NEW ORLEANS, La. - IU Kokomo sophomore student-athlete Sydney Duncan has been named the 2025 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NAIA Great Lakes Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year, the USTFCCCA office announced last week.

Having dominated the NAIA for the entirety of the 2024-2025 calendar year in Shot Put en-route to winning the Indoor National Championship and earning the #1 seed at this week's Outdoor Nationals, Sydney did not stop there.

Duncan also qualified for Indoor Nationals in Weight Throw before punching her ticket to Outdoor Nationals in Hammer Throw and Discus with strong performances this spring. She brought home individual titles in Shot Put, Discus, and Hammer Throw at this year's River States Conference Championships, leading the Cougars to a third-place finish.

As the USFTCCCA articles states, her reign of dominance in Shot Put saw her record six of the farthest throws in NAIA history, with her 16.60 meter PR ranking third all-time. Her following five throws have her fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, and tenth respectively with two years of collegiate eligibility remaining.

In order to view the USTFCCCA release in its entirety, click HERE.

Duncan, along with teammates Maddie Dotlich and Gabe Wedmore, are set to compete at nearby Indiana Wesleyan this week for the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Their schedule is as follows.

• Wednesday @ 11:00 AM - Gabe/Hammer Throw
• Wednesday @ 2:30 PM - Sydney/Hammer Throw
• Thursday @ 1:00 PM - Sydney/Shot Put
• Thursday @ 4:30 PM - Maddie/5,000 Meter Racewalk 
• Friday @ 3:00 PM - Sydney/Discus

For the latest news, updates, and information on the IU Kokomo Cougars, fans can visit IUKCougars.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Cougar news by following @IUKAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.