St. Paul, MN -- The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) announced the recipients of their 2025-26 Outdoor Track & Field awards earlier this week. The awards are nominated and voted on by the UMAC track & field head coaches. Only results from the UMAC Outdoor Championship meet count for consideration in the awards. 

Men's Track & Field Award Winners

Zak Ruhland (Junior, Jumps/Sprints | Minneapolis, MN) earned UMAC All-Conference honors in the high jump after delivering a runner-up finish at the conference championship meet with a clearance of 1.85m. Ruhland consistently ranked among the conference's top high jumpers throughout the outdoor season and narrowly missed matching his season-best mark during the championship meet. Earlier this season, he posted a career-best and outdoor personal record of 1.86m at the Joe Sweeney Invite, where he finished 4th overall. Ruhland will continue his standout junior campaign this week as he competes in both the high jump and javelin throw at the 2026 NCCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Josh Hinson (Sophomore, Sprints/Jumps | Ellettsville, IN) secured UMAC All-Conference recognition in the 400m dash after turning in one of the top performances of the championship meet. Hinson placed 3rd overall in the event with a meet record and season-best time of 50.58 seconds. His performance added to an already impressive collegiate resume that includes the North Central program record in the 400m, which he set last season at the 2025 NCCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a career-best time of 49.93 seconds. Hinson has once again qualified for the NCCAA Outdoor Championships and will compete in the 400m on Friday as he looks to close out another historic season.

Colton Hagen (Sophomore, Throws | Carroll, IA) earned the UMAC Sportsmanship Award, recognizing the leadership, integrity, and positive example he consistently provides for the North Central program. At the UMAC Outdoor Championships, Hagen contributed solid performances in the throwing events for the Rams. He recorded a 7th-place finish in the javelin throw with a mark of 41.14m, while also placing 10th in the discus throw at 33.42m and 11th in the shot put with a throw of 10.91m.

Women's Track & Field Award Winner

Joyce Horton (Sophomore, Hurdles/Jumps | Rosemount, MN) delivered an outstanding championship performance, earning two UMAC All-Conference honors along with the UMAC Sportsmanship Award. Horton opened the meet with a 3rd place finish in the 400m hurdles, posting a season-best time of 1:09.52 to score key team points for the Rams. She later added another podium finish in the triple jump, taking 3rd overall with a mark of 10.40m. Horton's success at the conference championships continued a strong sophomore season after an impressive freshman campaign in 2025, where she set the North Central program record in the 400m hurdles with a career-best time of 1:08.89 at the Gary Wilson Invite. She also owns a career-best triple jump mark of 10.77m, recorded during her 1st place finish at the 2025 UMAC Outdoor Championships. Horton will represent the Rams on the national stage this Friday at the 2026 NCCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in both the 400m hurdles and triple jump.

Congratulations, Zak, Josh, Colton, and Joyce!

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