Before ACU
Kee’Lani competed for the Kenwood Academy HS in Chicago and for the Windy City Hammers Track Club in the summers. During her senior year of HS, at the Illinois 3A state meet (3A is the largest division in Illinois in track and field), she finished 4 th in the 100, 8 th in the 200 and 10 th in the triple jump, while also running on the 4x100 relay. Indoors during her senior year, at the Chicago Public League Championships, she placed 2 nd in both the 60 and 200 and 4 th in the TJ. Following her senior year, she ran on the 4x100 relay that placed 8 th at the USATF National Junior Olympics 17-18 year-old division. Kee’Lani also had a successful junior season, as she placed 5 th in the 100 and 7 th in the 200 at the Illinois 3A state meet. Indoors as a junior, she placed 3 rd in the 60, 200, and triple jump at the Chicago Public League Championships. She was already showing great promise as a sophomore as she ran on the Kenwood Academy team that won the Illinois 3A 4x100 relay. When her career at Kenwood was complete, she was All-State 8 times and All-City 10 times. Kee’Lani was the Kenwood T&F MVP her sophomore, junior and senior year, as well as being the Newcomer of the year her freshman year. She was the triple jump school record holder as she finished at Kenwood, as well as being a member of the relays that hold the school records in the 4x100 and 4x200. During her HS years, she had outdoor personal best of 11.70 in the 100, 24.29 in the 200, and 39-0.5/11.90m in the triple jump. Her indoor personal best include a 7.54 in the 60 and 24.67 in the 200.

Personal
Kee’Lani graduated in the spring of 2025 from Kenwood Academy HS in Chicago as an Honor Roll Member and a recipient of the Outstanding Athlete Award. At ACU, she is a Kinesiology/Radiology major. Her Mother is Temeszja Drummond. Her Father, Arkee Whitlock, played football at Coffeyville CC and for the Salukis of Southern Illinois University. Following his college career, he played for the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers, before finishing his pro career with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL. Kee’Lani’s cousin, Johnathan Joseph, played football for Coffeyville CC and the University of South Carolina, before being a 1 st round pick (24 th pick overall) for the Cincinnati Bengals. Johnathan enjoyed a 15-year career in the NFL, playing cornerback for the Bengals, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals. At career’s end, he was a two-time Pro Bowler, had 32 interceptions and 787 tackles. Kee’Lani has been a student member of the Chicago Park District and active as a volunteer for the PepRallyTakeover and at her home church, New Life Covenant Church, in Chicago.

Why did you choose ACU? Because transitioning from high school athletics to a competitive track and field program best suited my athletic and academic needs. I was compelled by the academic care and the overall support I receive to be a successful student-athlete at ACU. I remember one of the tour guides on my campus visit saying “You can only fail at ACU if you are trying to fail” – that was a different statement that any other school I visited.

What is your favorite thing about ACU? My favorite thing about ACU is the fact that inclusiveness is intentional on the campus. I appreciate the Black Student Union for being present and active on the campus.