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Big Ten CommunicationsPublished: 6/20/2023, Last updated: 3/15/2024
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Big Ten Announces Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Postseason Honors

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ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced Friday the 2023 Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field postseason award recipients, as selected by the conference’s head coaches.

Wisconsin senior Jackson Sharp was named Men’s Track Athlete of the Year, while Minnesota redshirt sophomore Kostas Zaltos was selected as the Field Athlete of the Year and Penn State’s Handal Roban was named Freshman of the Year.

Michigan sophomore Savannah Sutherland was selected as the Women’s Track Athlete of the Year, while Nebraska sophomore Axelina Johansson claimed Field Athlete of the Year honors and Penn State’s Hayley Kitching was named Freshman of the Year.

Sharp finished third with a time of 14:06.77 in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Championships last week in Austin, Texas. Zaltos earned silver in the hammer throw at the NCAA Championships with a 76.33m/250-5 toss. Roban secured a third-place finish in the 800-meter run in his NCAA Championships debut for the Nittany Lions with a time of 1:47.66.
 
Sutherland came to the NCAA Championships already dominating the 400-meter hurdles and continued on that path after placing first in the event with a time of 54.45. Johansson also capped her stellar season by winning the NCAA championship in the shot put with a final throw of 19.28m/63-3 ¼. Kitching finished 24th in the 800-meter final at the NCAA Championships with a time of 2:10.61.
 
Last month, the Big Ten announced the award recipients for Track Athlete of the Championships, Field Athlete of the Championships and Coach of the Year, as well as the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honorees.
 
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Honorees
 
Track Athlete of the Year
Jackson Sharp, WIS
 
Field Athlete of the Year
Kostas Zaltos, MINN
 
Freshman of the Year
Handal Roban, PSU
 
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Honorees
 
Track Athlete of the Year
Savannah Sutherland, MICH
 
Field Athlete of the Year
Axelina Johansson, NEB
 
Freshman of the Year
Hayley Kitching, PSU