South Alabama track & field standout Francois Prinsloo was named Sun Belt Conference Male Athlete of the Year for 2023-24 at the league’s fall meetings on Tuesday in Atlanta.
Prinsloo was the Sun Belt and NCAA champion in the discus and also took the conference title in the hammer throw. He represented his home country of South Africa in the 2024 Olympics in Paris this past August.
“Francois is an incredible athlete and an even better human,” South Alabama track & field coach Paul Brueske said. “He is everything you want in an athlete, and it’s so great to see the success that he has achieved. He has worked so hard and is truly deserving of all of the accolades.”
Prinsloo took first place in the discus in nine of 10 meets in which he competed in 2024 and ranks sixth all-time in NCAA history in the event. He was named Sun Belt Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year at the end of the season.
The full list of Sun Belt awards for 2023-24 presented Tuesday:
Vic Bubas Cup (all-sports trophy): Texas State
Male Athlete of the Year: Francois Prinsloo, track & field, South Alabama
Female Athlete of the Year: Jessica Mullins, softball, Texas State
Post-graduate scholarship winners: Martin Bouldo, track & field, Troy; Kaitlyn Nowak, beach volleyball, Louisiana-Monroe
NCAA woman of the year nominees: Simone Timm, soccer, Georgia Southern; Abigail Herring, cross country/track & field, Marshall
Faculty member of the year: Geary Albright, James Madison
Community service awards: Louisiana, Georgia Southern
Student-athlete graduation success rate: Appalachian State, Coastal Careolina, Georgia State, James Madison
