Coach Miles Smith and his staff have been recruiting intensely since this past August to put together a fantastic signing class. With the T&F recruiting season, this is a recap of this year's recruiting class.
WOMEN
Transfer
Chianel Asoburuenwu – prepped at Athens Drive HS in Raleigh, NC, before spending 2 years at the University of Mt Olive, an NCAA D-II school in North Carolina. In her sophomore year at Mt Olive, she was the Conference Carolinas champion in both the 100 and 200, as well as winning the 60 at the Conference Carolinas Indoor championship. She also ran in the 11th place for the Mt. Olive team at the NCAA D-2 Outdoor Championship. In the 2024-2025 season, she transferred to Coastal Carolina, but never appeared in a meet for the Chanticleers. Her collegiate bests are 7.57 in the 60 and 24.95 in the 200 indoors and 11.55 in the 100 and 23.84 in the 200 outdoors.
High School
Ella Cockrum - Competed in high school for Trinity Christian, in Willow Park, TX, as well as her club team, AP Ranch. At the TAPPS state meet in 2025, she won the 4A discus and finished 4th in the shot put. In the summer of 2024, she finished 5th at the AAU National Junior Olympics in the 17/18-year-old division. Her top throw as a senior in the discus of 143-11/43.87m placed her #23 in Texas. She also has a personal best of 34-3/10.44m in the shot put.
Mackenzie Flaugher - Competing for the Porcupines of Springtown HS, she finished 2nd in the UIL 4A triple jump, as well as finishing 5th in the Region 1-4A long jump. She also placed 2nd at the TTFCA Meet of Champions in the triple jump. She qualified for the state meet all 4 years of high school. Her best triple jump of 40-7.75/12.39m places her ranked #9 in Texas and #36 in the U.S for 2025. Her top long jump as a senior of 18-5.5/5.62m put her #98 in Texas.
Lauren Foxworth - Competed in high school for Lebanon Trail HS in the Frisco ISD, as well as her club team, MABA Elite Track Club. As a senior, she just missed going to state as she placed 4th in the UIL Reg II-5A 200, as well as placing 9th in the 100. Running indoors in 2025, she also ran a time of 7.63 in the 60, which put her #54 in the U.S. among high schoolers. Outdoors, her best time as a senior in the 200 of 23.86 put her #28 in Texas and #95 in the U.S., as well as being ranked #52 in TX in the 100 with her best time of 11.72.
Halle Gunter - Competed for Midland Christian HS. During her senior year at the TAPPS 5A state meet, she placed 2nd in the long jump and 6th in both the TJ and 200, while also running on the 1st-place 4x100 and 4x200 relays, as Midland Christian won the TAPPS 5A team title. During a sterling junior season, she hit personal bests in the LJ – 19-8.75/6.01 (ranked #26 in Texas) and the TJ – 38-7/11.76m (#60 in Texas). Indoors during her senior season, she ranked #32 in the TJ and #58 in the LJ in Texas.
Madelyn McFadden - She placed 2nd at the UIL 4A state meet in both the 400 and 800 for Franklin, TX, also placing 4th at the TTFCA Meet of Champions 400. She competed indoors and her personal best indoors of 2:16.54 in the 800 was the #9 best time in Texas. Outdoors, her personal bests of 2:13.36 in the 800 placed her #23 in Texas, and her time of 55.80 in the 400 gained her the #43 in Texas. She also competed in the UIL 4A cross country meet last fall, where she placed 58th.
Morgan Morris - Ran for Red Oak HS, placing 5th in the Region II-5A 400. At the 5A state meet in Austin, she ran the leadoff leg on the winning 4x100 (ranked #16 in the U.S.) and 4x200 (ranked #12 in the U.S.) Her personal best in her senior year in the 400 – a 55.50, which ranked her #50 in Texas.
Saylor Stevenson - Competing for Rockwall HS, she finished 11th in both the 1600 and 3200 at the UIL Region II-6A meet. After the season, she placed 2nd in the 2000-meter steeplechase at the TTFCA Meet of Champions with a time of 7:28.00 to rank her #9 in Texas. In the summer of 2024, competing for the Texas Titans TC at the USATF Junior Olympic Championship 17/18-year-old division, she won the 2000-meter steeplechase, placed 3rd in the 3000-meter run, and 8th in the 1500.
Daranasia Taylor - Sprinting for Converse Judson, she finished 1st in the Region IV-6A 200 and 2nd in the 100, qualifying for the UIL 6A meet in both events. She finished 9th at the state meet in the 100, but was unable to compete in the 200. She just missed state in 2024, as she finished 3rd in the Region IV-6A 100, missing a trip to the state meet by a few hundredths of a second. Her 2025 season best time of 11.62 in the 100 ranked her #35 in Texas and #94 in the U.S. Her season best time of 24.03 in the 200 placed her at the #37 spot in Texas. She also had a 7.75 best time in the 60 indoors.
