2023-2024: Cross Country – competed in all 6 XC meets in the season for the first time in his years at ACU coming after he missed most of the 2022-2023 season with an injury. Finished the season on a high note as he placed 62^nd at the WAC Championships (#4 ACU finisher) held at ACU’s Zoe Park course, then placing 94^th (# 3 ACU finisher) in the South Central Region meet in Fayetteville, as well as running a 10K PR of 32:24.
2022-2023: Cross Country – competed in the first 3 meets of the season, running as the #5 ACU finisher in both the Big Country XC Festival (31^st overall) and the Lumberjack Collegiate Invitational (21^st overall). Did not run in the final 3 meets of the season. Indoors – did not compete. Outdoors – ran in 1 outdoor meet.

2021-2022: Cross Country – an in 6 XC meets for the Wildcats, including placing 9^th in the Naimadu Classic and 63^rd in the WAC conference meet. Indoors – did not compete. Outdoors – did not compete in the WAC conference meet, but placed 11^th at the Carl Knight Inv 5K in Nacogdoches with a PR time of 15:02.32.

2020-2021: Cross country – ran in the UIW XC meet, but did not compete in the SLC championship. Indoors – redshirt. Outdoors: ran in one meet, but did not compete in the SLC championship.

Before ACU: Competed for Artesia HS, NM. Had his senior year cancelled due to the pandemic. As a HS junior, he placed 6^th in the NM 4A Sprint Medley Relay running the anchor 800 leg. Won the NM District 4-4A 800, 1600, and 3200 as a junior.

Personal: O’Brien is a 2020 graduate of Artesia (NM) HS as a Honors Student and on the Presidents List. His parents are Roy and Stasi Verdin. He is a Engineering major with minors in Math and Computer Science. He is a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and Special Olympics and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and LYNAY program.