Photo by: Jeremy Enlow
Women's track and field team adds 13 newcomers to 2015 roster
9/16/2014 9:39:00 AM | Track & Field
ABILENE - Abilene head track and field coach Keith Barnier today announced the addition of 13 recruits to his 2015 women's roster, giving the Wildcats close to 30 competitors for the upcoming season that will feature the grand opening of a new on-campus track & field/soccer complex.
This season's crop of newcomers along with 16 returners gives ACU a much larger and well-rounded team than what was here a year ago. Additionally, nearly every recruit possesses the talent to score in individual events at the Southland Conference meet. The relays will certainly be bolstered as well.
Expectations are high as this group has the potential to finish among the upper half of the Southland Conference standings during indoor and outdoor campaigns.
"I'm extremely excited to coach these talented student-athletes who chose ACU over other SEC, ACC & Big 12 institutions," said the second-year head coach. "They're coming to ACU because they want to be the best in the world - on the track, in the field events, and in the classroom - all while receiving a exemplary Christian education."
Short biographies of ACU's 13 recruits are listed by event in alphabetical order.
Mid-Distances / Distances
Bernise Altamirano (Fr. | Amarillo, Texas / Randall HS)
A four-year letterwinner, Altamirano's personal bests include an 18:35 (5K), 11:50 (3200m) and 5:25 (1600m). Altamirano placed seventh this past year in District 3-4A 1600m run with a time of 5:25, and during cross country season finished sixth at the district level.
Altamirano and her twin sister, Denise, were part of a program that won the 2013 state championship and finished among the top 11 at the 2010, 2011 and 2012 meets.
Altamirano's additional honors include a 4A all-state honorable mention in 2013, and all-region first team accolades in 2010 and 2013. She also received first team all-district cross country honors in 2010 and 2013.
Altamirano is studying biology at ACU. She was Randall High School's winner of its 2014 Scholar Athlete of the Year award.
Denise Altamirano (Fr. | Amarillo, Texas / Randall HS)
Denise is coming off a fine senior year at Randall High School in which she placed fourth in the 1600m and sixth in the 3200m at the District 3-4A meet. Her personal bests on the track include a 5:30 mile and 11:50 two-mile, while her best 5K mark was clocked at 19:40. These performances helped her earn a Class 4A all-Region I honorable mention as a senior.
Altamirano, much like her sister, Bernise, also succeeded in the classroom and this spring she was named to the TGCA academic first team for track and field. Previously she was tabbed to the 2013 CCCTA academic all-state first team and the THSCA academic second team.
Denise is a four-time recipient of school's Certificate of Merit and three-time Superintendent Scholar. She is studying nursing at ACU.
Marina Guerrero (Jr. | Banyoles, Spain / Brugulat / University of Girona)
Guerrero comes to ACU as a junior following a decorated career with two Spanish clubs and should immediately contend for the Southland steeplechase title. Her PR in the 3K steeplechase is a very competitive 10:46 and she also runs solidly in the 400m (58.24), 800m (2:15.05) and 1500m (4:39).
Her times in the 800m and 1500m would qualify her for the Southland finals and her mark in the steeple would have been third last spring.
Guerrero competed with Club Natació Banyoles for 10 years and Fútbol Club Barcelona for four years, and won a multitude of team championships. Individually, she was crowned champion in the 3K steeplechase (outdoor) and 1500m (indoor) at the 2013-14 Catalonia Promise championships and won the outdoor 400 hurdles title at the 2013-14 Catalonia.
Guerrero is studying animal science and biotechnology at ACU.
Victoria Gutierrez (Fr. | Abilene, Texas / Abilene HS)
ACU kept the Eagles' four-time Outstanding Distance Runner in her hometown and should quickly Gutierrez develop into a team leader for the Wildcats' cross country and distance units. In fact, her personal records of 5:01 in the 1600m and 11:17 in the 3200m are faster high school times than those posted by current ACU sophomore and Southland 1500m runner-up Diana Garcia-Munoz.
