Idaho State track star Treyshon Malone received the highest honor of an incredible indoor track season Tuesday, as the Bengals senior was named an NCAA All-American in the long jump.

Malone is the first Idaho State track athlete to be named an All-American since Mike Arnold in 2012 in the pole vault.

“Being an All-American means a whole lot to me, because it shows that I have been working hard to get that status and all of the blood, sweat, and tears aren’t for nothing,” Malone said in an ISU press release. “It was one of my biggest dreams to be a part of this status and I finally did it. I am a Division I All-American and no one can take that from me.”

Malone set an Idaho State record and won the Big Sky Conference title by jumping 7.93 meters (26’ 0.75”) at the Big Sky indoor championship meet at Holt Arena in late February, a mark that qualified him ninth to the national meet, set to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in March.

Malone and ISU track coach Hillary Merkley traveled to New Mexico for that meet, but it was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic the day before Malone was scheduled to jump.

The cancellation left Malone’s season with a deflating, open-ended conclusion, but the All-America nod has now capped it in triumph.

“You feel defeated after working so hard and not being able to see it through. It is devastating,” Merkley said in the press release. “He was ninth in the country, and I’m glad that the NCAA chose to do it the way they have because it honors his accomplishments up to that point. He is very deserving, (and) this is a big paycheck for all of his hard work and ups and downs over the years. I’m really proud of him for sticking with it and happy he is being recognized.”

Malone also won the 60- and 200-meter dashes at the Big Sky championships and was named the meet’s male MVP and outstanding performer after leading the ISU men to a second-place finish.

Malone, who transferred to ISU in 2018-19 after two years at Pima Community College, has exhausted his eligibility for indoor track, but will take advantage of his NCAA-granted extra year to return for next year’s spring outdoor season, where he’s the defending conference champion in both the 100 and 200 meters.

“I can’t wait to come back next year and finish what I started for outdoor season,” Malone said.