Sakat, Honesty Earn Indoor's Top Conference Honors
February 27, 2025
The Indoor Track & Field Season nears a close with only the NJCAA Championships remaining. Friday, the ICCAC announced the 2025 Female Athletes of the Year along with this year's All-Region performers.
A unanimous decision, Juliana Sakat of Iowa Western was named the 2025 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year after shattering the record books. Sakat is the nation's leader in three events, the Mile, 3000 Meters and 5000 Meters, while also ranking third in the 1000 Meters. She also runs on the Reiver Distance Medley Relay team that is second in the nation.
Her best event has been the 5000 Meters, where she brok the NJCAA record this season and the Ghana national record, posting a 16:20.80. She was the anchor on the DMR team that broke the NJCAA all-conditions mark (11;44.45). Her 3000 Meter time (9:30.36) is second-fastest in NJCAA History and her Mile (4:48.52), fifth best.
The freshman won three events at the recent Region 11 Championships in the 1000, 3000 and 5000 Meters.
The Field Athlete of the Year went to Sakat's teammate, Mercy Honesty, who became the first two-time winner of the award since it began in 2018.
Honesty is the nation's leader in the Triple Jump with a mark of 12.95 meters, nearly two feet further than the NJCAA;s next best jump this season. She did that at the Region 11 Championships which broke the Iowa Western school record, Region 11 Championship record, and Buena Vista facility record.
Honesty won the national championships in the Triple Jump last year at both the Indoor and the Outdoor meet and looks to defend her titles this spring.
The 2025 Coach of the Year award went to Iowa Western's David Burnett. Burnett led the Reivers to their second-straight Region 11 Championship title and fourth in the last five seasons. They won 12 of the 20 events at the meet, and finished with 27 All-Region performers.
Iowa Western is ranked No. 3 in the country heading into the NJCAA National Championships -- according to the USTFCCAA National TFRI. The Reivers have top 5 marks in nine different events.
Other notable All-Region performers from Iowa Western this season were Chin-Loy Raymond, the regional champion in both the Shot Put and the Weight Throw.
Her teammate Sarai Simpson was an All-Region performer in both events this season -- and has a better season-best in the Shot Put as the nation's No. 3.
Sakina Umar won the Region 11 Long Jump title, beating out the Iowa Central's Maeva Goune Tibbolo who has the NJCAA's longest jump of the season. Umar also placed third in the Triple Jump.
From Iowa Central, their top performers were Abbi Hutchinson, Eden Brouwers and Juliette Gavois.
Hutchinson competed in six events, four of which she earned All-Region honors. She was runner up in the Mile and the 3000 Meters and an Honorable Mention performer in the 5000 Meters and Pole Vault. In total, she scored a meet-best 33 team points at the Region 11 Championships.
Brouwers scored 24.5 points while winning the Pentathlon and the Pole Vault.
Gavios had the most All-Region finishes of anyone at the meet -- five -- individually in the 600 and 800 in addition to all three relays.
The Indian Hills Warriors won three events to earn three First Team designations. Dymonde Nave repeated as the 60 Meter Hurdles champion. Laurie Louis won the 400 Meters and their 4x400 Meter Relay team took first.
Other First Team performers were Iowa Western's Serena Grace (200M), Angeline Estrada (600M), Wijdane Inzaline (800M) and Hafssa Boutrich (Mile). Iowa Central's Zariah Greaves won the 60 Meters and Hawkeye's Halima Biggs was the High Jump champion.