Jaeden Thomas - Ran and jumped for Fort Worth Southwest Christian – at the TAPPS 5A state meet, she won the 100, placed 2nd in the triple jump, 3rd in the long jump, and 200. At the USATF Southwest Association Junior Olympics this summer, she jumped her all-time best in the TJ of 39-1/11.91m, which places her #8 in Texas and #20 in the U.S. in the 17/18 age group. Her personal bests include 12.14 in the 100, 25.17 in the 200, 17-8.5/5.40m in the LJ, plus that 39-1 this summer in the TJ. Jaeden is the twin of ACU men's signee, Jaylen Thomas.
Ciara Tilley - Competing for the 2A powerhouse, Refugio, she won the UIL 2A discus and finished 2nd in the shot put as a senior. It was her third trip to the state meet, as she placed 4th in the discus and 5th in the shot put as a junior and 2nd in the shot put as a freshman. Even though she was from a 2A school, she was very competitive in the state and national rankings. Her discus mark of 150-3/45.80 ranked her #16 in Texas and #62 in the U.S., while her shot put mark of 44-4/13.51 put her #23 in the state and #86 in the U.S.
Anna Vyn - Running for Sioux Falls Christian School in South Dakota, she placed 1st in the 400 and 4th in the 800 at the SD 1A state meet. At the HS level, she has run every distance from the 60 to the 800, and she was 18th in the SD 1A XC meet at the 5k distance. At the end of the year, she had the #2 time in South Dakota in the 400 and the #6 time in the 800. Her personal best times are 57.12 in the 400 and 2:13.61 in the 800 – both from her junior year.
Kee'Lani Whitlock - Competing for Kenwood HS in Chicago in the IL 3A division (the largest Illinois division in T&F), she placed 4th in the 100, 8th in the 200, and 10th in the triple jump at the conference meet. Indoors, she competed well in the Chicago Public League Championships, placing 2nd in the 60 and 200 and 4th in the triple jump. Her marks as a senior outdoors ranked her #4 in the 100 (11.70), #7 in the 200 (24.29), and #9 in the triple jump (38-9.75/11.81m) for the state of Illinois. Indoors, her personal bests include 7.60 in the 60 (#6 in IL), 24.67 in the 200 (#4 in IL), and 37-7.75/11.46 (#9 in IL).
Neriah Williams - Competed in multiple events for Arlington Pantego Christian. As a senior at the TAPPS 4A meet, she won the 100 (running a personal best time of 12.05), 200 (with a personal best time of 25.23), and triple jump (also with a personal best jump of 38-11.75/11.88m), also finishing 4th in the long jump. Her personal best jump in the triple jump put her at the #41 spot in Texas. Indoors, she finished 3rd in the prestigious Carl Lewis Invitational with a jump of 39-1/11.81m, which put her #12 in Texas and #45 in the U.S.
Sidney Windham - Running for the Lions of Brownwood HS, she won the District 6-4A as a senior in both the 1600 and 3200. She would then place 4th in the 1600 and 3200 at the Region I-4A meet, just missing a trip to state. In the fall of her senior year, she placed 15th in the 4A XC meet. She has best times of 2:21.45 (800); 5:15.19 (1600), 11:22.33 (3200).
Hanna Zwiebel - Competing for San Angelo Central HS, she won the District 2-6A 800, then finished 7th at the Region 1-6A meet. Her season-best time of 2:15.46 ranked her #61 in Texas for the 800.
MEN
Transfers
Durrell Collins - Prepped at Red Oak HS, followed by 2 years at Fort Scott CC, in Fort Scott, KS. In HS, he ran on the Red Oak 4x100 that won the UIL 5A state title, as well as running on the 5th-place 4x200 relay. In his freshman year at Fort Scott, he ran on the NJCAA-winning indoor 4x400 relay, as well as running on the 4x100 and 4x400 relays at nationals outdoors. This past season, he finished 12th in the 200 and 24th in the 100 and ran on the 3rd-place 4x100 relay at the NJCAA National Outdoor Championship. He brings stellar personal bests in all three sprint races – 10.25 in the 100, 20.65 in the 200, and 46.93 in the 400.
Nickens Lemba - Prepped at Indianapolis Southport HS, where she placed 4th in the Indiana Boys 400 in a time of 47.63 – the #86 time at the HS level in 2023. Competed for the past 2 seasons for Purdue. As a freshman, he ran on the Purdue 4x400 relay that finished 3rd at the Big 10 Championship and qualified for the NCAA D-1 national meet. As a sophomore, he ran on the relay that placed 14th at the NCAA D-1 1st Round meet, just missing a trip back to nationals. On that relay, he ran an officially timed split of 45.76. He will have 3 indoor and 2 outdoor seasons of eligibility at ACU.
