Women's Track & Field

SIMMONS NAMED USTFCCCA REGION ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

SIMMONS NAMED USTFCCCA REGION ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Posted: Mar 08, 2022

Pittsburg, KS – Ahead of Aliyah Simmons' (Miami, FL/North Miami) national championship performance, the sophomore was recognized as the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year for her efforts throughout the 2021-22 season with the Indian Hills Women's Track & Field program.

Simmons, the nation's top performer in the women's 800-meter run throughout the year, was awarded the honor at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Indoor National Championship at the Robert W. Plaster Center at Pittsburg State University on Saturday. Following the announcement, Simmons went on to win the program's first-ever individual women's national championship with a record-breaking performance in the 800-meter run.

Simmons dominated the women's 800-meter and 600-meter events throughout the year, consistently breaking her own school records throughout the season. Simmons won the 600-meter run at the NJCAA Region XI Championships before taking home the program's first-ever national championship over the weekend. Simmons ran a 2:15.70 in the 800-meter prelims at the national championship before recording a blistering time of 2:10.55 in the finals.

Simmons, who also earned two NJCAA All-Region XI honors, now ranks No. 8 all-time in NJCAA history in the women's 800-meter event after the performance at the national championships.

Along with Simmons' individual efforts, the sophomore helped guide the women's 4x400-meter relay team to a second-place finish at the region championships and a fifth-place showing at the national championships with a new school record time of 3:47.82.

Simmons currently leads the all-time Indian Hills leaderboard in three separate individual events - the 600-yard run, the 600-meter run, and the 800-meter run, along with the 4x400-meter relay.

Simmons becomes the first women's USTFCCCA Midwest Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in program history for the Warriors.

Simmons joins teammate Aurel Tchanbi of the men's program who was recognized as the male USTFCCCA Midwest Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.

TCHANBI NAMED USTFCCCA MIDWEST REGION INDOOR TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR