By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DENISHA Cartwright, in completing her final indoor season for Minnesota State University, was named the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Central Region women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.

The award was bestowed upon Cartwright on Friday by the US Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFC-CCA) on Friday.

She was joined by Chris Parno, who was named the NCAA Division II Central Region women’s indoor track assistant coach of the year for the Mavericks.

“Being Athlete of the Year was just showing me that all my training and hard work was rewarded,” Cartwright told The Tribune.

“I felt like my indoor season just showed me that great things take time.”

Cartwright, in her senior year at MSU, rewrote the record book during the indoor season, specifically in the 60-metre hurdles. She clocked four of the top-5 marks in NCAA DII history, including the 7.93 chart-topper that she recorded at the 2024 NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships.

“After missing a few weeks of practice and competition due to a strain I was dealing with, I felt that I still came back strong,” Cartwright continued.

Cartwright racked up points in the postseason, scoring 24.25 points at the 2024 NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships to be named High Point Scorer with 30 just a few weeks earlier at the NSIC Indoor Championships.

Although she only claimed the 60m title at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Cartwright said she still had a pretty decent season.

“Overall, I think my performances were to the best of my abilities,” she said.

“I don’t think anything went wrong. I executed each race as planned.”

Cartwright, a former volleyball player, is the daughter of former national volleyball player and coach Leslie “Russia” Cartwright and Denise Cartwright.

Prior to the NCAA Indoor Championships, Cartwright was named the Northern Sun Inter-collegiate Conference (NSIC) Women’s Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

During the NSIC Championships, Cartwright accumulated a total of 31 points for the NSIC High Point Performer and she won all three events she competed in, breaking the NSIC record in each one.

Cartwright and the Mavericks will begin their outdoor season over the weekend of March 27-30 at the Texas Relays at the Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field in Austin, Texas.

“My expectations for outdoor is to break more records and keep progressing,” Cartwright summed up. “I’m just ready to see what outdoors holds for me.”