Lance Bingham Track and Field era begins at Texas A&M

Track & Field | 1/12/2017 9:58:00 AM

Season Preview Videos: Coach Aguilar | Coach Jelen | Coach C. Bingham | Coach Cook (Thursday) | Coach L. Bingham (Friday)
 

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ABILENE - The Lance Bingham era of the Abilene Christian Track and Field program begins Friday as the Wildcats head to College Station for the Texas A&M Team Invitational. Events begin Friday at 4:25 p.m. with the running with the women's distance medley relay and concluding with the men's 5,000-meter run.

Saturday the Wildcats will be in action from noon to 6 p.m., taking on a number of distinguished programs from Baylor, Stephen, F. Austin, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, UT Arlington and UT San Antonio.

The Wildcat men return 15 individuals from last season's team that placed sixth at the Southland Conference Indoor Championships, including all-conference honoree Rosen Daniel. The senior sprinter placed second in the 200m dash, third in the 400m, and helped the 4x400m relay place fifth alongside returnees Lee-Andrew Bloomfield, Samuel Garcia and Sterlen Paul.

The team also brings back fourth-place heptathlete Wyatt French and pole vaulter Jaden Dement, who will be competing unattached this weekend in Reno with coach Cory Aguilar and his teammates for the National Pole Vault Summit. The throws remain a solid event group for the Wildcats as well led by conference scorers Morgan Knight (weight throw) and Kai Schmidt (shot put).

Schmidt competed at a German meet during Winter Break and recorded a new personal best in the discus with a throw measuring 56.26 meters (184-7). He additionally threw 16.10m (52-10) in the shot put.

The ACU women were the conference indoor runner-up last February, scoring 112.5 points with a majority of those points coming from the distance group. The Wildcats this weekend get back cross country redshirts Carnley Graham and Michaela Hackett, but will still be without the services of Athlete of the Year Alexandria Hackett and third team all-conference honoree Diana García Muñoz. The coaches also have decided to place indoor redshirts on junior distance runner Gabby Thompson, defending pole vault champion Kenzie Walker Mascorro, and newcomers Alex Faure, Alex Jennings, Adam Plunk, Justin Dees and Gusbot Hayes.

Alexandria Hackett, who is redshirting the entire 2016-17 season in order to compete next season at the NCAA Championships, recently competed unattached at the Dartmouth Relays and won the 3,000-meter run in 9:36.80. Runner-up Helen Schlachtenhaufen of Dartmouth finished 18 seconds behind Hackett in 9:54.36.

Others coming back to compete for the Wildcat women include defending Southland 400m champion Kimone Green and her teammate on the second-place 4x400m relay Chartia Hurt, plus conference scorers Mackenzie West (pole vault), Kayla Melgar and Lonnie Smith (weight throw) and Taylor Yantis Woods (pentathlon).

ACU this offseason added 26 newcomers, a majority of whom are straight from the high school ranks. Transfers include pole vaulter Kyle Mann from Hardin-Simmons and North Florida distance runner Travis Nichols, who led the Wildcats through much of the 2016 cross country season.

Profiles of all this year's track and field newcomers are listed below in alphabetical order.
 

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Irene Akwitti | 5-8 | Fr. | Multis | Richmond, Texas / George Bush HS
Personal Bests
High Jump (5-6)
Triple Jump (35-0)
300m Hurdles (46.2)

Athletic Accomplishments
Part of a team that won the District 23-5A Championship
District champion in the high jump
Placed second in the triple jump and 300m hurdles, and fourth in the long jump 
Regional qualifier in triple jump, long jump and 300m hurdles
School record holder in the high jump

Academic Honors
Graduated Magna Cum Laude (top four percent in class)
Honor Roll Student
National Honor Society member
Student Leader of Imagine Excellence
Student Council member
Volunteer at Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Major
Nursing
 

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Annina Brandenburg | 5-6 | | Fr. | Throws | Düsseldorf, Germany / Rueckert Gymnasium
Personal Bests
Discus (166-8)
Javelin (134-5)
Shot Put (44-5)

Athletic Accomplishments
Member of the German Youth Track and Field Team
Placed second at German Youth National Championships in the discus 
Finished 13th in the discus at the World Youth Championships

