SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – North Dakota State’s Jacob Rodin and Western Illinois’ Toriano Tate alongside South Dakota’s Erin Kinney and Marleen Mülla garnered The Summit League Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year, League officials revealed Friday. The honorees were selected for the award as voted on by the League’s head coaches. The voting was based on the student-athletes’ respective performances throughout the 2022-23 indoor season.
 
On the men’s side, Rodin became the first Bison in League history to be named as the Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year while Tate, Men’s Newcomer of the Championship, is the first-ever Leatherneck to claim the title of Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.
 
For the women, Kinney, this year’s women’s indoor Most Outstanding Championship Performer, is the second-straight Coyote to secure the title of Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Teammate Marleen Mülla is the first Coyote to earn Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year honors since 2017-18  when fellow pole vaulter Helen Falda took home the award.
 
South Dakota’s Director of Track and Field & Cross Country Lucky Huber earned his first career Summit League Men’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year award and second-consecutive honor on the women’s side. Huber guided the men’s program to their first League indoor team championship title since 2014-15 and helped the women claim back-to-back crowns.
 
Below is a more thorough breakdown of each student-athlete’s 2022-23 indoor season.
 
Jacob Rodin, North Dakota State
Senior | Kenmare, N.D.

• Captured the second 800m League title of his career clocking a time of 1:50.30
• Ran a leg of the DMR that won the event at the League championships with a time of 10:09.61
• Was a member of the 4x400m relay team that took the event title in a time of 3:16.16
• The only student-athlete on the men’s side to take home three gold medals at the League indoor championships this season
• Finished the season ranked No. 35 in the nation in the 800m with an NDSU school record time of 1:47.84
• Holds the League’s second-fastest 400m time running 47.39 to rank second in school history
• Owns a school record time of 1:17.88 in the 600m to rank 30^th in DI this season
• Named the Men’s Track Peak Performer of the Week five times in a span of six weeks

Toriano Tate, Western Illinois
Freshman | DeKalb, Ill.

• Earned this year’s Summit League Men’s Newcomer of the Championship honor finishing with 16 total points at the League Championships
• Took home the long jump title at the League championships with a personal-best leap of 23-10.00 (7.26m)
• Finished third in the triple jump at the League championships with a personal-best mark of 46-01.50 (14.06m)
• Tied for most points scored by a male field event athlete at the League indoor championships
• His winning long jump mark at the League championships ranks him eighth all-time in WIU history
• Was the first Leatherneck to take home a long jump title since the 2006-07 season

Erin Kinney, South Dakota
Sophomore | Sioux Falls, S.D.

• Named the Summit League Women’s Indoor Most Outstanding Championship Performer
• League champion in the 60m (7.27) and the 200m (23.96)
• Set the League championship indoor record in the prelims of the 60m clocking a time of 7.24
• Finished the indoor season ranked No. 22 in the 60m (7.24)
• Earned Peak Performer honors four times during the indoor season

Marleen Mülla, South Dakota
Sophomore | Rakvere, Estonia

• Won the bronze medal at the NCAA Championships in the pole vault clearing 14-07.25 (4.45m)
• 2023 Indoor All-America First Team honoree giving her the third All-America accolade of her career
• League champion in the pole vault with a meet record clearance of 14-11 (4.55m)
• Finished the season with the top pole vault mark in the NCAA with her record-breaking height
• Led the nation’s No. 1 pole vault squad during the season
• Named Peak Performer of the Week three times during the season