NEW ORLEANS — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's track and field team had two representatives when the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced its 2025 outdoor regional awards Thursday. Yakob Ekoue (Sr. - Hopkins, Minn.) was named the North Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year, while Paul Conlin was named the North Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.

Ekoue scored 22 points in throwing events at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships last weekend. He won the discus and placed third in both the hammer and shot. Ekoue was especially dominating in the discus, where he won the NCAA title by more than six meters. Earlier in the season, Ekoue put up 26 points in those same events at the WIAC Championships, winning the discus and taking runner-up honors in both the hammer and shot.

Conlin, in his 29th year as assistant coach at UW-Eau Claire, coached the Blugolds' throwers to combine for 36 of the team's 56 points in finishing second at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships. His athletes earned national individual titles in the shot put (Adam Strouf) and discus (Ekoue). In all, the Blugolds' men's throwers earned six first team All-America honors at the NCAA Championships last week.

This is the first time Ekoue received his award, while Conlin was honored for the second time. Conlin was the women's assistant coach of the year in 2023.