Northwest Missouri State University runner Aziz Mohammed and coach Wick Cunningham have both been recognized as a part of the 2025 NCAA DII XC Regional Awards as the Central Region men's athlete of the year and coach of the year respectively. 
 
Mohammed, a senior from Dunkwa-on-offin, Central, Ghana, won the individual titles at the NCAA DII Central Regional and MIAA Championships. At the Central Region Championships, Mohammed, clocked in a time of 29:53.48, the second-best 10,000-meter time in Northwest history. Earlier this season Mohammed also finished fourth at the Platte River Rumble Gold and sixth at the Chile Pepper Festival.
 
Mohammed was also recognized as an All-Region honoree by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for posting a top 25 individual performance.
 
Cunningham is in his fifth year as head coach at Northwest and led the Bearcats to the team title at the Central Region Championships and the team title at the MIAA Championships. The Bearcats were the runner-up at the Platte River Rumble Gold.
 
Cunningham recently received his second consecutive MIAA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year award.
 
With the Bearcat men's first place finish at the NCAA Central Region Championship, the team earned one of three automatic team berths for the 2025 NCAA Div. II Cross Country Championships. Along with the men will be sophomore Olivia Bakker who earned an at-large bid to compete as an individual in the women's race. The 2025 NCAA Div. II Cross Country Championships is set for Nov. 22 in Kenosha, Wis.