Huskers Secure Five All-Region Awards

Nebraska track and field collected five USTFCCCA Midwest Region awards on Friday. The Husker men swept the awards for the first time in school history with Head Coach Justin St. Clair winning Midwest Region Men's Coach of the Year, Brenton Emanuel earning Midwest Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year, Darius Luff collecting the Midwest Region Men's Track Athlete of the Year and Tyus Wilson winning the Midwest Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year. On the women's side, Rhema Otabor was named the Midwest Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year.

Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches following the conclusion of the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

This is St. Clair's second-straight year being honored as the Men's Coach of the Year and his fourth overall Coach of the Year honor, after guiding the Husker men to their second-straight Big Ten team title and a top-15 finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The team finished 50 points ahead of second place at conference and tied for 13th at nationals with 19 points. That was the most points scored for NU at outdoor nationals since 2014. Three Husker men were named First-Team All-Americans, while three were named Second-Team All-Americans. St. Clair specializes in throws, coaching three Husker men to the NCAA Championships. Additionally, the throwers combined for 43 points at the conference meet in the men's team race.

Emanuel was named the Assistant Coach of the Year after the 2023 indoor season, but this is Nebraska's first time bringing in the honor on the outdoor men's side since Billy Maxwell in 2014. He coached his athletes to 35 combined points at the Big Ten Championships and guided Luff and Garrett Kaalund to record-breaking performances throughout the season. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Luff became the first NCAA Champion in the 110m hurdles in school history with a time that is 12th in the world this year. Emanuel also coached Kaalund to his first NCAA Championship appearance in an individual event, where he finished with Second-Team All-America honors in the 200m. With a time of 20.38, Kaalund finished 13th to be named NU's first All-American in the 200m since 2007. At regionals, Kaalund clocked a 20.25 to break his own school record.

Luff is the first Husker runner in school history to be awarded the men's track athlete of the year honor after his NCAA and Big Ten title in the 110m hurdles. The senior from Lincoln, Neb. ran a personal-best 13.19 at nationals to break his own school record and rank ninth in collegiate history. At the Big Ten Championships, Luff won his third conference title with a time of 13.25. He also raced to first at three of four regular season meets, including the Drake Relays, Michael Johnson Invitational and Jim Click Shootout.

Wilson is NU's first athlete to bring in the Outdoor Men's Field Athlete of the Year award since current high jump coach Dusty Jonas won it in 2008. From Sterling, Kan., Wilson was the NCAA runner-up in the high jump with a 7-3 3/4 (2.23m). That marks Nebraska's highest NCAA finish in the men's outdoor high jump since Jonas tied for second in 2008. Wilson's season was highlighted by becoming the Big Ten High Jump Champion with a personal-best 7-6 (2.29m), which is the best clearance in the NCAA this season. It's also tied for 11th in the world and third in school history.

This is the second-straight year Nebraska has brought in the Midwest Region Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year award, after Axelina Johansson won it last season. Otabor launched a record-breaking 210-7 (64.19m) in the javelin to win her second-straight NCAA title. That mark broke the collegiate record, NCAA meet record, school record and Bahamian record. Before defending her title, she went back-to-back at the Big Ten Championships, winning the javelin title with a 189-6 (57.75m).