USTFCCCA Release
NEW ORLEANS – The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced their regional indoor season honors for the 2026 season on Thursday (March 19).
Director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou was named the Midwest Region's Women's Coach of the Year in his fourth season leading the Illinois track and field programs. It's his second time earning the distinction indoors. He last won it in 2024 after he led the women's team to a Big Ten Championship.
"This award is a testament of where our team is headed. It's a byproduct of our staff's collective hard work and determination to make Illinois a destination track and field program. I love our team and staff. I'm proud of what we're building here in Champaign!"
He earned this honor after he led the women's team to their highest finish in program history at the NCAA Indoor Championships where they finished in third place with 42 points. It's not only the women's program's highest finish ever indoors or outdoors, but it ties the second-highest team finish ever for an Illinois women's sport.
He coached Sophia Beckmon to be the national champion in the long jump with a 6.84m (22-5 1/4) leap. She's the program's first ever field event national champion indoors and the fourth overall. The Oregon City, Ore. native also won the Big Ten title in the long jump and was a bronze medalist in the 60m dash at the conference championships.
In addition to Beckmon, Kyprianou coached four other women to All-American status including three national silver medalists (JaiCieonna Gero-Holt, Phethisang Makhethe, Rose Yeboah).
Gero-Holt was the team MVP as a freshman since she was the team's leading scorer as an All-American in the pentathlon and high jump. She placed second in the pentathlon with 4,466 points and the next day took fourth in the high jump, 1.85m (6-0 3/4). She's the only freshman in program history to All-American in two separate individual events and the first Illini in general to do it since Celena Modie-Milner in 1989 (55m and 200m).
Makhethe was the national runner-up in the weight throw on the new school record toss of 24.40m (80-0 3/4). Her teammate, Jordan Koskondy, was the final All-American of the bunch as she took fifth in the weight throw, 22.65m (74-3 3/4).
Yeboah became the national runner-up in the high jump when she tied her school record jump of 1.94m (6-4 1/4) and he guided her to Big Ten Champion status as well a couple weeks prior.
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches following the conclusion of the 2026 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Performances from both the NCAA Championships and the regular season were considered. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.