This spring Gutierrez placed second in the district 2-5A 1600m and 3200m, and at the Region I-5A meet at Texas Tech she was fourth in the 3200m and eighth in the 1600m. Her best mile time was ranked as the 19th fastest in all of Texas.
Gutierrez' additional individual championships include two district titles and an area title in the 1600m.
Jessica James (Jr. | Couva, Trinidad and Tobago / Iowa Central CC)
With a wealth of international experience and two years of collegiate competition under her belt, James will immediately help the Wildcats anywhere from the 400m to 800m and on relays.
James is a five-time CARIFTA Games medalist who also has participated at World Juniors, World Relays, World Youth Games, Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Championships, and the The North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships.
During her two years at Iowa Central, James was part of two championship teams: 2013 outdoors and 2014 indoors and won the Kansas Relays 800m. She also won the 600m at the junior college national infoor meet and anchored the winning 4x800m relay.
James' personal bests include a 54.2 in the 400m, 2:09 in the 800m and 1:31 in the 600m.
Petrene Plummer (Jr. | Troy, Jamaica / Iowa Western CC)
The addition of Plummer gives the Wildcats' tremendous strength in the half-mile as she was a two-time first team all-America in the 800m and regional champion in the 4x400m and 4x800m at Iowa Western CC. She was the 2013 junior college national runner-up in the 800m and later that spring finished third outdoors.
Plummer also has experience in the 600m (1:37.69), 1000m (3:10.06), mile (5:27.32) and in cross country, finishing as high as 51st at the JC national meet. Her best 800m time is 2:11.13.
Plummer was a member of both the CARIFTA and CAC Jamaica junior teams and has won several medals at the Boys and Girls' Championships. She also won a title at Penn Relays.
Gabryelle Thompson (Fr. | New Braunfels, Texas / New Braunfels HS)
Thompson made quite an impression at the high school level earlier this year after handily winning the Texas Relays 2000m steeplechase in 7:29.26, which is the 59th fastest mark among all high schoolers in 2014. She also won the 2K steeplechase at the 2014 Disney High School Track and Field Showcase with a personal best of 7:22.91.
Additionally, she placed fourth in the District 25-5A 3200m in 11:34 this past spring, and in the fall was sixth in the district cross country meet (19:15).
With New Braunfels High School, Thompson was part of a program that won the 2014 district and regional meets and placed second at UIL 5A states. This team also won the Nike South Regional meet and placed 14th at Nike Cross Country Nationals with Thompson serving as a team captain.
Thompson is studying communication at ACU.
Pole Vault
Kami Berryhill (Fr. | Odessa, Texas / Midland Christian HS)
Berryhill is the defeneding TAPPS 4A pole vault champion and attained a No. 49 national ranking among all high schoolers after all the summer meets were over. This spring she also placed third in the TAPPS 4A long jump and won the TAPPS District 1-4A 100-meter hurdles.
Coming to ACU with a pole vault personal record of 12-8, Berryhill is certainly capable of winning the Southland Conference title as a freshman (12-10 was the winning jump in 2014) and could possibly top 13 feet as she'll be coached here by her older sister Angie Aguilar and brother-in-law, Cory.
Berryhill is a two-time state pole vault champion and four-time winner at the district and regional level.
She is studying kinesiology at ACU.
Reagan Mabery (Fr. | Tolar, Texas / Tolar HS)
Mabery placed fourth in the Texas 2A pole vault this spring and has a personal best height of 11-6. She also finished fourth at the 2A state meet as a freshman, was fifth as a sophomore and sixth as a junior. And at the regional level, she won three pole vault titles in four seasons, settling for second place as a sophomore.
Mabery competed for her school in the 100 hurdles (16.1) and long jump (15-6) in addition to the pole vault and was part of a team that won consecutive district titles in 2011 and 2012. She also went to Texas Relays during her junior year as a member of it 4x100m relay.
An academic all-state and district honoree, Mabery is studying nutrition and exercise at ACU.
