Oregon, Penn State and Washington Win Weekly Women’s Indoor Track and Field Awards

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the week of Jan. 28- Feb. 4, 2026.  

Track Athlete of the Week  
Wilma Nielsen, Oregon 
Senior – Distance – Gothenburg, Sweden – Major: M.S. Management 

• Ran NCAA-leading mile time of 4:23.56 at the 118^th Millrose Games 
• Becomes the No. 2 performer in NCAA history  
• Set the Swedish indoor national record 
• Took more than two seconds off her previous PR of 4:25.78 from last season 
• This marks Nielsen’s second Indoor Track Athlete of the Week award this season. Last: Jan. 28, 2026 

Field Athlete of the Week 
Hana Moll, Washington 
Junior – Pole Vault – Olympia, Wash. – Major: Marketing 

• Recorded a 16-0 (4.88m) mark in pole vault to win the UW Invitational in her season debut 
• Became the second woman in NCAA history to clear 16-feet in the pole vault 
• Becomes just the fifth American woman to make 16-feet indoors and the ninth woman worldwide 
• Needed just two attempts to clear 16-feet, setting a new lifetime-best, meet record, and Dempsey Facility Record 
• Last Washington Indoor Field Athlete of the Week award: Amanda Moll (Feb. 19, 2025) 

Co-Freshmen of the Week 
Boh Ritchie, Penn State 
Freshman – Mid-distance –New Zealand – Major: DUS 

• Ran the second fastest 800m time with a time of 2:01.60 in her first collegiate 800m race 
• Was only second to teammate Hayley Kitching 
• Her time is fifth best in the NCAA this season and best among freshmen 
• This marks Penn State’s first Freshman of the Week award 

Veronica Vacca, Washington  
Freshman – Pole Vault – Plymouth Meeting, Penn. – Major: Pre Major 

• Cleared a lifetime-best of 14-6 ¼ (4.43m) 
• Her mark is 10th overall in the NCAA this season 
• She also is best amongst freshmen and No. 6 in UW school history 
• This marks Washington’s first Indoor Freshman of the Week award 

 2025-26 Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week 

Dec. 10 
Track: Tayissa Buchanan, PSU 
Field: Anthonett Nabwe, MINN 
Freshman:  Diana Cherotich, ORE 

Dec. 17 
Track: Dymonde Nave, IOWA 
Field: Axelina Johansson, NEB 
Freshman:  Izzy Zahn, IOWA 

Jan. 14 
Track: Aniya Mosley, OSU 
Field: Sophia Beckmon, ILL 
Freshmen: Caila Lyons, Iowa/Zeal Kuku, MINN 

Jan. 21 
Track: Hayler Kitching, PSU/Chloe Foerster, WASH 
Field: Anthonett Nabwe, MINN 
Freshman: Emmry Ross, MICH 

Jan. 28 
Track: Wilma Nielsen, ORE 
Field: Romi Tamir, ILL 
Freshman: Romi Tamir, ILL 

Feb. 4  
Track: Wilma Nielsen, ORE 
Field: Hana Moll, WASH 
Freshmen: Boh Ritchie, PSU/Veronica Vacca, WASH