Indiana, Iowa, Purdue and USC Win Weekly Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Awards

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the week of April 9-16, 2025.  

Track Athlete of the Week  
Max Thomas, USC 
Junior – Sprints – Long Beach, Calif. – Major: Communications 

• Won the 100m dash at the Texas A&M 44 Farms Team Invitational
• His wind-aided time of 9.92 (+2.4w) is a PR, third in the world under any conditions, and second among NCAA runners this season
• This was Thomas’ first individual race of the outdoor season after coming back from an injury at the end of the indoor season
• Thomas also ran the second leg for USC’s 4x100m relay which won with a school record time of 38.41, an NCAA leading time
• Last USC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week award: Garrett Kaalund (April 2, 2025) 

Field Athlete of the Week 
Andreas Hantson, Purdue 
Sophomore - Decathlon – Estonia – Major: Kinesiology 

• Scored 7,686 points in the decathlon to win the Bryan Clay Multis
• The performance was a Big Ten best and is fifth best in the NCAA this season
• Hantson had PRs in the 100m, 1500m, 110mH, long jump and shot put to do so
• Last Purdue Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week award: Safin Willis (April 27, 2022) 

Co-Freshmen of the Week 
Nikolaos Sidirenios, Indiana 
Freshman – Throws – Greece – Major: Physics 

• Won the hammer throw event at the Crimson Tide Invitational
• His mark of 198-11 (60.62m) was a PR and 9^th in Indiana program history
• This marks Indiana’s first Men’s Outdoor Freshman of the Week Award 

Duke Faley, Iowa 
Freshman – Throws – Dubuque, Iowa – Major: Business 

• Won the discus throw event at the Jim Duncan Invite
• His mark of 179-7 (54.75m) was a PR
• This marks Iowa’s first Men’s Outdoor Freshman of the Week Award 

2025 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week 
March 26 
Track: Yougendy Mauricette, USC 
Field: Racquil Broderick, USC 
Freshman:  Bryce Ruland, IOWA 

April 2 
Track: Garrett Kaalund, USC 
Field: Elias Gerald, USC/Scott Toney, WASH 
Freshman: Ajani Dwyer, PSU 

April 9 
Track: Handal Roban, PSU 
Field: Kostas Zaltos, MINN 
Freshman: Precious Opinion, MINN 

April 16 
Track: Max Thomas, USC 
Field: Andreas Hantson, PUR 
Freshman: Nikolaos Sidirenios, IND/Duke Faley, IOWA