FARMINGTON, Utah (May 26, 2026) – The Big Sky Conference office has announced its Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year honors for the 2026 season, which have been awarded to Northern Arizona’s Jarred Cornfield on the men’s side and Montana State’s Lyle Weese on the women’s.
In his first year in charge of the program, Cornfield led the Lumberjacks to 171 points at the 2026 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship, which put them 61 points head of the next closest team in the field.
For the calendar year Cornfield navigated the ‘Jacks to seven team titles after sweeping both cross country and indoor track & field titles.
Northern Arizona’s men will have nine student-athletes compete at the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships West First Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
On the women’s side, Weese led the Bobcats to their first women’s title since 2003 in Portland, where the squad scored 181 points to run away with the title.
Montana State was paced by freshman Tilde Bjerager, who swept all three of the conference’s individual awards and was named Most Valuable Athlete, Most Outstanding Performer and Freshman of the Year.
Bjerager shattered the Big Sky record in the 400-meter hurdles, with a time of 55.84. That mark is good enough to place her No. 10 in the NCAA to this point of the season.
At the conclusion of the meet, she had 25.5 points for the Bobcats.
Additionally, Sydney Brewster had 24 points for Montana State across three throwing events.
Weese has been the head coach at Montana State since 2018. His honor was a unanimous vote by the league’s head coaches.
The Bobcats will have nine individual student-athletes competing at the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships West First Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas along with their women’s 4x400-meter relay team.
NCAA West First Round competition will take place from May 27-30 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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