DALLAS – UTEP’s Niesha Burgher and Jordani Woodley were named the Conference USA Track Athletes of the Year. UTEP’s high jumper Jakub Belik captured the Men’s Field Athlete of the Year honors. After picking up two All-American titles, FIU’s Michaelle Valentin was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Year. Liberty’s Katelyn Locker and WKU’s Brunel Desinor earned the first ever CUSA Newcomer of the Year recognitions.
All awards were voted on by the league’s head coaches and consider the student-athlete’s performances from both the 2024 indoor and outdoor seasons.
CUSA Female Track Athlete of the Year – Niesha Burgher, UTEP, Sr., Saint Thomas, Jamaica
Burgher capped her season earning second team All-American honors in the indoor and outdoor 200m. The senior was also named the indoor/outdoor CUSA Female Track Performer of the Meet as she amassed 25 points with four gold medals (100m, 200m, 4x1, 4x4) at the outdoor championships. Burgher clocked in personal bests in the 100m finals (11.06) and 200m prelims (CUSA meet-record 22.44) at the conference championships. She placed 10th overall in the 200 at Nationals. Additionally, the Saint Thomas, Jamaica, native took gold in the 200m and 4x400m relay along with silver in the 60m at the indoor championships.
CUSA Female Field Athlete of the Year – Michaelle Valentin, FIU, Jr., Apopka, Fla.
Valentin capped her junior campaign by earning second-team All-American honors in the hammer and discus at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, placing 12th in both events. Valentin threw a personal best of 64.33m in the hammer, and 55.37m in the discus in Eugene. It finished a season full of notable highlights, including a gold medal in the discus at CUSA outdoor, silver medal in the hammer at CUSA outdoor, third place in the discus at the Texas Relays, silver medal in the weight throw at CUSA indoor, a total six first place finishes, FIU school records in the hammer and weight throw, and recording the Haitian national record in the discus.
CUSA Female Newcomer of the Year – Katelyn Locker, Liberty, R-Jr., Elizabethtown, Pa.
Locker raced in the women's 800m at the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet. She was named the CUSA indoor (meet-record 2:06.99) and outdoor (2:08.54) 800m champion, winning both races by over a second. Locker led off for the Lady Flames' DMR squad which won the CUSA title in a program-record time of 11:32.82. Her 2:04.46 800m at the Bryan Clay Invitational broke a program record that had stood for 14 years.
CUSA Male Track Athlete of the Year – Jordani Woodley, UTEP, Jr., Hanover, Jamaica
Woodley competed at the NCAA Championships in the 110m hurdles after he clocked in a personal-best and school-record 13.41 at the NCAA West First Round, followed by a 13.29 (2.7) run in the quarterfinals to advance to first NCAAs. He took silver in the 60m hurdles and 4x400m at the CUSA Indoor Championships, placed third overall in the 110 hurdles at the Texas Relays, clocked in personal-best 7.73 and placed first in the 60H at the UNM Team Open.
CUSA Male Field Athlete of the Year – Jakub Belik, UTEP, Jr., Jaromer, Czech Republic
Belik competed at the NCAA Championships in the high jump. The junior was named the CUSA Outdoor Male Field Performer of the Meet. Belik captured gold in the indoor and outdoor high jump and leaped a personal-best 2.20 meters (7-2.5) at the NCAA West First Round. The product of Czech Republic took gold in the triple jump at the CUSA Championships, scored a total of 20 points and placed first in four indoor/outdoor regular season meets.
CUSA Male Newcomer of the Year – Brunel Desinor, WKU, So., Pompano Beach, Fla.
Desinor, a transfer from Ave Maria, competed for WKU in two meets during the outdoor season and four during the indoor season, including both the Conference USA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The sophomore took home the bronze medal in the 400m at the CUSA Outdoor Championships. His time of 47.21 in the 400m stands as the fourth best in CUSA. He finished in the top-five in every event during the outdoor season (five) and tallied four top-three finishes during the indoor season.