2027 USTFCCCA Outdoor Track and Field Regional Awards
After one of the best seasons for the Hillsdale College women's track and field team in recent memory, the program continues to reap accolades from across the Midwest Region.
The latest comes from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, which unveiled its regional awards for the 2026 NCAA DII outdoor track and field campaign on Monday afternoon and handed out two of its most coveted awards to members of the Chargers program.
Sophomore Allison Kuzma was named the 2026 NCAA DII Midwest Region Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA, completing a sweep of the USTFCCCA Women's Track Athlete of the Year awards after also winning Indoor Track Athlete of the Year for the Midwest Region in March. In addition, head coach Jessica Bridenthal became just the second Chargers coach to earn USTFCCCA Midwest Region Outdoor Women's Track and Field Coach of the Year honors as well, capping an impressive first season in charge of Hillsdale's track and field programs.
Kuzma is just the second Charger to win Midwest Region Outdoor Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honors and the first since 2016, joining program legend Emily Oren in receiving the honor. Bridenthal, meanwhile, joins former Hillsdale head coach Andrew Towne, who won the award in 2015, as the only Chargers coach to receive the regional coaching honor as well.
Only a sophomore, Kuzma rolled to the NCAA DII Outdoor Championship in the 10,000m run on May 21 in Emporia, Kansas, beating the field by a staggering 38 seconds in 33:43.37 to set a new facility record and bring home her second national title. It capped an impressive outdoor season that saw her win G-MAC titles in both the 5,000m run and 10,000m run to help the Chargers win the team conference championship. Kuzma also set a new school and G-MAC record and became the 11th fastest women's 10K runner in NCAA DII history with a historic time of 33:10.83 to win her heat at the prestigious Stanford Invitational as well.
Along with an indoor national championship in the women's 5,000m run and an All-American finish in cross country, Kuzma had an decorated and legendary school year for the Chargers, and will have a shot to do more with two more years of eligibility remaining entering next fall.
Bridenthal, meanwhile, directed Hillsdale's best finish at an NCAA DII Outdoor Championship since a third-place result in 2016. The Chargers took eighth with 24.5 points and were the top-finishing team from the Midwest Region at the meet, buoyed by four All-American performances. Kuzma led the way with her national title, but the Chargers also got impressive third place finishes from senior Tara Townsend in the pole vault and Amelia Lutz in the shot put, as well as a sixth-place finish from freshman phenom Sofia Boonzaaijer in the discus to score points as well.
The Chargers also took the G-MAC Outdoor Championships title on the women's side for the first time since 2022, with a score of 219.5 that represented the most points scored at a G-MAC Championship since 2016. Hillsdale captured an impressive eight individual conference championships, including a sweep of the throws, Bridenthal's coaching specialty. Lutz and Kuzma led the way, with Lutz claiming titles in the shot put and hammer throw and Kuzma winning the 5K and 10K. Boonzaaijer also delivered a title in the discus, Townsend in the pole vault, freshman Lilly Grubbs in the javelin and sophomore Baelyn Zitzmann in the heptathlon. Lutz was named the G-MAC Women's Field Athlete of the Meet for her performance, and Boonzaaijer was co-Freshman of the Meet.
Under Bridenthal's guidance, Hillsdale set three new outdoor records in 2026: Lutz in the shot put (16.55 meters), Boozaaijer in the discus (49.44 meters), and the team of Francesca Federici, Lucy Minning, Anna Lamoreax and Anna Roessner in the 4x100m relay (46.01).