SUNYAC Announces 2026 Men's Indoor Track & Field Top Honors
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The SUNYAC releases its 2026 Men's Indoor Track & Field Track Athlete of the Year, Field Athlete of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coaching Staff of the Year awards as voted on by the 12 conference coaches.
Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year – Carter Tobin, Penn State Behrend
Tobin won the SUNYAC title in the 200-meter dash (21.93) and was second in the 60-meter (6.87) to help his team place second overall at the league championship in his sophomore season. He went on to win the AARTFC 60-meter dash and was also a 200-meter medalist. This season Tobin broke his school record in the 60-meter, 200-meter and 4x200 meter relay. He finished the season ranked 25th in Division III in the 200-meter and 29th in the 60-meter.
Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year – Isaiah Brunache, Cortland
Brunache was the SUNYAC champion in both the shot put and the weight throw in his senior season. He broke the meet and facilty record for the weight throw at the conference championship and also broke the meet record at the AARTFC championship. Brunache was named the Men's Indoor Track and Field Performer of the Meet after gathering the most overall points at the league championship. He went on to to earn first-team All-American status finishing fifth in the weight throw and seventh in the shot put at the NCAA Division III championship meet.
Men's Indoor Track & Field Rookie of the Year – Kejhaune Lester, Oneonta
Lester was the SUNYAC champion in the 60-meter dash in his first year competing for the Oneonta Red Dragons. He was named the Co-Rookie of the of the Meet at the league championship after tying for the most overall points at the meet among freshman. Lester also finished fourth in the 200-meter at the conference meet. He was the top seed out of prelims at the AARTFC championships before hurting his hamstring and deciding not to compete further.
Coaching Staff of the Year - Cortland
Head coach Steve Patrick is assisted by Chad Dunham, Peter McGinnis, Curtis Merrick, Maris Seabury, Mitch Makowski and Marissa Formes-Patrick. The staff coached their team to its second-straight and 10th overall conference trophy. There were 22 Cortland student-athletes named to the SUNYAC Men's All-Conference teams for finishing in the top three at the league championship meet. The team finished eighth out of 65 schools at the AARTFC championships. The coaches also guided three student-athletes to four first-team All-American performances at the 2026 NCAA Division III championships.
