2025 MPSF Indoor Track & Field Annual Awards
Photo: Micaela De Mello, Washington State (by: Spokane Sports)
2025 MPSF WOMEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
MICAELA DE MELLO · R-SENIOR · SPRINTS · WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State University redshirt senior
Micaela De Mello (Palhoca, Brazil) collected an event win and a second-place finish at the 2025 MPSF Championships, setting personal-bests in both races. De Mello’s 18 individual points were enough to receive the women’s high-point scorer award, and helped the Cougars to a second-place finish in the race for the team title. In the 60-Meter Hurdles, De Mello dominated the field, winning in 8.00 seconds, 0.39 ahead of the runner-up. The time was just 0.01 seconds off WSU’s school record, marked the third-fastest time in NCAA Division-I this season, and set a Brazilian National Indoor record. De Mello’s time is 0.15 seconds ahead of the next fastest MPSF competitor this season in the event. In the 60-Meter race, De Mello finished second in 7.43 seconds, fourth fastest all-time at WSU, and third-fastest in the MPSF this season. She had four wins in the 60m Hurdles this season, including one in the Spokane Sports Showcase (Jan. 17), where she sprinted to a then 2025 NCAA-best and seventh-best world time of 8.02, leading to MPSF Athlete of the Week honors.
2025 MPSF WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR
LOUIE QUINTANA · EIGHTH YEAR · HEAD COACH · OREGON STATE
Oregon State University eighth-year Head Coach
Louie Quintana guided the Beavers to their first-ever MPSF Championship in their first-year returning to the conference, and their first-ever title since the rebirth of the program in 2010. OSU finished 26 points ahead of second-place in the race for the team championship. The Beavers won conference titles in the mile with Ainsley Herron’s time of 4:46.47 and in the shot put with Jayla Hooper’s school record heave of 14.93 meters. OSU also received 17.25 points (third-most in the meet) toward its title from Dede Norman, who placed second in the high jump and long jump, in addition to anchoring the fourth-place 1600-Meter Relay in a school record 3:44.10.
Jillian Brown added another runner-up finish in the 800 meters, clocking 2:11.07, as did Kate Laurent in the 5,000 and DMR quartet with the second-fastest time in program history (11:23.80). The Beavers showcased their distance depth en route to the title, taking three of the top-five spots in the 5,000, three of the top-six in the 3,000, and four of the top-eight placements in the mile.
2025 MPSF MEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
TREY KNIGHT · SENIOR · THROWS · CSUN
CSUN senior
Trey Knight (Ridgefield, WA) competed in two meets during the indoor season, finishing in first-place twice in the weight throw, which includes the best toss in the nation this season. Knight won the weight throw title at the 2025 MPSF Indoor Championships with a mark of 23.26m (76-3.75), more than 12 feet further than second-place. He broke his own school record and took first at the Nevada Invitational on Jan. 24, with a toss of 24.87 meters (81-7.25), which has stood all season as No. 1 in the nation. The heave, one-half foot further than No. 2 in the NCAA, was also the third-best in collegiate history and the eighth-best in world history. Following Knight’s historic performance at the Nevada Invite, he earned National Athlete of the Week honors, becoming the first Matador to earn the recognition in team history. He also claimed MPSF Athlete of the Week accolades. Knight, the only CSUN student-athlete in any sport to earn a major MPSF annual award, repeats the honor from 2024.
2025 MPSF MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR
WAYNE PHIPPS · 11TH YEAR · HEAD COACH · WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State University 11th-year Head Coach
Wayne Phipps guided the Cougars to their third MPSF Men’s Championship, and first since 2001, in their first-year returning to the conference. WSU finished a comfortable 38 points ahead of second-place in the race for the team championship. As one of a conference-high seven WSU men’s titles, Grant Buckmiller was the only competitor across both genders to break an MPSF record this year, and doing so in all-time fashion with a top-15 NCAA 200-Meter time of 20.72. The result took down one of the oldest standards across the entire conference from 2001. The Cougar men also won the MPSF 1600 Meter Relay (3:07.76), 60-Meter with Mason Lawyer’s 6.55, 60-Meter Hurdles with Parker Duskin’s 7.71, 3000-Meter with Evans Kurui’s 8:07.90, pole vault with Gavin Dimick’s 5.20m, and triple jump with Eli Lawrence’s 15.42m. Furthermore, the Cougars rank ninth in the nation in two events--- Kurui in the 5000 Meter and Lawyer in the 60 Meter. Phipps, who previously won two WAC Indoor Coach of the Year awards (2012, 2014), earns his first such recognition in the MPSF.