Rhet Punt - Originally from Estonia, he competed the past 2 years for Garden City CC in Garden City, KS. In 2025, he won the NJCAA Indoor Championship in the weight throw and placed 3rd in the hammer throw at the NJCAA outdoor championship. As a freshman, he placed 5th in the WT indoors and 8th in the HT outdoors at the NJCAA national meets. Indoors, his personal bests are 67-4/20.52m in the WT and 49-0.75/14.94m in the shot put. Outdoors, he has a personal best of 198-7/60.54m in the hammer throw and 152-5/46.67 m in the discus.
High School
Gage Heighten – an Abilene native, he competed for Abilene Wylie HS, where he won the District 4-5A 100 and 200, before placing 9th in the Region I-5A meet in both events. His personal best time of 21.44 in the 200 places him #82 in Texas. He also has a personal best of 10.56 in the 100. He played football at Wylie at wide receiver and cornerback.
Arthur (AJ) Jenkins – competed for Katy Mayde Creek and finished 7th in the UIL 6A triple jump. His personal best during his senior year of 49-3.5/15.01m put him as the #7 top triple jumper in Texas and #31 in the U.S. among high school athletes. Indoors, he finished 3rd at the North Texas Showcase with a triple jump of 47-1.75/14.37m, which put him #6 in Texas and #43 in the U.S. He also has a personal best of 22-11/6.98m in the long jump.
Evan Martin – competing for Rockwall-Heath HS, he placed 4th in the UIL 6A 800, after finishing as the runner-up in the Region II-6A race. His senior year personal best in the 800 of 1:51.68 put his #6 in Texas and #100 in the U.S. Indoors, he finished 2nd in the Arkansas HS Invitational in Fayetteville with a time of 1:54.50, which put him #4 in Texas and #89 in the U.S. Last summer, he competed in the USATF National Junior Olympics and placed 2nd in the 17/18-year-old 800 and 5th in the 1500, with a personal best time of 4:01.49.
Abraham Olufemi-Dada – running for Cypress Lakes HS, he just missed going to the UIL state meet, finishing 4th at the Region II-6A meet in the 100 with a sterling time of 10.15. While that run was well above the allowable in wind speed, it still put him #7 in Texas and #19 in the U.S. Running for the Texas Collective TC this summer, he ran a personal best of 21.05 in the 200. During the indoor 2025 season, he finished 4th at the Carl Lewis Invitational in the 60 and his season best time of 6.80 this past indoor season placed him #13 in Texas and #42 in the U.S. He also finished 5th at the Texas Tech Wes KIttley HS Invitational 200 in a time of 21.43, which placed him #13 in Texas.
Justin Smithey – competing for Waxahachie HS, he won the District 11-6A discus, before narrowly missing a trip to the UIL state meet by finishing 5th in the Region II-6A with a throw of 180-4/54.97m, a mark that put him as the #20 best discus throw in Texas. His HS progression in the discus has been amazing – 97-6 as an HS freshman; 121-0 as a sophomore; 152-8 as a junior; and finishing HS as a senior with that throw of 180-4.
Jaylen Thomas – competed for Fort Worth Southwest Christian HS, where he won the TAPPS 5A 400 in 2025, as well as winning the TAPPS 5A 100 and 200 as a junior. His season-best time of 47.33 as a senior put him #17 in Texas. In most HS meets as a senior, he was competing in the 100, 200, 400, and long jump. Indoors in 2025, competing for the Legendary TC in Arlington, he won the 400 at the Arkansas HS Invitational in Fayetteville with a time of 47.81, which was the #12 fastest time in Texas and #46 in the U.S. indoors. Last summer, running for Legendary TC, he ran a 46.65 in placing 3rd at the AAU Junior Olympic Games, the #30 fastest time in the U.S. for a high school student. His aggregate personal bests, from both HS and club, are 10.51 in the 100, 21.27 in the 200, and 46.65 in the 400. Jaylen Thomas is the twin of ACU signee Jaeden Thomas.
Matthew Udemba – a graduate of Colleyville Heritage HS, placed 3rd in the UIL 5A discus, after winning the District 6-5A championship in both the discus and shot put. He won 5 invitational HS meets in the discus during the regular season, including the prestigious Jesuit-Sheaner Relays title. His season personal best of 186-5/56.82 in the discus placed him as #11 in Texas and #78 nationally in that event. He also has a personal best of 50-7/15.41m in the shot put.
Comments from Coach Miles Smith: I am over the moon excited about our first recruiting class. There's a lot to be said about what we've done, from the volume of high-end talent to the versatility in each and every signee. I'd dare say that on paper, this is ACUTF's deepest and most prolific recruiting class in the Division 1 era. We've beefed up our sprints, jumps, and throws and have added some extremely valuable pieces to enhance our already burgeoning distance group. Creating a new culture and selling a vision can be challenging, but my staff worked tirelessly to find individuals and families who believe in us, who want to do track and field/XC at the highest level, and who want what ACU has to offer. I wish I could single one person out, but there are SO MANY electrifying and dynamic pieces that it wouldn't be fair. The future is bright... and it's Purple & White!
