PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the 2020 American Indoor Track & Field Most Outstanding Performance awards, as student-athletes from Cincinnati and Houston collected honors following last week’s American Indoor Track & Field Championships meet.
 
The awards are presented to student-athletes who recorded the highest-ranking marks on the NCAA performance list during the American Indoor Track & Field Championships this season. Houston senior Travis Collins, Cincinnati senior Damien Berthenet, Houston junior Naomi Taylor and Houston senior Taylor Scaife were each recognized as the meet’s top performers.
 
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Travis Collins * Houston * Senior * 60-Meter Dash
Collins ran the top 60-meter dash time in The American this season to capture the gold medal in 6.61 at the conference indoor championships. Collins’ conference-best time is ranked 10th in the nation this season.
 
MEN’S INDOOR FIELD MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Damien Berthenet * Cincinnati * Senior * Heptathlon
Berthenet became the first Cincinnati athlete to win The American men’s heptathlon after scoring 5,693 points. Berthenet placed first in the shot put (14.29m, 46-10.75) and the pole vault (4.80m, 15-9) individual events in the course of the competition, and his point total ranked No. 10 on the NCAA’s 2020 performance list.
 
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Naomi Taylor * Houston * Junior * 60-Meter Hurdles
Taylor won her second straight women’s 60-meter hurdles crown representing Houston, breaking her own meet record with a championship finals time of 8.03. Taylor’s gold medal showing in the 60-meter hurdles ranked seventh on the NCAA performance list the prior to the NCAA Championships.
 
WOMEN’S INDOOR FIELD MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Taylor Scaife * Houston * Senior * Weight Throw
Scaife defended her title from a season ago in the women’s weight throw, establishing a meet record on her second attempt by covering 22.75m (74-7.75). Scaife, who already owned the No. 3 ranking in the country in the event this season, would have been slotted fourth nationally with her championship showing.