2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Year

NEW ORLEANS -- After earning West Region Track Athlete of the Year award then National Championships in both the 60m and 200m at Indoor Nationals this past weekend, Mobolade Ajomale became the first male athlete in program history to be named NCAA Division II Indoor Men's Track Athlete of the Year after a Tuesday announcement by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). 

"This is a well-deserved honor for Bolade," said head coach Kevin LaSure. "He was met with many obstacles coming into this season both on and off the track. And every time we challenged him to achieve something he had never done, whether in the classroom or on the track, he met each challenge head on and conquered them all. I couldn't be more excited for him and proud of him for accomplishing all that he has thus far and I am truly excited to see all that he achieves in the future."

Ajomale was heavily responsible for Academy of Art University's fifth place finish with 27 points, marking the second-highest finish for the men's program. The redshirt sophomore defended his 60m title with a time of 6.60 at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships, before adding his first career national championship in the 200m with a mark of 21.05.

Prior to the final meet of the indoor season, the native of Richmond Hill, Canada was ranked in the top-five nationally in three different sprint events this year. He ranked first in both the 60m (6.64) and 200m (20.85), the latter of which broke the normal-condition NCAA DII record and both of which brought him his second career USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week award. Ajomale ranked fourth at 400 meters (47.25) and was a member of the team's 4x400 relay. Ajomale becomes the first men's athlete from the Academy of Art to win this award.

Though it is the first on the men's side, this award is the second in Academy of Art program history after Vashti Thomas earned the honor in 2013.