.svg){kind=small}
Big Ten Announces Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Watch List
Four reigning NCAA Indoor Champions featured
ROSEMONT, lll. – The Big Ten Conference announced its 2025 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field on Thursday. Preseason honors were bestowed upon 17 student-athletes, seven of whom earned Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Big Ten honors this winter.
The list features four reigning Indoor Track & Field NCAA champions. USC’s Dajaz DeFrand, the Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, won the 60m dash. Washington’s Amanda Moll, the Big Ten Indoor Field Athlete of the Year won pole vault. Oregon’s Wilma Nielsen also won the mile and Wisconsin's Taylor Kesner took the crown in weight throw.
The list also features Iowa’s Pauline Bikembo, the Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year. Illinois’ Tacoria Humphrey and Michigan’s Savannah Sutherland also earned All-Big Ten Indoor First Team honors.
The 2025 Outdoor Track and Field season begins March 21
BIG TEN OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES TO WATCH LIST
| NAME | SCHOOL | YR | INDOOR ACCOLADES | HOMETOWN |
Tacoria Humphrey | Illinois | Sr. | All-Big Ten First Team | Indianapolis, Ind. |
Makayla Hunter | Indiana | Jr. | Chandler, Ariz. | |
Pauline Bikembo | Iowa | Fr. | Big Ten Freshman of the Year First Team All American All-Big Ten First Team | Saint Lue La Foret, France |
Chioma Njoku | Maryland | Gr. | Bear, Del. | |
Savannah Sutherland | Michigan | Sr. | First Team All-American All-Big Ten First Team | Borden, Saskatchewan |
Kate Stewart Barnett | Michigan State | Sr. | All-Big Ten Second Team | New Westminster, B.C. |
Anthonett Nabwe | Minnesota | RS-So. | Second Team All-American All-Big Ten First Team | Jamestown, N.D. |
Maddie Harris | Nebraska | Sr. | Lee's Summit, Mo. | |
Leah Bertrand | Ohio State | Sr. | Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago | |
Wilma Nielsen | Oregon | Sr. | NCAA mile champion First Team All-American All-Big Ten First Team | Gothenburg, Sweden |
Maddie Pitts | Penn State | Jr. | Second Team All-American | Victor, N.Y. |
Jalen Elrod | Purdue | Sr. | All-Big Ten Second Team | Houston, Texas |
Charlee Crawford | Rutgers | So. | Newark, Del. | |
Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck | UCLA | RS-Sr. | Brussels, Belgium | |
Dajaz DeFrand | USC | Jr. | NCAA 60m champion Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year First Team All-American All-Big Ten First Team | Aurora, Colo. |
Amanda Moll | Washington | So. | NCAA pole vault champion Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year First Team All-American All-Big Ten First Team | Schwenksville, Pa. |
Taylor Kesner | Wisconsin | Sr. | NCAA weight throw champion First Team All-American | Highland, Ill. |