KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced new men’s Track and Field Athletes of the Week from week two of the 2026 outdoor season, presented by Beynon – the official track surface of the MIAA. Northwest Missouri’s Drew Atkins was named the Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week and Nebraska Kearney’s Nolan Studley was named the Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week after both athletes posted top NCAA Division II marks over the weekend.
 
OUTDOOR TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Drew Atkins, Northwest Missouri   
Drew Atkins captured the 5,000-meter crown with a Division II provisional time of 13:40.86 at the WashU Distance Carnival last weekend in St. Louis, Mo. Atkins’s time broke the school record in the men's 5,000-meter run, broke the Francis Stadium facility record, set a new personal best, and ranks as the No. 1 mark in Division II this season.

OUTDOOR FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Nolan Studley, Nebraska Kearney   
Nolan Studley now leads all of NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA in the high jump after clearing a Nebraska Kearney school record of 7 feet, 3 inches (2.21 meters) to win the men’s high jump event at the annual Central Nebraska Challenge in Kearney this past Sunday (March 29). He bested the previous three-year-old record (7 feet, 1.75 inches) by clearing 2.21 meters on his second attempt. He now ranks No. 1 in Division II in the men’s high jump with a 3.5-inch lead on the second-best mark in Division II.  
 
NOTABLE TRACK PERFORMANCES:
Cooper Palmer, Central Missouri
Cooper Palmer finished seventh in a field of over 230 runners in the men's 5,000-meter run at the WashU Distance Carnival on Friday, March 27, in St. Louis, Mo., running a personal best and provisional time of 14:09.43. His time is the third-fastest in outdoor school history and third-fastest in Division II this season. 
 
Avrey Albright, Fort Hays State
Avrey Albright broke a 21-year-old record in the 400-meter dash at the Central Nebraska Challenge, completing the race in 46.80 to finish in first place. He is the first Tiger to break the 47-second mark, breaking the old record by 0.22 seconds (47.02, Zach Brown, 2005). His time currently ranks sixth on the Division II outdoor performance list.
 
Ezekiel Seamster, Emporia State
Ezekiel Seamster had two provisional marks and an event championship to lead the Hornet men at the ESU Spring Open. He ran a provisional qualifier of 21.07 to win the men's 200 meters. He then turned in the fourth-best time in ESU history with a 10.29 to finish fourth in the 100 meters and was the top Division II finisher. He is ranked fourth in the nation in the 100 meters and 19th in the 200 meters. He also teamed with Andrew Holton, Brock Keith, and Braden Lipgens to finish second in the 4x400 meter relay in a time of 3:19.09, which is currently ranked third this season in the MIAA.
 
NOTABLE FIELD PERFORMANCES:
Cedric Pearson, Missouri Southern
Cedric Pearson won the shot put at Emporia State’s Spring Open, posting an NCAA qualifying mark of 61 feet, 7.75 inches (18.79 meters). He now leads the NCAA Division II for shot put in 2026. Pearson also took sixth in the discus with 160 feet, 6 inches (48.92 meters) at ESU’s Spring Open.  
 
Dean Clark, Fort Hays State
Dean Clark won the long jump competition at the Central Nebraska Challenge with a top mark of 24 feet, 7 inches (7.49 meters) on his first attempt. The mark is the second-best height in Division II this season and the top mark in the MIAA. His national-qualifying performance ranks third at FHSU during the Division II era. 
 
ALSO NOMINATED:
Track Nominations: Luke Brachle [Nebraska Kearney], Caleb Leach [Missouri Southern], Blake Feron [Rogers State]
Field Nominations: Connor Deters [Emporia State], Landon Childs [Central Missouri]  
 
ABOUT BEYNON:
Beynon Sports, a Tarkett Sports company, is a leading North American company specializing in designing, manufacturing, and installing high-performance synthetic athletic surfaces, particularly for track and field, but also for tennis, pickleball, and indoor courts, known for their speed, durability, and focus on sustainability using innovative materials like cashew oil. They provide surfaces for elite venues and community facilities, and meet strict International Association of Athletics Federations standards. 
 

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INDOOR WEEK ONE TRACK: Nolan Vancauwemberghe, Central Missouri
INDOOR WEEK ONE FIELD: Drew Wilhite, Pittsburg State
 
INDOOR WEEK TWO TRACK: Aziz Mohammed, Northwest Missouri
INDOOR WEEK TWO FIELD: Adam Wooldridge, Washburn  
 
INDOOR WEEK THREE TRACK: Caden Williams, Pittsburg State
INDOOR WEEK THREE FIELD: Xavier Byers, Pittsburg State  
 
INDOOR WEEK FOUR TRACK: Ilias Garcia, Pittsburg State
INDOOR WEEK FOUR FIELD: Justin Forde, Washburn   
 
INDOOR WEEK FIVE TRACK: Ilias Garcia, Pittsburg State
INDOOR WEEK FIVE FIELD: Justin Forde, Washburn   
 
INDOOR WEEK SIX TRACK: Riley Witt, Northwest Missouri
INDOOR WEEK SIX FIELD: Drake Stapleton, Pittsburg State   
 
INDOOR WEEK SEVEN TRACK: Tyrone Jackson, Pittsburg State
INDOOR WEEK SEVEN FIELD: Grayson Smith, Pittsburg State   
 
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OUTDOOR WEEK ONE TRACK: Tyrone Jackson, Pittsburg State
OUTDOOR WEEK ONE FIELD: Grayson Smith, Pittsburg State   
 
OUTDOOR WEEK TWO TRACK: Drew Atkins, Northwest Missouri
OUTDOOR WEEK TWO FIELD: Nolan Studley, Nebraska Kearney