Arthur Jenkins

Position:
Jumps
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Katy, Texas
High School:
Mayde Creek HS

2025-2026
Indoors – AJ got his ACU career started by competing in 5 indoor meets. He started with a 2nd place finish at the OU Winter Fest Invitational triple jump. Later in the year, in finishing 5th at the TTU Jarvis Scott TJ, he set a personal best for the indoor TJ with a leap of 50-2/15.29m – his first time over 50 feet in competition and moving him into the top-10 list in the indoor TJ. His first conference meet as a collegian produced a podium finish, as he finished 3rd at the WAC Championship.

Outdoors – competed in 6 meets on the year, with a strong start in winning the Texas Relays “B” triple jump. Later in the year, he would finish 3rd at the Baylor Michael Johnson Invitational in the TJ, with a new outdoor season best jump of 51-1.75/15.59m. His first outdoor championship yielded another podium finish as he finished 3rd in the TJ at the WAC Championship, along with a 10th place finish in the long jump. Having qualified for the D-1 First Round meet in Fayetteville, AR, during the season, AJ finished 29th in the TJ. After the collegiate season was complete, he wore the Purple and White, as he finished in 4th place at the USATF U20 Championship in Eugene, OR with a new outdoor personal best jump of 51-2.25/15.60m – earning the spot of alternate on the U.S. U20 team competing at the World U20 Championship.

Before ACU: Competing for Katy Mayde Creek HS, AJ placed 7th in the 6A triple jump at the state meet in Austin, after winning the District 19-6A TJ and finishing 2nd 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 5th 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 3rd 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 Liberal Studies, with emphasis on his work at the Rhoden Field Laboratory, the working farm located 10 miles from campus. His full name is Arthur Jenkins II.

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? After being at ACU for a full year now, I’ve learned so much after going through trials and tribulations while trying to figure out how to manage academics and D-1 T&F. My friend group has played a major role in my success and hanging around the right people and being able to connect, bond, and socialize with one another makes the whole college experience much easier.