NEW ORLEANS – Thanks to a top-11 finish at the 2026 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, Whitworth University was well-represented on the USTFCCCA Division III Regional Athlete and Coach of the Year awards.

Amblessed Okemgbo is the 2026 NCAA Division III West Region women's Field Athlete of the Year.  Toby Schwarz is the West Region Coach of the Year and Kolton Carlson is the West Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

Okemgbo finished as the runner-up in the women's shot put at last week's NCAA indoor meet.  Her scoring mark from that event of 14.37 meters (47'-1.75") was her PR and the second-best in the region, only to teammate Madison Carr's school record-setting heave of 14.40 meters (47'-3') set at the end of January.

Schwarz earned his fifth West Region Coach of the Year award after the Pirates became the top-finishing team from the region in the final women's standings.

Carlson earned the award for Assistant Coach of the Year after all three of his shot putters scored at last week's championship.  In addition to Okemgbo's runner-up finish, Kylie Loveless finished fourth and Carr fifth, giving Whitworth its 17 points in a single event.