NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference announced its post-season indoor track & field awards and all-conference teams Friday. Freshman Hanna-Mai Vaikla was voted the Women's Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Vaikla, along with 11 other Jaguars, also received all-conference honors.   

Junior Ben Rolader, sophomores Luke Fielding and Javen Jackson, and freshman Migael Strydom were named to the men's All-Sun Belt first team. Seniors Niel Giliomee and Rafael Scott were named to the second team, while freshman Warno Potgieter received third-team honors. 

On the women's side, junior Michaela Preachuk was voted first-team All-Sun Belt. Senior Megan James, sophomore Michella Obijuaka, and freshmen Carolien Millenaar and Hanna-Mai Vaikla were recognized as third-team honorees.  

During her first season competing, Vaikla entered the Jaguar all-time record books in two categories. She is seventh in the women's long jump after recording a distance of 5.80m (19-00.50) at the Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships. The long jump performance tied her for sixth in the conference standings. She also accumulated 3,645 points in the women's pentathlon at the same competition, placing her third in the Sun Belt season rankings and fifth in the USA all-time standings. A 1.58m effort in the championships landed her fifth place in the event and 17th in the conference season standings.  

Rolader, Fielding, Jackson, and Strydom ran the distance medley event at the Sun Belt Championships in a time of 10:02.18 and secured first place in both the event and the final conference standings. Strydom and Rolader placed second and fourth, respectively, in the conference standings for the one mile run after season-best performances at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships. 

Giliomee ended the season ranked second in the Sun Belt in the men's pole vault category. A season-high 5.28m (17-03.75) mark at the conference championships was good for second place in the event and second place in the all-time Jaguar rankings.  

Scott completed the indoor season listed at fourth in the 60m and sixth in the 200m conference standings. A season-best 6.67 time came at the Jaguar Invitational on Feb. 4. He ran a 21.44 in the 200m at the conference championships, claiming fourth place in the event.   

Potgieter ran the Sun Belt Championships men's one mile event in a time of 4:11.42, earning third in the final conference rankings. This effort earned him eight place in the all-time Jaguar record books. In addition, he ran a personal-best 8:22.08 in the 3,000m to secure third place in the event.  

Preachuk broke the school record and earned the top spot in the conference standings with a 19.44m (63-09.50) mark in the women's weight throw event. She cleared Latifah Johnson's 2013 record of 19.14m (62-09.50) at the conference championships. 

James landed at fourth in the Sun Belt standings after recording a season-best 3.80m (12-05.50) mark in the women's pole vault event at the Samford Invitational Feb. 9. She placed third in the event at the conference championships. 

Obijuaka earned top-10 honors in the weight throw and shot put events. She recorded a 17.29m (56-08.75) mark at the Feb. 4 Jaguar Invitational weight throw. She also claimed third place in the shot put event at the conference championships with a 14.37m (47-01.75) effort. These marks earned her fifth place in the all-time Jaguar records for the respective categories. 

Millenaar gave career-best efforts in the women's 3,000m and 5,000m events at the conference championships. A time of 17:46.06 secured third place in the conference standings, while a 10:02.88 earned her fifth place in the final rankings. She entered the all-time Jaguar standings in three categories during her first season of competition. Millenaar holds the eighth spot in the 3,000m event, seventh in the 5,000m event, and earned eighth place in the 800m with a time of 2:17.45 at the Jaguar Invitational Feb. 4. 

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