ST. LOUIS – Following Illinois State's first Missouri Valley Conference outdoor men's team championship since 1999, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee and assistant coach Austin West earned MVC coaching honors, the league announced Wednesday afternoon.
Bovee was named MVC Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year, while West earned MVC Men's Assistant Outdoor Coach of the Year honors.
"It is a great honor for Austin to win this award in his first year as a Redbird coach," said Bovee. "His athletes performed at a high level all season long and really showed up when it mattered the most. This is just the start of a bright career ahead for Austin."
Bovee guided the Redbirds to the conference title and helped Illinois State secure MVC Men's Program of the Year honors for the 2025-26 season. The honor marks Bovee's first MVC Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year award and his 14th MVC Track and Field Coach of the Year honor overall across men's and women's indoor and outdoor competition.
Currently in his 12th season leading the Illinois State program, Bovee guided the Redbird men to four individual MVC titles, one relay crown and several all-conference performances at the 2026 MVC Outdoor Championships.
Illinois State also produced multiple program top-10 performances during the championship meet. Zach Paul broke his own school record in the 100m with a time of 10.15, while the men's 4x100 relay moved to No. 2 in program history with the fastest time by a Redbird relay squad in 30 years.
Under Bovee's leadership, the Redbirds scored points across every event area, including sprints, jumps, throws, distance and multis. Trailing by 14 points after day one, Illinois State closed the meet with 151.5 points, defeating runner-up Northern Iowa by 26.5 points to secure the conference title.
West, in his first season with the program, was named MVC Men's Assistant Outdoor Coach of the Year after leading Illinois State's jumps and multis group to 59.5 team points during the conference meet.
"I'm really fortunate to have such a talented and driven group," said West. "This award is really just a testament to the work they have put in going all the way back to the fall. I can't say enough good things about this group, and I'm so proud to be their coach."
West coached two MVC individual champions, as Voldy Makabu captured the conference title in the high jump, and Victor Byaundaombe won the MVC title in the triple jump. Makabu also earned MVC Men's Freshman of the Year honors. West's group also produced five All-MVC performances, including Makabu and Kaden Stewart in the high jump, Byaundaombe and Astor Snaider in the triple jump and Rex Hallam in the long jump.
Under West's direction, Illinois State scored critical points across every event group. The Redbirds totaled 23 points in the triple jump, 17.5 points in the high jump, 14 points in the long jump and five points in the decathlon.
West also coached multiple athletes to program top-10 performances during the championship meet. Makabu tied for ninth in school history in the high jump at 2.14m, Byaundaombe improved his seventh-place mark in the triple jump to 15.33m, Snaider moved into 10th all-time at 15.24m and Hallam moved to fifth in school history in the long jump with a personal-best 7.50m.
Additional scoring performances from West's group included Aidan Wyzard placing fourth in the long jump, Brody Rigdon finishing sixth in the long jump, Jamarion Bardwell placing fourth in the triple jump and Trey Thomas scoring in the decathlon with a fourth-place finish.
