ARLINGTON, Texas – The Western Athletic Conference announced its Joe Kearney Award winners on Tuesday, with Texan Track and Field's Victoria Cameron named the female award winner and Texan Football's Kasyus Kurns the male award winner. Named in honor of former WAC commissioner Joe Kearney, the awards are given annually to the top male and female student-athletes in the WAC.
 
These are the first Joe Kearney awards awarded to Tarleton State student-athletes. The Joe Kearney Award announcements come a week after Tarleton State was named WAC Commissioner's Cup champions, recognition for the top performing athletic department in the conference across all sports.  
 
At the end of each academic year, one male and one female student-athlete is selected for the Joe Kearney Award, in honor of former Commissioner Joe Kearney (1980-94). Any student-athlete from a full-member institution who participates in a conference-sponsored sport is eligible to receive the award. Selection was based on athletics ability.
 
Cameron shined for Texan Track and Field this past season, a First Team Indoor All-American and a Second Team Outdoor All-American. Cameron took bronze nationally in the NCAA Track and Field Indoor Championships in the 60 meters, after being named the WAC Women's Athlete of the Year in the indoor season. Cameron set the all-time WAC record in the 60 meters at 7.08 seconds, and ran the top-five times in the 60 meters in WAC history this season alone. Her 7.08 second run is the 10th best 60 meter time in NCAA history. She was the only WAC track athlete to compete at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships this season.
 
In the outdoor season, Cameron took 10th in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to earn Second Team All-American status in back-to-back years. She ran four of the top-seven all-time WAC times in the 100 meters in all conditions this season, and now owns eight of the top-nine in WAC history. Cameron set the all-time WAC all-conditions record in the 100 meters this season at 11.00 seconds.
 
Team-wise, Tarleton State Women's Track and Field won the 2026 WAC Indoor Track and Field Championship, as the Texans posted a school-best 180.5 points. It marked the Texans' first indoor or outdoor title since joining the WAC ahead of the 2020-21 season. The Texans women then took second in the WAC Outdoor Championships.
 
Kurns was named a First Team All-American by three different organizations this past season; Associated Press First Team All-American, FCS Football Central First Team All-American and Walter Camp FCS First Team All-American. He was a finalist for the 31st Annual Buck Buchanan Award, given to the national defensive player of the year in FCS, plus was First Team All-Conference in the UAC.
 
Kurns had the tied-most interceptions across the FCS with six, and the second most interceptions per game in the FCS at 0.5 per game. He had the tied-sixth most interceptions in a single-season in program history with six this past year, and also totaled one fumble recovery, three pass breakups, 32 total tackles, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry in 12 games. Kurns was instrumental in one of the best wins in Texan Football history at Army, where he had two interceptions and a fumble recovery to help boost Tarleton State over the Black Knights in West Point. He was named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
 
The Texans won a UAC co-championship and advanced to the FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals in just their second year of D1 postseason eligibility. Tarleton State became the first FCS team since 1993 (Troy) to make the quarterfinals in one of its first two seasons of playoff eligibility (8+ team format in FCS). The Texans are the first active FCS program to accomplish that feat since 1985 (Eastern Washington). Tarleton State had its tied-most wins in program history (12), going 12-2 overall and 7-1 in UAC play.
 
All-Time Joe Kearney Award Winners:
2026: Kasyus Kurns, Football, Tarleton State; Victoria Cameron, Track & Field, Tarleton State
2025 Gabe Remy, Track & Field, Utah Valley; Brianna Ford, Volleyball, UT Arlington
2024: Lucas Van Klaveren, Track & Field, UT Arlington; Greta Karinauskaite, Track & Field, California Baptist
2023: Xavier Gipson, Football, Stephen F. Austin; Kristin Fifield, Softball, Grand Canyon
2022: Teddy Allen, Basketball, NM State; Annina Brandenburg, Track & Field, Abilene Christian
2021: Fardaws Aimaq, Basketball, Utah Valley; Ane Olaeta, Basketball, California Baptist
2020: Nick Gonzales, Baseball, NM State; Megan Hart, Volleyball, NM State
2019: Mark Nikolaev, Swimming and Diving, Grand Canyon; Brooke Salas, Basketball, NM State
2018: Jemerrio Jones, Basketball, NM State; Kelsey Horton, Softball, NM State
2017: Paul Hoffmeister, Soccer, Utah Valley/DeWayne Russell, Basketball, Grand Canyon; Shawnte' Goff, Basketball, UTRGV
2016: Antoine Rozner, Golf, Kansas City; Gwen Murphy, Volleyball, NM State
2015: Michael McPherson, Track & Field, Utah Valley; Courtney Frerichs, Cross Country/Track & Field, Kansas City
2014: Male: Mitchell Huxhold, Swimming and Diving, CSU Bakersfield; Stephanie Verdoia, Soccer, Seattle U
2013: Kyle Barone, Basketball, Idaho; Hannah Kiser, Cross Country/Track & Field, Idaho
2012: Andrew Blaser, Track and Field, Idaho/Robert Turbin, Football, Utah State; Chelsea Hayes, Track & Field, Louisiana Tech
2011: Colin Kaepernick, Football, Nevada; Emma Friesen, Swimming and Diving, Hawai'i
2010: Kellen Moore, Football, Boise State; Amber Kaufman, Volleyball/Track and Field, Hawai'i
2009: Tom Mendonca, Baseball, Fresno State; Melanie Gloria, Tennis, Fresno State
2008: Steve Susdorf, Baseball, Fresno State; Emma Friesen, Diving, Hawai'i
2007: Colt Brennan, Football, Hawai'I; Kanoe Kamana'o, Volleyball, Hawai'i
2006: Nick Fazekas, Basketball, Nevada; Kanoe Kamana'o, Volleyball, Hawai'i
2005: Gabriel Wallin, Track and Field, Boise State; Jamie Southern, Softball, Fresno State
2004: Kirk Snyder, Basketball, Nevada; Kim Willoughby, Volleyball, Hawai'i
2003: Nick Watney, Golf, Fresno State; Kim Willoughby, Volleyball/Basketball, Hawai'i
2002: David Carr, Football, Fresno State; Stacy Prammanasudh, Golf, Tulsa
2001: LaDainian Tomlinson, Football, TCU; Florence Ezeh, Track and Field, SMU
2000: Courtney Alexander, Basketball, Fresno State; Amanda Scott, Softball, Fresno State
1999: Andre Miller, Basketball, Utah; Martina Moravcova, Swimming and Diving, SMU
1998: Lars Frolander, Swimming and Diving, SMU; Amanda Scott, Softball, Fresno State
1997: Keith Van Horn, Basketball, Utah; Martina Moravcova, Swimming and Diving, SMU
1996: Keith Van Horn, Basketball, Utah; Nina Lindenberg, Softball, Fresno State
1995: Stoney Case, Football, New Mexico; Susanne Metz, Gymnastics, Utah
1994: Marshall Faulk, Football, San Diego State; Amy Van Dyken, Swimming and Diving, Colorado State
1993: Marshall Faulk, Football, San Diego State; Mikki Kane-Barton, Volleyball, Utah
1992: Carlton McDonald, Football, Air Force; Anu Kaljurand, Track and Field, Brigham Young