Charlotte, NC: The NJCAA has announced two honorees to be inducted into the NJCAA Track & Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame.  Two student-athletes have been honored. Read below for more on Kenny Bednarek and Melvin Lister.

Kenny Bednarek | Student-Athlete | Indian Hills Community College (IA)

Kenny Bednarek spent one season on the Indian Hills Community College Track & Field team in 2018-19 and quickly made their mark in the history books. Bednarek was the 2018-19 NJCAA Men's Indoor Track & Field 400m National Champion and became the Division I Outdoor National Champion in the 200m and 400m.  He still holds five Indian Hills Track school records. Bednarek's 200m indoor time during 2019 was the fastest time in the United States and No. 2 time in the world for that season. At the outdoor meet, Bednarek's time of 19.49 was the fourth-fastest 200m of all time. 

Since his time at Indian Hills, Bednarek has done incredible things on the international stage. He won the 200m silver medal in both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. He also competed at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, OR, finishing with a silver medal in the 200m. In addition, Bednarek won the 200m at the Diamond League Championship in 2021 and 2024.

Melvin Lister | Student-Athlete | Butler Community College (KS)

Melvin Lister was a seven-time NJCAA Track All-American and the 1997 long jump national champion. Lister competed for Butler Community College between 199-998. At the 1998 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship, Lister was named the Athlete of the Meet for finishing first in the Long Jump and Triple Jump. 

After the NJCAA, Lister qualified for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney in the long jump and later for the 2004 Olympics in the triple jump. Lister qualified for the 2004 Olympics with a 58 ft., four in. triple jump. This was his personal record by over two feet, and it was the best jump in the world that season. It was also the best in USA Track & Field history at the time.