DAVIS, Calif. -- UC Davis sprinter Matthew Okonkwo captured a share of the Big West Conference Male Track Athlete of the Year award as the league office unveiled its year-end track & field honors Thursday afternoon. The third-year communication major from Winchester earned the Men's Track Athlete of the Meet award at the conference championships during the previous weekend.

Okonkwo captured Big West individual titles in each of the 200- and 400-meter dashes at the championship meet, while helping both relay squads to top-three finishes. He had the league's fastest 400 time of the year, breaking Brian Thomas' school record with a time of 46.36 seconds at the CSUN Red & Black Invite on April 2. Okonkwo's winning 21.23 clocking in the 200 at conference currently ranks second in the Big West and fourth in school history.

Overall, Okonkwo beat the 48-second barrier in the 400 six times in 2021. In addition to that benchmark race in Northridge, he posted a 47.26 in the Big West final, a 47.43 in the Causeway Track Classic home dual with Sacramento State, 47.56 in each of the Big West preliminaries and the CSF Tri-Meet, plus a 47.89 at the Hornet Invitational. He is one of four Aggie qualifiers to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which begin next week.

Okonkwo becomes the first Aggie male athlete to win one of the major Big West honors. Sarah Sumpter won the women's equivalent in 2013, then Ashley Marshall followed suit in each of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons. Holly Tokar (2014), Kierra Davis (2017) and Kirsten Carter (2019) each claimed Big West Freshman of the Year honors. Additionally, Drew Wartenburg (2012, 2013, 2014) and Rahn Sheffield (2016) each earned Big West Women's Coach of the Year during their UC Davis tenures.

Cal State Fullerton hurdler Charles Kelly was the co-recipient of the award with Okonkwo. 

UC Davis finished fifth in each of the men's and women's team standings at the Big West meet, which concluded last Saturday.

2021 BIG WEST CONFERENCE TRACK & FIELD AWARDS
Men's Track Athlete of the Year – Matthew Okonkwo, UC Davis; Charles Kelly, Cal State Fullerton
Women's Track Athlete of the Year – Katie Camarena, UC Santa Barbara
Men's Field Athlete of the Year – Jason Smith, Long Beach State
Women's Field Athlete of the Year – Brooke Tjerrild, Cal Poly
Men's Track & Field Freshman of the Year – Reyte Rash, Cal State Fullerton
Women's Track & Field Freshman of the Year – Maya Occiano, Cal State Fullerton
Men's Coach of the Year – John Elders, Cal State Fullerton
Women's Coach of the Year – Mark Conover, Cal Poly

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