Sprints/Hurdles
Kimone Green (So. | St. Elizabeth, Jamaica / Mico University College)
Green is seen as a huge addition to the program as last year she won the CARIFTA U-20 championship in the 400m hurdles and has a personal best of 58.47. As a comparison, this past spring's Southland Conference champion won the 400H in 58.05.
Green also has a PR of 14.21 in the 100m hurdles, 24.81 in the 200m and 55.30 in the open 400m, which will certainly help the Wildcats on their relays.
Green's international experience also includes time on the Jamaican CAC team and competing at the Boys and Girls Championships.
Cierra Jones (Jr. | Port Saint Lucie, Fla. / Haines City HS / Iowa Western)
Jones is a competitor with solid outdoor personal bests in the 100 (11.97) and 200m (24.93) who will certainly help the Wildcats on their 4x100 and possibly the 4x400m as she was a junior college All-American on each of those relays at Iowa Western.
Indoors, Jones has gone as fast as 7.80 in the 60m and 25.50 in the 200m.
Throws
Kayla Melgar (Fr. | Tempe, Ariz. / Tempe HS)
Melgar attended the same high school as sophomore Diana Garcia Munoz, and last spring placed third in the shot put and first at the Arizona D-2 discus throw with an effort of 148-11 that would have won all of the Texas classes from 4A down and would have been third in the 5A classifications. This throw also ranked her 38th nationally among all high schoolers in the discus according to Dyestat.com, and her personal record in the shot put is 40-0.
A four-time all-city champion in the discus, Melgar served as Tempe High's varsity goalkeeper all four years and played varsity volleyball for three seasons as a middle blocker and outside hitter.
Melgar plans to study kinesiology and sports medicine at ACU.
Lonnie Smith (Fr. | Phoenix, Ariz. / Tempe HS)
Smith was Melgar's teammate at Tempe High School and comes to ACU with personal records of 39-11 in the shot put 126-11 in the discus. She was second in the shot put this year and third in the discus in 2013 at the Arizona D2 state meet.
Additional information from Don Garrett was used in this release.
This season's crop of newcomers along with 16 returners gives ACU a much larger and well-rounded team than what was here a year ago. Additionally, nearly every recruit possesses the talent to score in individual events at the Southland Conference meet. The relays will certainly be bolstered as well.
Expectations are high as this group has the potential to finish among the upper half of the Southland Conference standings during indoor and outdoor campaigns.
"I'm extremely excited to coach these talented student-athletes who chose ACU over other SEC, ACC & Big 12 institutions," said the second-year head coach. "They're coming to ACU because they want to be the best in the world - on the track, in the field events, and in the classroom - all while receiving a exemplary Christian education."
Short biographies of ACU's 13 recruits are listed by event in alphabetical order.
Mid-Distances / Distances
Bernise Altamirano (Fr. | Amarillo, Texas / Randall HS)
A four-year letterwinner, Altamirano's personal bests include an 18:35 (5K), 11:50 (3200m) and 5:25 (1600m). Altamirano placed seventh this past year in District 3-4A 1600m run with a time of 5:25, and during cross country season finished sixth at the district level.
Altamirano and her twin sister, Denise, were part of a program that won the 2013 state championship and finished among the top 11 at the 2010, 2011 and 2012 meets.
Altamirano's additional honors include a 4A all-state honorable mention in 2013, and all-region first team accolades in 2010 and 2013. She also received first team all-district cross country honors in 2010 and 2013.
Altamirano is studying biology at ACU. She was Randall High School's winner of its 2014 Scholar Athlete of the Year award.
Denise Altamirano (Fr. | Amarillo, Texas / Randall HS)
Denise is coming off a fine senior year at Randall High School in which she placed fourth in the 1600m and sixth in the 3200m at the District 3-4A meet. Her personal bests on the track include a 5:30 mile and 11:50 two-mile, while her best 5K mark was clocked at 19:40. These performances helped her earn a Class 4A all-Region I honorable mention as a senior.
