PORTLAND, ORE. - Alaska Anchorage's Vivien Liessfeld capped a medal-filled outdoor season with GNAC Field Athlete of the Year recognition.
She finished her season earning second-team All-American honors with a 12th-place finish in the long jump at the NCAA Championships, as she cleared 19-1.25 feet (5.82 meters) in the final meet of 2026. Liessfeld won the heptathlon and the long jump gold medals at the GNAC Outdoor Championships, earning Field Athlete of the Meet and the high point scorer awards. At the Pacific Coast Invitational on April 16, Liessfeld posted a long jump of 20-2.5 feet (6.16 meters) which stands as the second-farthest leap by any GNAC athlete in outdoor history.
"It's been great to see Vivien's talent bloom these last few seasons and culminate in such a historic and dominant season with this award," said head coach Ryan McWilliams. "She has more left to do here and can't wait to see what's in store with her final season."
This is the fourth outdoor athlete of the year honor for a Seawolf and the first since Caroline Kurgat claimed back-to-back wins in 2018 and 2019.
