Minnesota and Oregon Collect Weekly Women’s Indoor Track and Field Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the week of Feb. 11-18, 2026.  

Track Athlete of the Week  
Wilma Nielsen, Oregon 
Graduate – Distance – Gothenburg, Sweden – Major: Advertising and Brand Responsibility 

• Broke the Oregon school record in the indoor mile with a time of 4:21.04 at the BU Valentine Invitational 
• Her time doubles as the Big Ten leader and No. 2 time in collegiate history 
• Ran the anchor leg of the Oregon DMR that ran a converted 10:45.97 for NCAA qualifying; ranked third nationally 
• Nielsen’s third Indoor Track Athlete of the Week award this season. Last: Feb. 4, 2026 

Field Athlete of the Week 
Anthonett Nabwe, Minnesota 
RS Junior – Throws – Monrovia, Liberia/Jamestown, N.D. – Major: Kinesiology 

• Won the Tyson Invitational with a Big Ten record-breaking weight throw of 24.67m (80-11 ¼) 
• Her record beat Olympian Sade Olatoye of Ohio State that had held since 2019 
• Nabwe’s throw is No. 6 all-time weight throw in NCAA history 
• This marks Nabwe’s third Indoor Field Athlete of the Week award this season. Last: Jan. 21 
• It also marks Nabwe’s seventh total Big Ten Indoor Field Athlete of the Week award, which is most among women's field athletes 

Freshman of the Week 
Diana Cherotich, Oregon 
Freshman – Distance – Bungoma County, Kenya – Major: Environmental Studies 

• Won the open section of the event at the BU Valentine Invitational 
• Lowered her own indoor school record to 15:13.38 in the 5,000m 
• Her time leads the Big Ten by more than three seconds and 13^th in the NCAA this season 
• This marks Cherotich’s second Indoor Freshman of the Week award this season. Last: Dec. 10, 2025 

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 

Feb. 11  
Track: Madison Whyte, USC 
Field: Ashley Erasmus, USC 
Freshman: Oluwatosin Awoleye, USC 

Feb. 18 
Track: Wilma Nielsen, ORE 
Field: Anthonett Nabwe, MINN 
Freshman: Diana Cherotich, ORE