Before ACU 
Competing for Katy Mayde Creek HS, AJ placed 7 th in the 6A triple jump at the state meet in Austin, after winning the District 19-6A TJ and finishing 2 nd in the long jump. During that season, Arthur won the Pearland John Morriss Invitational TJ, with his personal best jump of 49-3.5/15.01m, which placed him #7 in Texas and #31 in the U.S. Jumping indoors, he placed 5 th at the Carl Lewis HS Invitational in the TJ and that jump placed him #3 in Texas and #76 in the U.S. for indoor triple jumpers. He began to demonstrate his talent in the jumps during his junior year of high school, placing 3 rd in the District 19-6A TJ and then winning the Area 19/20 6A triple jump with a leap that placed him #25 in Texas. While at Mayde Creek, Arthur was also District 19-6A All District honorable mention pitcher and the MVP for the Mayde Creek JV A football team.

Personal 
AJ is a graduate of Mayde Creek HS in the Katy ISD, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and Principals Round Table. His parents are Arthur and Tiffany. AJ has three sisters – Siara Washington, Briana Johnson, and Tierany Jenkins. His Father, Arthur, played baseball at Angelina Junior College and Texas Southern, before being drafted as a pitcher by the San Diego Padres in the 1994 MLB draft. AJ is active as a volunteer at his home church – the Fifth Ward Church of Christ, where he has been part of feeding the homeless, teaching Bible class, teaching children’s church, making care packages, and helping with church camp. At Fifth Ward, his family is also long-time personal friends with Arthur Williams (an ACU Sports Hall of Fame member and still the school record holder in the 200 after setting the record of 20.56 40 years ago) and his son, Avery Williams, who was a Southland Conference 400 meter champion during his career at ACU. At ACU, AJ is a Animal Science Livestock Production major. His full name is Arthur Jenkins II and his nickname is AJ.

Why did you choose ACU? I chose ACU to make a difference in how people view the school. What really brought me here was Coach Smith’s investment in making a difference in the program and bringing it back to what it used to be. Knowing family members who have come through here and family friends who have actually run track here, just seeing how useful and vibrant the program used to be makes my drive even bigger to bring it back. Seeing how behind we got since moving to the Division I program made me realize that’s where my teammates and I come in to show everyone that we deserve to be here and deserve recognition just as much as any other school. It’s not a talent thing; it’s more than that, it’s the mindset. I trust Coach and his process to get us to that level where we are winning championships. Also, to keep my faith strong, I am heavily involved with the church and staying active, so being at Abilene Christian has given me great opportunities to stay involved.

What is your favorite thing about ACU? My favorite thing about ACU would have to be the safety. Unlike other colleges, ACU’s campus is one of the safest I have ever seen in my life. You never have to worry about anyone suspicious on campus, being awakened out of your sleep, or anything like that. They do a good job of making sure you are comfortable and don’t have to worry. Even if you go out and come back late at night, it’s still calm and steady with no worries about anything. I feel that plays a big role in why people choose to go here and why I wanted to as well, just knowing I will be somewhere safe and have reliable resources if I ever don’t feel safe.