NEW ORLEANS, LA. — The Central College men's track and field team was awarded a trio of Midwest Region honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Thursday.

Decathlon national champion Kale Hobart (junior, Mason City) was the Men's Field Athlete of the Year, Brandon Sturman was named Men's Coach of the Year and Aaron Fuller was the Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.

Hobart won his first individual national title by totaling 7,257 points at the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Earlier in the outdoor season, Hobart set the new Division III all-conditions record in the decathlon with 7,580 points. That mark is not considered an official NCAA record due to the high wind speeds at that event.

Sturman was the head coach for a Dutch men's team that finished sixth at the outdoor national meet, it's first top 10 finish since 2016. At the American Rivers Conference Outdoor Championships, Central was the runner-up to earn its first top two finish since 2018.

Fuller, who coaches the Dutch multis and pole vault, had three decathlon All-Americans at the national meet. On top of Hobart's national title, Gage Huyser (senior, Pella) finished third and Gavin Smith (senior, Audubon) was seventh. Smith won the A-R-C decathlon title and freshman Landon Pote (Ankeny) was the runner-up. Additionally, Huyser won the A-R-C pole vault crown.

Both Hobart and Sturman won this award during the indoor season as well.