BOSTON -- Iosif Papa put a bow on his stellar career by being named the America East Men's Outdoor Track & Field Performer of the Year, as voted on by the America East coaches, the Conference announced on Wednesday. 

Papa picked up his second straight Honorable Mention All-America honor with his efforts after he placed 18th in the discus throw at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field.

Competing in the first flight, he recorded a 58.28-meter toss on his second attempt to place 18th out of 24 competitors. Papa sat in sixth place after the first flight of competitors. 

The Cyprus native bested his mark from the 2025 Outdoor Championships when he placed 17th with a 56.98-meter toss. Papa became the fourth UMBC men's track & field athlete to compete at multiple NCAA Championships, joining head coach David Bobb, Huguens Jean, and Vincent Rentzsch. 

Two weeks earlier at the NCAA East First Round in Lexington, Kentucky, Papa placed 12th with a throw of 57.72 meters to punch his ticket for the second consecutive year. Papa opened up the outdoor season by resetting the UMBC program record in the discus at the UCF Black & Gold Challenge with a 59.86-meter throw. He went on to win the event at the Dalton Ebanks Invitational with a 59.62-meter toss and placed second at the Penn Relays with a 58.00-meter throw.

Last month, Papa won the discus and was named the Most Outstanding Field Performer at the America East Championship, setting the meet record with a 58.80-meter toss, winning by more than six meters with a 58.80-meter hurl. Papa broke Travis Robinson's AE Championship record by nearly two full meters to earn 10 points for UMBC.