New MIAA Women's Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week, Presented by Beynon

4/21/2026 3:00:00 PM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced new Track and Field Athletes of the Week from week five of the 2026 women’s outdoor season, presented by Beynon – the official track surface of the MIAA. Pittsburg State’s Zyra Shivers ran the fastest 100-meter time in Division II to claim her first Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week honor. Missouri Southern’s Briar Gillum recorded top ten marks in both the hammer and discus throw to earn her first Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week honor.  
 
OUTDOOR TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Zyra Shivers, Pittsburg State   
Zyra Shivers posted the second fastest time in NCAA Division II in the 100-meter hurdles this season at the PSU Tune-Up Meet Sunday (Apr. 19). The graduate student from Charlotte, N.C., was clocked in a personal best 13.30 seconds in the race.
 
OUTDOOR FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Briar Gillum, Missouri Southern     
Briar Gillum set the Missouri Southern hammer throw record last weekend at the 2026 Pittsburg State Tune-Up (Apr. 19). Gillum notched a personal-best throw of 61.45 meters (201-7) for the top spot in MSSU track and field program history. She also finished second at the Tune-Up in the discus with a mark of 50.04 (164-2). Earlier in the week, Gillum also captured the discus title at the 2026 Emporia State Relays (Apr. 16) with a distance of 45.55 meters (149-5) and earned second place in the hammer in Emporia with a distance of 56.46 meters (185-3). Gillum ranks third in NCAA Division II in the hammer throw and sixth in the discus throw. In total, Gillum has captured three titles so far in the 2026 outdoor season. 
 
NOTABLE TRACK PERFORMANCES:
Marie Dea, Northwest Missouri
Marie Dea delivered an incredible performance last weekend, breaking the Northwest women’s 800-meter run record with a new Division II provisional time of 2:06.35. Her time ranks fourth among Division II athletes and places 41st overall among a strong contingent of Division I runners. Dea's time earned her a new personal best and currently leads the MIAA.
 
Stella Agbokpah, Emporia State
Stella Agbokpah continued her string of breaking school records for the Hornet women. At the ESU Relays this past weekend, she won the women's 100-meter dash in a school record time of 11.41 that ranks seventh in NCAA Division II this season. She also won the 200 meters in a provisional qualifying time and meet record of 23.27. She was also a member of two relay teams that now rank in the top ten at Emporia State. The women's 4x400-meter relay team finished second in a time of 3:45.68, which ranks sixth all-time at Emporia State. The Hornets’ 4x100-meter relay placed fourth with a time of 46.69, which ranks seventh in ESU history. Agbokpah was the high point scorer at the ESU Relays with 23.25 points as the Hornets finished third in the team competition with 87.5 points.
 
Marianna Bizon, Central Missouri
Marianna Bizon broke a 40-year-old school record in the women's 1,500-meter run late Saturday night (Apr. 18) at the Brian Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif., posting a provisional and personal best time of 4:28.60. The previous record was 4:30.00 set by Connie Frank back in 1986. Bizon finished in 42nd place in a field of 168 runners.
 
NOTABLE FIELD PERFORMANCES:
Isabella Peters, Pittsburg State
Isabelle Peters posted the fourth-best mark in NCAA Division II in the pole vault this season with her clearance of 13 feet, 6.5 inches (4.22 meters) at the PSU Tune-Up Meet Sunday (Apr. 19). The redshirt senior from Lindsborg, Kan, recorded a season-best performance in the discipline in the meet.
 
Annabeth Baalmann, Fort Hays State
Annabeth Baalmann cleared 13 feet in the pole vault twice last week, reaching as high as 13-6.25 (4.12 meters) at the ESU Relays to rank sixth on the NCAA Division II descending order list this season. She was the top collegiate finisher at that event, placing second overall, before winning the competition at the Loper Invite with a top clearance of 13-1 (3.99 meters).
 
ALSO NOMINATED:
Track Nominations: Kyla Lochtefeld [Washburn], Kassidy Stuckey [Nebraska Kearney], Gabija Pukstas [Central Oklahoma], Brooklyn Garafola [Rogers State], Ella Fosse [Missouri Southern], Emily McCullough [Fort Hays State]   
Field Nominations: Harper Schoendaller [Emporia State]  
 
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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WEEK ONE INDOOR TRACK: Melanie Roland, Northwest Missouri
WEEK ONE INDOOR FIELDRachel Wilson, Pittsburg State
 
WEEK TWO INDOOR TRACK: Kennedi Cline, Northwest Missouri
WEEK TWO INDOOR FIELDDailynn VanDeren, Missouri Southern
 
WEEK THREE INDOOR TRACK: Kennedi Cline, Northwest Missouri
WEEK THREE INDOOR FIELDBelle Peters, Pittsburg State
 
WEEK FOUR INDOOR TRACK: Blakelee Winn, Pittsburg State
WEEK FOUR INDOOR FIELDBelle Peters, Pittsburg State
 
WEEK FIVE INDOOR TRACK: Stella Agbokpah, Emporia State
WEEK FIVE INDOOR FIELDDailynn VanDeren, Missouri Southern
 
WEEK SIX INDOOR TRACK: Zyra Shivers, Pittsburg State
WEEK SIX INDOOR FIELDBreanne Peters, Pittsburg State
 
WEEK SEVEN INDOOR TRACK: Grizell Scarlett, Central Missouri 
WEEK SEVEN INDOOR FIELDCannon Booker, Pittsburg State
 
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WEEK ONE OUTDOOR TRACK: Kiki Witt, Northwest Missouri  
WEEK ONE OUTDOOR FIELDAllyssa Mahone, Missouri Southern
 
WEEK TWO OUTDOOR TRACK: Grizell Scarlett, Central Missouri   
WEEK TWO OUTDOOR FIELDLily Novacek, Nebraska Kearney 
 
WEEK THREE OUTDOOR TRACK: Grizell Scarlett, Central Missouri   
WEEK THREE OUTDOOR FIELDDailynn VanDeren, Missouri Southern 
 
WEEK FOUR OUTDOOR TRACK: Stella Agbokpah, Emporia State
WEEK FOUR OUTDOOR FIELDLily Novacek, Nebraska Kearney  
 
WEEK FIVE OUTDOOR TRACK: Zyra Shivers, Pittsburg State
WEEK FIVE OUTDOOR FIELD: Briar Gillum, Missouri Southern