Westlake, Ohio - Oberlin College led all North Coast Athletic Conference schools with eight former women's and track field stars being named to the 40th Anniversary All-Decade team for the indoor season, the league office announced Monday afternoon. 

The contingency included Malaïka Djungu-Sungu '22, Lilah Drafts-Johnson '18, Linnea Halsten '19, Carey Lyons '15, Naeisha McClain '20, Monique Newton '18, Ana Richardson '18, and Sarah Voit '23. 

"It speaks to the dominance of our women's track and field program to have eight former members named to the All-Decade team," Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Ray Appenheimer said. "This group helped create a culture we still have today. You can care about your sport, your event, your training, and your performance while simultaneously caring about your community, your team, your friends, and your family one-hundred percent of the time. I got to see firsthand how each of these athletes made each other better. How they celebrated one another in success, and picked each other up when it got challenging. We are going to be indebted for a long time to Carey, Monique, Ana, Lilah, Linnea, Naeisha, Malaika, and Sarah."

Malaïka Djungu-Sungu '22
The 2022 NCAC Field Athlete of the Year, Djungu-Sungu won the conference crown in the triple jump 38-04.75 (11.70m) and took third in the long jump (17-04.25 / 5.29m) that season as well. Her senior year featured a trip to indoor nationals where she placed 17th in the country with a mark of 37-03.25 (11.36m) in the triple jump.

At the conference level, Djungu-Sungu was also the 2020 triple jump champion with a clearance of 37-07.75 (11.47m). 

Lilah Drafts-Johnson '18
The 2017 and 2018 NCAC Sprinter / Hurdler of the year, Drafts-Johnson was a three-time indoor conference champion. The Melrose, Massachusetts, native won the 200 (25.78) - and 400-meters (56.87) in her senior season that was capped off by a sixth-place showing at nationals in the 400-meters with a time of 56.10.

As a junior, she claimed her first conference title in the indoor 400 meters (57.18) but it was the end of her career that was most special as she became the second female in school history to win a national title by claiming the 400-meter hurdles at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a school-record mark of 59.34. 

Linnea Halsten '19
Part of an elite group of distance winners that have donned the Crimson and Gold, Halsten was also a part of the All-Decade team for cross country. On the indoor oval, she earned NCAC Distance Runner of the Year honors in 2019 after winning both the 3,000 (10:34.26) - and 5,000-meters (17:33.06) while helping the team place third in the DMR. 

Additionally, she was second in the 5,000 meters in 2017 with a mark of 17:50.76 and she added another league title as a senior by winning the 10,000 meters outdoors in 36:31.36.

Carey Lyons '15
An NCAA Outdoor All-American, Lyons was the 2015 NCAC Indoor Distance Runner of the Year after registering wins in the mile (5:06.62) and 3,000-meters (10:17.71). 

She would go on to place 16th at NCAA Indoor Championships that season in the 3,000-meters with a time of 10:17.27. 

Lyons, who won two more events at the NCAC Outdoor Championships, capped her career by earning All-American honors, placing seventh in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:42.77) at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships. 

Naeisha McClain '20
A three-time NCAC champion in the shot put indoors, McClain was also a 2017 NCAA All-American after placing eighth at nationals with a toss of 45-07.25 (13.90m).

At the indoor conference level, she bested everyone on the shot put in 2020 (43-11.75 / 13.40m), 2019 (41-06.50 / 12.66m) and 2017 (49-02.50 / 15m). 

McClain was seeking her second indoor All-America award in 2020 as she entered the national meet as the 14th seed before the competition was abruptly called off due to the pandemic. 

Monique Newton '18
One of the greatest athletes in school history, Newton was a three-time winner of the shot put indoors at the conference level.

The 2016 NCAC Field Athlete of the Year, Newton won the shot put (48-06.25 / 14.79m) and was third in the weight throw in that season (52-08.75 / 16.07m).

However, Newton was known to do her best work on the national stage. After placing second in the shot put at the 2016 NCAA Championships, Newton would go on to become the first female national champion in Oberlin history with a winning school-record toss of 51-00.75 (15.56m) at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships. 

Newton's illustrious career would end in historic fashion at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships as she added another national title in the discus (164-06 / 50.14) and was second in the shot put (48-06 / 14.78m). 

Ana Richardson '18
The 2018 NCAC Field Athlete of the Year, Richardson racked up three conference titles indoors and totaled six All-NCAC performances. 

Richardson led the way in the weight throw in 2018 (59-06.75 / 18.15m), 2017 (56-11.05 / 17.36m) and in 2016 (58-02.50 / 17.68m). 

A native of Eugene, Oregon, Richardson was a four-time national qualifier and earned All-America honors at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships after placing eighth in the weight throw with a heave of 58-01 (17.70m).

Sarah Voit '23
A high-flyer from Cincinnati, Ohio, Voit was a three-time indoor conference champion in the pole vault as she bested the field in 2019, 2020 and 2022. 

A two-time national qualifier, Voit was also the fifth seed at the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championship when the meet was canceled due to the pandemic. 

However, Voit still earned All-America honors in her other two appearances at nationals as she placed sixth indoors in 2019 with a clearance of 12-07.50 (3.85m) and was second outdoors in 2022 with a school-record mark of 12-11.50 (3.95m). 

In order to earn All-Decade laurels, one must have been named NCAC Runner or Field Athlete of the Year or be a three-time conference champion in the same event.