Photo by: Nate Barrett Photography
Texas Tanner, Kyle Lillie Claim USTFCCCA Regional Awards
6/20/2025 1:14:00 PM | Track and Field
NEW ORLEANS – Air Force junior Texas Tanner and assistant coach Kyle Lillie captured regional awards from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association this afternoon (June 20), as Tanner was named the Men's Mountain Region Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year for the season time in as many seasons and Lillie was selected as the Men's Mountain Region Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year.
Tanner finished fourth in the hammer throw at last week's NCAA Outdoor Championships – becoming the first Air Force thrower in 60 years to earn All-America distinction in a men's throwing event and accounting for the Mountain West's best hammer finish since 2003. He qualified to the opening round of the NCAA Championships in three events, while advancing to the national finals in two (discus, hammer). Named Field Performer of the Meet at the MW Outdoor Championships, Tanner easily defended his conference titles in the discus and hammer, setting Meet Records in both. Over the course of the season, Tanner reset his Air Force Records in the discus and hammer three times, finishing the campaign with the best distances ever by a Service Academy thrower and the best hammer throw mark in Mountain West history.
Lillie, in his third year overseeing the Air Force throwers, coached Tanner to his fourth-place finish in the hammer at the NCAA Championships – the highest finish by a men's thrower in program history. His group had at least one NCAA Qualifier in every throwing event, while Tanner advanced to the finals in two. Lillie-coached athletes accounted for three of the four throwing titles at the Mountain West Championships, while the Falcons went 1-3 in the hammer, set two MW Championship Meet Records and recorded the best hammer distance in conference history. Closer to home, he saw his athletes post Air Force Records in the discus and hammer, as well as the program's No. 2 all-time marks in the hammer and javelin.
Tanner, who became the first Air Force thrower to earn regional honors on the men's side last season, is just the second Falcon to be named a regional athlete of the year more than once – joining Shelley Spires, who was named the indoor and outdoor field athlete of the year in 2017. Lillie is the fourth Air Force assistant to capture a regional coaching honor from the USTFCCCA and the first outdoor honoree since Scott Steffan earned back-to-back awards in 2012-13.
Tanner finished fourth in the hammer throw at last week's NCAA Outdoor Championships – becoming the first Air Force thrower in 60 years to earn All-America distinction in a men's throwing event and accounting for the Mountain West's best hammer finish since 2003. He qualified to the opening round of the NCAA Championships in three events, while advancing to the national finals in two (discus, hammer). Named Field Performer of the Meet at the MW Outdoor Championships, Tanner easily defended his conference titles in the discus and hammer, setting Meet Records in both. Over the course of the season, Tanner reset his Air Force Records in the discus and hammer three times, finishing the campaign with the best distances ever by a Service Academy thrower and the best hammer throw mark in Mountain West history.
Lillie, in his third year overseeing the Air Force throwers, coached Tanner to his fourth-place finish in the hammer at the NCAA Championships – the highest finish by a men's thrower in program history. His group had at least one NCAA Qualifier in every throwing event, while Tanner advanced to the finals in two. Lillie-coached athletes accounted for three of the four throwing titles at the Mountain West Championships, while the Falcons went 1-3 in the hammer, set two MW Championship Meet Records and recorded the best hammer distance in conference history. Closer to home, he saw his athletes post Air Force Records in the discus and hammer, as well as the program's No. 2 all-time marks in the hammer and javelin.
Tanner, who became the first Air Force thrower to earn regional honors on the men's side last season, is just the second Falcon to be named a regional athlete of the year more than once – joining Shelley Spires, who was named the indoor and outdoor field athlete of the year in 2017. Lillie is the fourth Air Force assistant to capture a regional coaching honor from the USTFCCCA and the first outdoor honoree since Scott Steffan earned back-to-back awards in 2012-13.
Players Mentioned
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