NEW ORLEANS - The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the 2023 Division II Indoor All-Region honorees on Tuesday, with five members of Northwest Nazarene earning the accolade.

Three of the Nighthawks' all-region performers came on the men's side in Steven Schmidt (high jump, pole vault, heptathlon), Dylan Hendry (shot put, weight throw), and Turner Nye (pole vault). On the women's side, two Nighthawks were recognized in Destany Herbert (shot put) and Kinsey Yenor (pole vault). Of the eight total honors, four were recognized as Top Regional Performers: Schmidt in both the high jump and heptathlon, Hendry in the weight throw, and Yenor in the pole vault.

The top-five individuals in each event by season-best time/mark and members of the top-three relays by time are named All-Region.

In addition to his top regional performer status in the high jump (2.14m, 7-0.25) and heptathlon (5386 points), Schmidt was also fifth in the pole vault (4.41m, 14-5.5) in the West Region this year. He will enter this weekend's NCAA DII Indoor Championships with the seventh-best mark in the nation in the heptathlon and tied for the eighth-best height in the high jump. Schmidt was also named the GNAC Men's Field Athlete of the Meet at the GNAC Championships after he won individual two in three of his four events while finishing on the podium in all four, scoring the second most points ever at a GNAC indoor meet with 34. 

Hendry's title-winning toss of 17.54 meters (57-6.5) in the weight throw at the GNAC Indoor Championships was good enough to earn Top Regional Performer honors, while his season-best of 14.85 meters (48-8.75) in the shot put was third in the West Region. Nye earned his All-Region selection with the fifth-best mark in the pole vault (4.41m, 14-5.5).

Yenor also won the GNAC title in the pole vault to go along with her Top Regional Performer accolade, clearing 3.92 meters (12-10.25) at the EOU Lew Thorne Invite. Herbert just missed out on the Top Regional Performer nod in the shot put, finishing second regionally with a mark of 13.95 meters (45-9.25) that also claimed a GNAC title in the event.

As mentioned, Schmidt will be taking his talents to Virginia Beach, Virginia this weekend to compete in the heptathlon and high jump at the 2023 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships from March 10-11. The rest of the squad is gearing up for outdoor season, which begins for the Nighthawks in a few weeks at the Willamette Invitational on March 25.