas, McNeese
Jeny Barcenas dominated the 3000-meter steeplechase, taking home a gold medal and she also placed fifth in the 1500-meter run. 

Women's Coach of the Year – Mike Heimerman, Northwestern State
Coach Heimerman won coach of the year honors after pushing the Demons to a 182.5 point victory. The Demons took home the 2024 championships in both Indoor & Outdoor. 

2024 Southland Conference Men's Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams 

Event	First	Second	Third
100 meter dash	Ibrahim Fuseini, TAMUC	Zachaeus Beard, NSU	Keontae Gaines, NSU
200 meter dash	Ibrahim Fuseini, TAMUC	Zachaeus Beard, NSU	Cyrus Jacobs, NSU
400 meter dash	Jalon White, McNeese	Cyrus Jacobs, NSU	Javon-Taye Williams, SLU
800 meter run	Alex Martin, McNeese	Krzysztof Turski, HCU	Omer El-Fadl, McNeese
1,500 meter run	Alex Piquart, HCU	Omer El-Fadl, McNeese	Freddy Richardson, LU
5,000 meter run	Griffin Neal, UIW	Kelvin Kimaiyo, AMCC	Dennis Kipngeno, AMCC
10,000 meter run	Griffin Neal, UIW	Kelvin Kimaiyo, AMCC	Gilbert Kimutai, McNeese
110 meter hurdles	John Adesola, UNO	Jorim Bangue, UNO	Taj Morris, NSU
400 meter hurdles	Jaden Powell, McNeese	Ethan Ellis, LU	Denzel Hinds, HCU
3,000 meter steeplechase	Christopher Daniels, UNO	Nicholas Deutsch, TAMUC	Eric Pineda, UIW
4x100 meter relay	Zachaeus Beard, Cyrus Jacobs, Keontae Gaines, Mikkel Johansson– NSU	Ronald Owens, Oguze Uyar, Enoch Fosuhene, Ibrahim Fueseini – TAMUC	Chrsitopher Murphy, John Adesola, Darryl George Jr., Madonna Favour– UNO
4x400 meter relay	Enoch Fosuhene, Philip Krenek, Ziphion Reevey, Ibrahim Fuseini– TAMUC	Desmond Duncan, Cyrus Jacobs, Zachaeus Beard, Jaysaun Smith – NSU	Ethan Ellis, Christian Johnson, Jaylon Robers, Cameron Chin - LU
High Jump	Slavko Stevic, SLU	Justine Jimoh, TAMUC	Randy Kelly, NSU
Pole Vault	Kyle Sieracki, UIW	Josiah Martinez,  UIW	Isaiah Hudgens, UIW
Long Jump	Kenson Tate, Lamar	Christopher Murphy, UNO	Justice Jones, UIW
Triple Jump	Amire Ledet, McNeese	Jacarius Demmerritte, LU	Andrew Gilreath, NSU
Shot Put	Djimon Gumbs, NSU	Marcus Francis, McNeese	Donroy Brown, SLU
Discus Throw	Diamante Gumbs, NSU	Djimon Gumbs, NSU	Marcus Francis, McNeese
Hammer Throw	Terrell Webb, SLU	Diamante Gumbs, NSU	Tyler Challis, McNeese
Javelin Throw	Hunter Longino, McNeese	Kyle Sieracki, UIW	Gabriel Lim, SLU
Decathlon	Kyle Sieracki, UIW	Isaiah Hudgens, UIW	Scott Boon, HCU

 
2023 Southland Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams

Event	First	Second	Third
100 meter dash	Brianna Howard, LU	Sydne Porter, LU	Capri Wilson, AMCC
200 meter dash	Brianna Howard, LU	Sanaria Butler, NSU	Maygan Shaw, NSU
400 meter dash	Sanaria Butler, NSU	Maygan Shaw, NSU	Vanessa Balde, NSU
800 meter run	Jessica Rabius, HCU	Sophia Wolf, UNO	Kayla Warner, McNeese
1,500 meter run	Jessica Rabius, HCU	Alexandra Weir, UNO	Cara Inch, LU
5,000 meter run	Nia Clatworthy, UIW	Rebecca DeKay, UNO	Cara Inch, LU
10,000 meter run	Rebecca DeKay, UNO	Nia Clatworthy, UIW	Irene Bonanomi, UNO
100 meter hurdles	Vanessa Balde, NSU	Kayli Johnson, LU	Morgan Talley, McNeese
400 meter hurdles	Chloe Rodriguez, LU	Esther Nwanze, SLU	Dasya Tolbert, UIW
3,000 meter steeplechase	Jeny Barcenas, McNeese	Ashlyn Royal, UIW	Destiny Quintanilla, HCU
4x100 meter relay	Brianna Howard, Kayla Smith, Kayli Johnson, Sydne Porter – LU	Khiah Lara-Turner, Capri Wilson, Erial Fontenot, Nia Hampton, AMCC	Lynell Washington, Maygan Shaw, Vanessa Balde, Sanaria Butler– NSU
4x400 meter relay	Maygan Shaw, Sanaria Butler, Vanessa Balde, Tranasia Jones – NSU	Kayla Warner, Jordan Carter, Jashyra Thomas, Kayla Harrison - McNeese	Faith Outing, Kayla Smith, Adebola Odunlami, Chloe Rodriguez – LU
High Jump	Jenneil Jacobie, TAMUC	Sakari Famous, McNeese	Veronika Kramarenko, TAMUC
Pole Vault	Alisa Novosad, UIW	Annemarie Broussard, NSU	Madison Brown, NSU
Long Jump	Morgan Talley, McNeese	Sanaria Butler, NSU	Kayli Johnson, LU
Triple Jump	Morgan Talley, McNeese	Jaslyn Smith, NSU	Myla Tate, AMCC
Shot Put	Jaslyn Russell, McNeese	Shakera Williams, NSU	Sa'Niya Fowler, UIW
Discus Throw	Shakera Kirk, NSU	Liza Lap, HCU	Cassandra Rendon, TAMUC
Hammer Throw	Mariah Lee, McN	Esmeralda Ruiz, McNeese	Bernesha Knowles, NSU
Javelin Throw	Blanche Beard, McNeese	Hadley Ryland, McNeese	Faith Cauthron, McNeese
Heptathlon	Morgan Talley, McNeese	Raven-Symone Jarrett, NSU	Clemence Varin, LU