The Big West is proud to announce its 2024 Track & Field Awards, as voted on by the league's head coaches/directors of track & field. 
 
Big West double champion Cal Poly headlined the list, winning five awards. As conference champions in multiple events, sophomore Tatiana Cornejo and junior Melody Nwagwu claimed the Women’s Track, and Women’s Field Athlete of the Year awards, respectively. Chris Caudillo is the Men’s Freshman of the Year and Ryan Vanhoy is both the Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year.
 
Cal State Fullerton sophomore Abel Jordan is the Men’s Track Athlete of the Year. CSUN junior Trey Knight is the Field Athlete of the Year. Izzy Kneeshaw of Hawai‘i and UC Irvine’s Kailah McKenzie will share the title of Women's Co-Freshman of the Year.
 
Jordan made it on the podium three times at The Big West Championships. The Titan sophomore placed first in the 100m (10.19) and second in the 110m hurdles (13.76), both personal-bests, and was a member of the winning 4x100m (39.65) team. Jordan qualified for the NCAA Championship First Rounds in the 100m, 110m hurdles and 4x100m relay. It is the fifth straight time, sixth in the last seven occurrences that a Titan has won the Men’s Track Athlete of the Year award.  
 
Knight won the hammer throw competition at The Big West Championships with a mark of 75.10m/246’5”. The Matador junior has qualified for the NCAA Championships First Rounds in the hammer throw with seasonal-best mark of 76.99m/252’7” that ranks second nationally. It is the fifth time a Matador has been named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Year and first since 2010.
 
Caudillo placed third in the 1500m (3:45.23) and fifth in the 5000m (14:31.96) at The Big West Championships, contributing to the Cal Poly’s’ team title. The Mustang freshman qualified for the NCAA Championships First Round in the 1500m (3:41.69). Caudillo is the fourth Mustang, first since 2010, to be named Men’s Freshman of the Year.
 
Cornejo won two conference crowns in the 800m (2:10.52) and 1500m (4:28.25) at The Big West Championships, contributing to Cal Poly’s team title. The Mustang sophomore qualified for the NCAA Championships First Rounds in the 5000m (15:56.19). Cornejo is the first Mustang to win the Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. In 1998, Tamatha Jackson won the Athlete of the Year accolade, when there was no distinction between track and field athletes.  
 
Nwagwu topped the field in the long jump (6.19m/20’3.75”) and triple jump (12.80m/42’0”) competitions at The Big West Championships with personal-best marks in both events, contributing to Cal Poly’s team title. The effort was enough to give the Mustang junior qualifiers to the NCAA Championships First Rounds in both events. Nwagwu is the sixth Women’s Field Athlete of the Year from Cal Poly and first since 2021.
 
Kneeshaw won the 400m title with a personal-best time of 54.01, placed sixth (24.19) in the 200m, and was a member of the winning 4x100m relay (45.03) and 4x400m relay (3:39.47) teams at The Big West Championships. Kneeshaw is the first-ever Rainbow Wahine to win Women’s Freshman of the Year honors.
 
McKenzie won the high jump (1.76m/5’9.25”), placed third in the long jump (6.10m/20’0.25”) and finished 11th in the 100m hurdles (14.25) at The Big West Championships. The Anteater freshman earned a qualifier (1.77m/5’9.75”) into the NCAA Championships First Rounds. McKenzie is the first-ever Anteater to win Women’s Freshman of the Year honors.
 
As Cal Poly’s director of track & field, Vanhoy led the Mustang men and women to team titles at The Big West Championships. It was first team trophy on the men’s side and second for the women in Cal Poly program history.  The Mustangs had 17 qualifiers for the NCAA Championship First Rounds with Caudillo (men’s 1500m), Cornejo (women’s 5000m), Nwagwu (women’s long jump, triple jump), Davis Bove (men’s 1500m, 5000m), Shelby Daniele (women’s 200m), Rory Devaney (men’s discus, hammer throw), Lexi Evans (women’s pole vault), Travis Martin (men’s hammer throw), Corban Payne (men’s shot put), Spencer Pickren (men’s 1500m), Carson Smith (men’s 1500m), MacGregor TeSelle (men’s 200m) and Lewis Westwood (men’s 1500m). Conover is Cal Poly’s first-ever Men’s Coach of the Year and second-ever Women’s Coach of the Year after Mark Conover won it in 2021.