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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – June 23, 2025<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor T&F’s Ezekiel Named USTFCCCA Outdoor Men’s National Track Athlete of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Ezekiel becomes first Bear to win national award since 2004<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720,
</span><a href="mailto:josie_hutton@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">josie_hutton@baylor.edu</span></a><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">NEW ORLEANS –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> National Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track
& Field season were announced on Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) with Baylor’s Nathaniel Ezekiel being named the Men’s National Track Athlete of the Year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">The Bowerman watchlist recipient is the first Baylor athlete to win the USTFCCCA award since 2004 in Jeremy Wariner. The award comes after Ezekiel was named South Central Regional
Track Athlete of the Year on Friday. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Ezekiel made history at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, running his final lap in a Baylor uniform with a personal-best of 47.49 and the No. 3 all-time mark in collegiate history
to win the 400-meter hurdles title. The Nigerian senior is the first national champion for Baylor in the 400mH since Bayano Kamani in 2001 and only the third Bear to win the event.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Ezekiel ended his Baylor career with multitudes of honors, including 2025 Big 12 Indoor and Outdoor Athlete of the Year, a nine-time All-American in the indoor and outdoor
seasons and the BU program record holder in the 400mH, the indoor 400m and a member in the indoor 4x400 relay. Most notably, Ezekiel concluded his collegiate career as the only athlete in NCAA history to have multiple all-time top ten marks in the 400mH, owning
four. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Member coaches voted on these honors following the conclusion of 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, but considered performances throughout
the season when voting on these honors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Ezekiel will begin his professional career on July 31-August 3 in the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, vying for a spot in the World Championships in Tokyo.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">2025 NCAA DI OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD NATIONAL AWARDS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Hana Moll, Washington – National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Ralford Mullings, Oklahoma – National Men’s Field Athlete of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Savannah Sutherland, Michigan – National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Nathaniel Ezekiel, Baylor – National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Karim Abdel Wahab, Georgia – National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Kenneth “Ken” Harnden, Auburn – National Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Caryl Smith Gilbert, Georgia – National Women’s Coach of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Quincy Watts, Southern California – National Men’s Coach of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><a href="http://www.baylorbears/"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">- BaylorBears</span></i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">.com</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">
-<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#0F5C1A">Josie Hutton</span></b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (FB, T&F/XC, MTEN) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">C: (254) 709-7720<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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