NEW ORLEANS, La. – University of the Cumberlands track & field coaches Bradley Sowder and Derek White earned national recognition from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) following the Patriots' historic performance at the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.
 
Sowder was named the USTFCCCA NAIA Men's Outdoor National Coach of the Year, while White earned USTFCCCA NAIA Men's Outdoor National Assistant Coach of the Year honors. The awards mark the first outdoor USTFCCCA national coaching honors in program history.
 
In his fourth year as head coach, Sowder led the Patriots to the 2026 NAIA Outdoor National Championship with 79 points. Cumberlands captured four national titles during the meet, the most of any team in the field, while the Patriots' 29.8-point margin of victory marked the largest at the national meet since 2018. The outdoor national championship was the second in program history and second in the last three seasons.
 
This marks Sowder's third USTFCCCA National Coach of the Year honor overall after previously earning Men's Indoor National Coach of the Year in 2024 and Women's Indoor National Coach of the Year in 2025.
 
White also made program history after being named the USTFCCCA NAIA Men's Outdoor National Assistant Coach of the Year, becoming the first assistant coach in Cumberlands history to earn USTFCCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year honors during either the indoor or outdoor season.
 
In his second season as associate head coach, White guided the Patriots' men's sprint group to two national championships at the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Championships. Tavon Davis captured the national title in the 400 meters after running 45.88 in the finals and moving to No. 10 in NAIA history earlier in the season with a time of 45.67. White also coached Jordan Afolayan, Willy Mabena, Edwin Van Wyk, and Aarontae Wesley to a national championship in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 39.57, making Cumberlands the No. 4 program in NAIA history in the event.
 
These honors add to an already historical season for UC's Men's Track & Field Program. After a top-three finish at cross country nationals and a national runner-up performance at indoor, the Pats brought home the red banner for their second ever NAIA Outdoor national Championship.
 
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