Angelo State’s William Opare and West Texas A&M’s Fran Bonifacic, Blessing Akintoye and Esther Conde-Turpin – all NCAA Division II national champions – claimed 2026 Lone Star Conference Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year honors, which were announced Wednesday (March 25) by the league office.
 
Opare was named LSC Indoor Male Track Athlete of the Year, Bonifacic was tabbed LSC Indoor Male Field Athlete of the Year, Akintoye won LSC Indoor Female Track Athlete of the Year for the second straight year and Conde-Turpin was voted LSC Indoor Female Field Athlete of the Year.
 
Opare, who is a freshman from Accra, Ghana, won the national title in the 400 meter (45.67) and anchored the gold medal-winning 4x400 meter relay team (3:07.22). Both marks were the second fastest in Division II history. Opare also took silver in the 200 meters (20.81). He helped the Rams record a fourth-place team finish at nationals. Opare totaled a meet-high 21.50 points at the LSC Championships, taking gold in the 200 meter (20.89) and 400 meter (45.95). He also earned points in the 4x400 meter relay.
 
Bonifacic, who is a junior from Punat, Croatia, won the national championship in the heptathlon with a school-record 5,611 points. He won both the 60-meter hurdles (8.17) and pole vault (4.85m), which secured him 1,804 points to go along with a second-place finish in the shot put (14.48m). At the conference meet, Bonifacic totaled 15 points. He garnered points in the pole vault (4.81m), long jump (7.05m) and 60-meter hurdles (8.30). He earned a silver medal in the pole vault.
 
Akintoye, who is a junior from Ogun state, Nigeria, won the national title in the 400 meters with a 52.87. She followed that up by helping a runner-up finish in the 4x400 meter relay (3:37.44). At the LSC Championships, Akintoye won gold in both the 400 (52.28) meters and 200 meters (23.67). The 400 time was an all-time LSC record.
 
Conde-Turpin, who is a senior from Reunion Island, France, won the national title in the pentathlon with a school-record 4,406 points. She won the 60m hurdles (8.33) while finishing second in the high jump (1.68m), shot put (13.67m) and long jump (6.05m). She totaled 17 points at the national meet. At the conference meet, Conde-Turpin collected a meet-high 28.50 points. She had top-3 finishes in the long jump (5.91m), shot put (13.40m) and high jump (1.63m). She also took gold in the 60-meter hurdles (8.32).
 
Akintoye and Conde-Turpin helped lead the Lady Buffs to a runner-up team finish at nationals.
 
All four athletes earned All-LSC First Team honors and were named Most Outstanding Athletes of the conference meet.
 
The LSC awards were voted on by the league’s head coaches.
 
 
2026 LSC INDOOR TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Male Track Athlete of the Year: William Opare, Angelo State
Male Field Athlete of the Year: Fran Bonifacic, West Texas A&M
Female Track Athlete of the Year: Blessing Akintoye, West Texas A&M
Female Field Athlete of the Year: Esther Conde-Turpin, West Texas A&M