Major
Marketing
 

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Riley Ellis | 6-4 | Fr. | Multis | Plano, Texas / Hebron HS
Personal Bests
High Jump (6-6)

Athletic Accomplishments
High jump district champion
First Team All-District
Regional qualifier in the high jump
Ran all three relays
Voted high school's Athlete of the Year
6-6A District Basketball Player of the Year and Team Captain

Major
Business marketing
 

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Justin Haines | 6-0 | Fr. | Pole Vault | Waxahachie, Texas / Waxahachie HS
Personal Bests
Pole Vault (14-6)

Athletic Accomplishments
District 10-5A pole vault champion
Area pole vault champion
Region pole vault runner-up
Placed eighth in pole vault at 5A state meet

Academic Honors
National Honor Society

Major
Business
 

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Gusbot Hayes | 5-7 | Fr. | Hurdles | Dallas, Texas / Richardson HS
Personal Bests
110m hurdles (16.2)
300m hurdles (40.6)

Athletic Accomplishments
TAAF semifinalist in the 110 and 300m hurdles
TAAF finalist 110m hurdles
USATF regional finalist in the 110 & 400m hurdles

Academic Honors
Exchange Club Student of the Month
Three-year member of the National Arts Honor Society
Richardson Rotary Club Leadership Scholarship Recipient
Rotary Youth Leadership Award

Major
Family and Youth Ministry
 

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Jordan Holmes | 5-8 | Fr. | Sprints | Round Rock, Texas / Hyde Park HS
Personal Bests
60m (7.5)
100m (11.4)
200m (23.00)

Athletic Accomplishments
District Champion with 4x100m relay as a junior
Co-District Champion as a senior in the 4x200m and 4x100m relay

Major
Business Management
 

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Jamie Kennedy | 5-7 | Fr. | Sprints/Jumps | Bryan, Texas / Bryan HS
Personal Bests
200m (24.5)
High Jump (5-5)

Athletic Accomplishments
Place second in the District 18-5A 200m

Academic Honors
All A & B Honor roll
Student Council 
Academic All District

Major
Nursing
 

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Ryan Linton | 6-0 | Fr. | Sprints/Relays | Ft. Worth, Texas / Katy Tompkins HS
Personal Bests
100m (10.50)
200m (21.19)
4x100m (40.4)
4x400m (3:13.79)

Athletic Accomplishments
100m and 200m all-region honoree
Placed fifth at states with the 4x400m relay
Part of team that was the runner-up at the district and area meets

Major
Biology / Pre-Med
 

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Kyle Mann | 5-8 | Jr. | Pole Vault | Flower Mound, Texas / Flower Mound HS | Hardin-Simmons
Personal Bests
Pole Vault (15-6)

Athletic Accomplishments
Won the 2015 and 2016 American Southwest Conference pole vault championships
Two-time district pole vault champion for Flower Mound HS
Soccer letter winner

Major
Marketing
 

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Sophie Morrow | 5-4 | Fr. | Pole Vault | Hico, Texas / Hico HS
Personal Best
Pole Vault (11-9)

Athletic Accomplishments
Three-time district, area and regional champion
Three-time state qualifier
Back to back state champion (2015, 2016)
First ever women's 2A pole vault back to back state champion
Two-time Meet of Champions qualifier

Academic Honors
Four-time academic All-District 
Hico High School National Honor Society Vice President 
National Society of High School Scholars
Hico Fellowship of Christian Athletes founding member

Major
Communication Disorders
 

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Hannah Newman | 5-6 | Fr. | Pole Vault | Georgetown, Texas / Georgetown HS
Personal Best
Pole Vault (11-6)

Athletic Accomplishments
2016 outdoor season pole vault champion at UIL 5A Area 25/26, Westlake Chap Relays, Georgetown Eagle Relays and East View Patriot Relays
Placed fourth in the pole vault (11-6) at the UIL 5A Region IV meet
Competed at the 2015 Texas Relays
2015 25-5A District and 25-26 5A Area Pole Vault champion
2015 pole vault winner at the 13-14 6A Area Championships

Major
Nursing
 

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Jancen Power | 5-7 | Fr. | Pole Vault | San Angelo, Texas / Water Valley HS
Personal Best
Pole Vault (14-0)
4x100m Relay (43.26)