Altamirano, much like her sister, Bernise, also succeeded in the classroom and this spring she was named to the TGCA academic first team for track and field. Previously she was tabbed to the 2013 CCCTA academic all-state first team and the THSCA academic second team.
Denise is a four-time recipient of school's Certificate of Merit and three-time Superintendent Scholar. She is studying nursing at ACU.
Marina Guerrero (Jr. | Banyoles, Spain / Brugulat / University of Girona)
Guerrero comes to ACU as a junior following a decorated career with two Spanish clubs and should immediately contend for the Southland steeplechase title. Her PR in the 3K steeplechase is a very competitive 10:46 and she also runs solidly in the 400m (58.24), 800m (2:15.05) and 1500m (4:39).
Her times in the 800m and 1500m would qualify her for the Southland finals and her mark in the steeple would have been third last spring.
Guerrero competed with Club Natació Banyoles for 10 years and Fútbol Club Barcelona for four years, and won a multitude of team championships. Individually, she was crowned champion in the 3K steeplechase (outdoor) and 1500m (indoor) at the 2013-14 Catalonia Promise championships and won the outdoor 400 hurdles title at the 2013-14 Catalonia.
Guerrero is studying animal science and biotechnology at ACU.
Victoria Gutierrez (Fr. | Abilene, Texas / Abilene HS)
ACU kept the Eagles' four-time Outstanding Distance Runner in her hometown and should quickly Gutierrez develop into a team leader for the Wildcats' cross country and distance units. In fact, her personal records of 5:01 in the 1600m and 11:17 in the 3200m are faster high school times than those posted by current ACU sophomore and Southland 1500m runner-up Diana Garcia-Munoz.
This spring Gutierrez placed second in the district 2-5A 1600m and 3200m, and at the Region I-5A meet at Texas Tech she was fourth in the 3200m and eighth in the 1600m. Her best mile time was ranked as the 19th fastest in all of Texas.
Gutierrez' additional individual championships include two district titles and an area title in the 1600m.
Jessica James (Jr. | Couva, Trinidad and Tobago / Iowa Central CC)
With a wealth of international experience and two years of collegiate competition under her belt, James will immediately help the Wildcats anywhere from the 400m to 800m and on relays.
James is a five-time CARIFTA Games medalist who also has participated at World Juniors, World Relays, World Youth Games, Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Championships, and the The North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships.
During her two years at Iowa Central, James was part of two championship teams: 2013 outdoors and 2014 indoors and won the Kansas Relays 800m. She also won the 600m at the junior college national infoor meet and anchored the winning 4x800m relay.
James' personal bests include a 54.2 in the 400m, 2:09 in the 800m and 1:31 in the 600m.
Petrene Plummer (Jr. | Troy, Jamaica / Iowa Western CC)
The addition of Plummer gives the Wildcats' tremendous strength in the half-mile as she was a two-time first team all-America in the 800m and regional champion in the 4x400m and 4x800m at Iowa Western CC. She was the 2013 junior college national runner-up in the 800m and later that spring finished third outdoors.
Plummer also has experience in the 600m (1:37.69), 1000m (3:10.06), mile (5:27.32) and in cross country, finishing as high as 51st at the JC national meet. Her best 800m time is 2:11.13.
Plummer was a member of both the CARIFTA and CAC Jamaica junior teams and has won several medals at the Boys and Girls' Championships. She also won a title at Penn Relays.
Gabryelle Thompson (Fr. | New Braunfels, Texas / New Braunfels HS)
Thompson made quite an impression at the high school level earlier this year after handily winning the Texas Relays 2000m steeplechase in 7:29.26, which is the 59th fastest mark among all high schoolers in 2014. She also won the 2K steeplechase at the 2014 Disney High School Track and Field Showcase with a personal best of 7:22.91.
Additionally, she placed fourth in the District 25-5A 3200m in 11:34 this past spring, and in the fall was sixth in the district cross country meet (19:15).
With New Braunfels High School, Thompson was part of a program that won the 2014 district and regional meets and placed second at UIL 5A states. This team also won the Nike South Regional meet and placed 14th at Nike Cross Country Nationals with Thompson serving as a team captain.
