UW's Moll & Houser, plus Washington natives Olivia Markezich & Taylor Roe earn USTFCCCA honors...

NEW ORLEANS--NCAA champions Hana Moll and Luke Houser of the University of Washington, along with Washington natives Olivia Markezich of Notre Dame and Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State (all photos by Paul Merca) were honored by the USTFCCCA as its regional athletes of the year for the recently completed 2024 indoor season.

Each of the nine regions – Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Mountain, Northeast, South, South Central, Southeast and West – honored both gender’s top track athletes and field athletes.

In the West Region, Moll and Houser were named its female field and mens track athletes of the 2024 indoor season.

Moll, a graduate of Olympia's Capital HS, made history at the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships when she became the first freshman to win the pole vault. In Boston, Moll cleared five of her first six bars on the first attempt and then only needed one to get over the winning height of 15-1 (4.60m). 

Earlier in the season, Moll cleared 15-2.75 (4.64m) at the UW Invitational to put herself atop the seasonal NCAA DI Descending Order List.

Houser, a product of Woodinville HS,  proved himself to be the fastest mile in the NCAA throughout the season. He entered the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships as the top-seeded miler with his non-converted 3:51.73 effort from the Washington Invitational and left Boston as the NCAA champion. 

Earlier in the season, Houser took down the UW school record in the 3000 meters with his 7:40.40 and anchored the team’s DMR to an American indoor record of 9:18.81, which is also top-3 in collegiate history.

Markezich, who hails from Woodinville, Washington, finished runner-up in the 3000 meters at the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships in 8:46.11 to get the vote as the women's track athlete of the year for the Great Lakes Region. She also anchored Notre Dame to a runner-up finish in the distance medley relay in Boston. 

The Bear Creek School alum starred in the 3000 meters this season, becoming the second-fastest performer in collegiate history with her 8:40.42 effort at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. Her 4:27.76 clocking in the mile is also one of the fastest in collegiate history on an oversized track.

Roe, a alum of Lake Stevens HS, capped a strong indoor season with a runner-up finish in the 5000 meters at the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships. Just a few weeks earlier, Roe dominated that same event en route to winning the Big 12 title. During the regular season, 

Roe left her mark at the Eagle Elite Invitational when she soloed the distance in 15:12.71 for what is now the fourth-fastest mark in collegiate history. Later at that same meet, Roe anchored Oklahoma State’s DMR to the fifth-fastest all-time mark.

Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches following the conclusion of the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston. Performances from both the NCAA Championships and the regular season were considered. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.

The USTFCCCA release is available here.

NOTE: The USTFCCCA contributed to this report.

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