Big Ten Announces Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship Awards

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced the 2026 Big Ten Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship award winners on Wednesday, as selected by the Conference’s head coaches. The championship meet was held last weekend at Nebraska Outdoor Track in Lincoln, Neb.  

USC's Madison Whyte earned Women’s Track Athlete of the Championships honors, while Washington's Hana Moll was selected as Field Athlete of the Championships and Ducks’ head coach Jerry Schumacher was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the first time in his career.

Whyte dominated the sprints portion of the Championships for the Trojans, as she won the 200m and 400m individually, and was a part of the USC 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams that finished first. The Trojans’ 4x400m relay time of 3:28.52 is a new meet record and season best. 

Washington’s Moll, who has won three NCAA pole vaulting championships, surpassed her own limits once again at the Big Ten Championships. She cleared a mark of 4.83m (15-10) on her first attempt at that height, which is both a meet record and a new NCAA record.  

Schumacher claimed his first outdoor Coach of the Year honors after leading Oregon to its first Big Ten Outdoor Women’s championship. He also won back-to-back indoor Coach of the Year awards. Schumacher has won five out of six of the championships between women’s Cross Country, Indoor, and Outdoor Track and Field since the Ducks joined the Conference in 2024.  

The Big Ten Conference office recognizes one student-athlete from each team as Sportsmanship Award Honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. Honorees are now candidates for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the academic year. 

The Big Ten will announce Track Athlete of the Year, Field Athlete of the Year and Freshman of the Year following the conclusion of the NCAA Championships, which are scheduled for June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore. 

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Honorees
Women’s Coach of the Year 
Jerry Schumacher, ORE 

Women’s Track Athlete of the Championships 
Madison Whyte, USC 

Women’s Field Athlete of the Championships 
Hana Moll, WASH 

Women’s Sportsmanship Honorees 
Mia Morello, ILL             
Chayla Rankin, IND    
Olicia Lucas, IOWA     
Jennessa Wolfe, MD   
Hannah Pricco, MICH  
Tess Roman, MSU       
Ella Pavlovich, MINN  
Donna Douglas, NEB  
Mia Mraz, NW  
Laila Campbell, OSU  
Hanna Seubert, ORE  
Marie- Eloise Leclair, PSU      
Jayla Cooper, PUR       
Paige Floriea, RU        
Maya Rush, UCLA                  
Madison Whyte, USC                 
Ashley Schroeder, WASH        
Elissa Perkins, WIS