Thompson is studying communication at ACU.
Pole Vault
Kami Berryhill (Fr. | Odessa, Texas / Midland Christian HS)
Berryhill is the defeneding TAPPS 4A pole vault champion and attained a No. 49 national ranking among all high schoolers after all the summer meets were over. This spring she also placed third in the TAPPS 4A long jump and won the TAPPS District 1-4A 100-meter hurdles.
Coming to ACU with a pole vault personal record of 12-8, Berryhill is certainly capable of winning the Southland Conference title as a freshman (12-10 was the winning jump in 2014) and could possibly top 13 feet as she'll be coached here by her older sister Angie Aguilar and brother-in-law, Cory.
Berryhill is a two-time state pole vault champion and four-time winner at the district and regional level.
She is studying kinesiology at ACU.
Reagan Mabery (Fr. | Tolar, Texas / Tolar HS)
Mabery placed fourth in the Texas 2A pole vault this spring and has a personal best height of 11-6. She also finished fourth at the 2A state meet as a freshman, was fifth as a sophomore and sixth as a junior. And at the regional level, she won three pole vault titles in four seasons, settling for second place as a sophomore.
Mabery competed for her school in the 100 hurdles (16.1) and long jump (15-6) in addition to the pole vault and was part of a team that won consecutive district titles in 2011 and 2012. She also went to Texas Relays during her junior year as a member of it 4x100m relay.
An academic all-state and district honoree, Mabery is studying nutrition and exercise at ACU.
Sprints/Hurdles
Kimone Green (So. | St. Elizabeth, Jamaica / Mico University College)
Green is seen as a huge addition to the program as last year she won the CARIFTA U-20 championship in the 400m hurdles and has a personal best of 58.47. As a comparison, this past spring's Southland Conference champion won the 400H in 58.05.
Green also has a PR of 14.21 in the 100m hurdles, 24.81 in the 200m and 55.30 in the open 400m, which will certainly help the Wildcats on their relays.
Green's international experience also includes time on the Jamaican CAC team and competing at the Boys and Girls Championships.
Cierra Jones (Jr. | Port Saint Lucie, Fla. / Haines City HS / Iowa Western)
Jones is a competitor with solid outdoor personal bests in the 100 (11.97) and 200m (24.93) who will certainly help the Wildcats on their 4x100 and possibly the 4x400m as she was a junior college All-American on each of those relays at Iowa Western.
Indoors, Jones has gone as fast as 7.80 in the 60m and 25.50 in the 200m.
Throws
Kayla Melgar (Fr. | Tempe, Ariz. / Tempe HS)
Melgar attended the same high school as sophomore Diana Garcia Munoz, and last spring placed third in the shot put and first at the Arizona D-2 discus throw with an effort of 148-11 that would have won all of the Texas classes from 4A down and would have been third in the 5A classifications. This throw also ranked her 38th nationally among all high schoolers in the discus according to Dyestat.com, and her personal record in the shot put is 40-0.
A four-time all-city champion in the discus, Melgar served as Tempe High's varsity goalkeeper all four years and played varsity volleyball for three seasons as a middle blocker and outside hitter.
Melgar plans to study kinesiology and sports medicine at ACU.
Lonnie Smith (Fr. | Phoenix, Ariz. / Tempe HS)
Smith was Melgar's teammate at Tempe High School and comes to ACU with personal records of 39-11 in the shot put 126-11 in the discus. She was second in the shot put this year and third in the discus in 2013 at the Arizona D2 state meet.
Additional information from Don Garrett was used in this release.
ACU Baseball: Rick McCarty Press Conference | March 31, 2026
Tuesday, March 31
ACU Softball: Jo Koons Press Conference | March 30, 2026
Monday, March 30
ACU Women's Basketball: Julie Goodenough Press Conference | March 30, 2026
Monday, March 30
ACU Women's Basketball: Florida International Postgame | March 24, 2026
Wednesday, March 25
