Usher honored with Champion of Character Award

HELENA, Mont. — Bellevue University junior Cloey Usher has been selected as a 2026 Frontier Conference Champion of Character Award recipient for women's outdoor track and field, presented by WinWon Technologies. The announcement was made today by the Frontier Conference office following the conclusion of the regular season.

The Champion of Character Award is presented annually to a student-athlete who best exemplifies the NAIA's Champions of Character initiative and its five core values: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership. Each Frontier Conference head coach submits a nomination based on how their student-athletes demonstrate these values both in competition and throughout their campus and community involvement.

"Cloey is a positive part of our team culture," said head coach Craig Christians. "She sets an example through her hard work and willingness to take on any assignment."

In addition to her contributions on the track, Usher has excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-Frontier Conference honors during the 2026 indoor season.

The Champions of Character initiative aims to place the NAIA's five core values at the center of the student-athlete experience, helping participants find balance on and off the court. The program encourages student-athletes to value the right behaviors and uphold the NAIA's standard of being "The Right Way to Play."

With the conclusion of the regular season, a record five BU athletes will head to Asheville, N.C., for the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships, held from May 20-22. The women's 4x800 relay team of Maggie Boley, Alicia Rivera Camargo, Grace Steinmetz, and Wren Hofacket will compete, while Steinmetz also qualified individually in the 5K and 10K. Ronald Kipyegon will represent Bellevue in the 800 meters.