Horizon League Announces 2026 Outdoor #HLTF Alfreeda Goff Athletes of the Year
Matt St. Charles
INDIANAPOLIS (May 7, 2026) – The Horizon League revealed our 2026 Outdoor #HLTF Alfreeda Goff Athletes of the Year on Thursday. The awards were voted on by the League’s head coaches.
Oakland’s Ja-Van Poole was awarded the Horizon League Alfreeda Goff Outdoor Track and Field Men’s Athlete of the Year and Milwaukee’s Anna Szepieniec was selected as the Alfreeda Goff Outdoor Track and Field Women’s Athlete of the Year.
Dig Deeper:
- Poole has excelled on the track, ranking first in the Horizon League with his 400m hurdle time of 49.80, which is ninth on the NCAA Qualifying List. He’s been named the Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week twice this season.
- This year’s Alfreeda Goff Indoor Track and Field Women’s Athlete of the Year, Szepieniec has continued her success into the outdoor season. Her school-record long jump of 6.35 meters at Louisville tops the Horizon League and is tied for 28th on the NCAA Qualifying List. She leads the Horizon League in the long jump and heptathlon, is second in the 200m dash and the triple jump and was named Athlete of the Week twice.
- For 16 years, Alfreeda Goff was a member of the Horizon League team serving as Senior Associate Commissioner before retiring in 2015. She worked tirelessly to enhance the student-athlete championship experience, including track & field athletes. Prior to entering athletic administration, Alfreeda was the track and field coach at the University of Pittsburgh.
2026 Horizon League Alfreeda Goff Athletes of the Year
Alfreeda Goff Men’s Athlete of the Year: Ja-Van Poole, Oakland
Alfreeda Goff Women’s Athlete of the Year: Anna Szepieniec, Milwaukee