Athletic Accomplishments
Part of team that won consecutive state championships in 2015 and 2016
2016 1A pole vault and 4x100m relay state champion
2016 district and area champion
2015 district, area and regional runner-up
Three-year football letter winner
All-district running back

Academic Honors
Academic All-State

Major
Christian Ministry
 

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Avery Williams | 5-8 | Fr. | 400m | Katy, Texas / Katy Tompkins HS
Personal Bests
400m (47.54)

Athletic Accomplishments
4x400m relay placed fifth in state and ranked seven in the nation
2016 400m district and area champion
Placed third in the Region III-6A 400m

Major
Kinesiology

Family
Father, Arthur Williams, ran track at ACU from 1982 to 1986. He posted No. 2 ACU time in the 200m of 20.56 seconds, and was on the school record 4x100m and 4x400m relays 
 

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ACU Entrants and Schedule
Friday, Jan. 13
Women's 5,000m Run
Bennett, Sierra (19:30.00)  
Jackson, Natalie (19:30.00)

Men's 5,000m Run
Nichols, Travis (15:20)
 

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Saturday, Jan. 14
Women's 60m Dash
King, Jessica (7.89) 

Men's 60m Dash
Williams, Avery (6.95)

Men's 60 Meters Olympic Development
Linton, Ryan (6.85)

Women's 60m High Hurdles
Akwitti, Irene (9.40)    
Yantis, Taylor (8.95)

Men's 60m High Hurdles
French, Wyatt (8.80)

Men's Mile Run
Paul, Sterlen (4:19.49)  
Rivers, Reid (4:19.27)

Men's Mile Olympic Development
Bennett, Lucas (4:25.00)

Women's 400m Dash
Green, Kimone (55.5)    
Hurt, Chartia (56.90)

Men's 400m Dash
Bloomfield, Lee-Andrew (49.44)
Daniel, Rosen (46.90)
Williams, Avery (47.80)

Men's 400 Olympic Development
Garcia, Samuel (49.84)

Women's 200m Dash
Kennedy, Jamie (26.0)  
King, Jessica (25.35)    

Men's 200m Dash
Bloomfield, Lee-Andrew (22.00)  
Daniel, Rosen (21.50)    
Linton, Ryan (21.85)

Women's 3,000m Run
Graham, Carnley (9:57.16)      
Hackett, Michaela (9:40.00)

Men's 3,000m Run
Cummings, Drew (8:45.00)
Cleary, Ryan (8:45.00)

Women's 4 x 400m Relay
A – Chartia Hurt, Jessica King, Jamie Kennedy, Kimone Green, Irene Akwitti, Taylor Woods Yantis (3:46)
B – Irene Akwitti, Taylor Yantis Woods, Brielle Collett, Carnley Graham, Michaela Hackett, Natalie Jackson (3:58)

Men's 4 x 400m Relay
A – Avery Williams, Ryan Linton, Lee-Andrew Bloomfield, Rosen Daniel, Samuel Garcia (3:12.0) 
B – Riley Ellis, Wyatt French, Sam Garcia, Sterlen Paul, Ryan Cleary, Reid Rivers, Lucas Bennett (3:24) 
 

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Women's High Jump
Akwitti, Irene (1.62m)

Men's High Jump
Ellis, Riley (1.93m)

Men's Pole Vault
French, Wyatt (4.60m)

Women's Long Jump
Collett, Brielle (4.60m)
Akwitti, Irene (5.30m)
Yantis, Taylor (5.40m)  

Men's Long Jump
French, Wyatt (6.90m)
Ellis, Riley (6.80m)
Garcia, Samuel (ND)

Women's Shot Put
Brandenburg, Annina (13.59m)
Posey, Taylor (13.04m)  
Smith, Lonnie (12.82m)

Men's Shot Put
Knight, Morgan (16.71m)  
Hunter, Joshua (14.98m)
Simmons, Ryan (14.00m)

Women's Weight Throw
Posey, Taylor (14.78m)  
Melgar, Kayla (17.34m)
Smith, Lonnie (16.72m)

Men's Weight Throw
Knight, Morgan (16.45m)  
Simmons, Ryan (15.00m)