CROSS ROADS, Texas – North Carolina Central standout Aaron Alukunyang was named the 2026 Men's Track and Field Runner of the Year at the third annual HBCU Sports Awards, which were streamed online Saturday afternoon.

Hosted by Kenn Rashad, Chris Stevens, and Jarrett Hoffman of HBCUSports.com, the ceremony recognized 46 award winners, including administrators, student-athletes, and coaches from Division I, Division II, and NAIA institutions and conferences.

Alukunyang (Iten, Kenya) closed out an outstanding outdoor season by winning three gold medals at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May. The freshman swept the 10,000m, 5,000m, and 1,500m runs, breaking a meet record in the 10,000 meters with a time of 30:06.86. He accounted for 30 points to the NCCU men's team total.

His dominant performance earned Alukunyang the MEAC Most Outstanding Men's Track Athlete award and All-MEAC First Team honors in all three events.

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