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Erikewe Secures Second RRAC Honor of the Season

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April 6, 2026

TEXARKANA, Texas - Texas A&M University–Texarkana junior Jayden Erikewe turned in an impressive performance at the Carl Knight Invitational, advancing from a seventh-place preliminary finish in the 110m hurdles (15.05) to claim second place in the finals with a strong 14.60. Competing against a deep field of 18 athletes, Erikewe's standout showing continues to build momentum, as he currently ranks No. 13 nationally in the event.

WACO, Texas (April 6, 2026) – The RRAC announces the winners of the Men's and Women's Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the March 30-April 5 period. They are as follows:
Men's Field: Mansur Ali from Xavier (La.)
Men's Track: Jayden Erikewe from Texas A&M-Texarkana
Women's Field: Leojai Hibbert from Xavier (La.)
Women's Track: Jade Harris from Xavier (La.)

This is the fourth set of Men's and Women's Track and Field Athletes of the Week.

RRAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week – Mansur Ali – Xavier (La.)

Mansur Ali took silver in the shot put and placed fifth in the discus at the 2026 Southern Miss Invitational. Ali earned his medal with a personal-best throw of 15.87m, 0.6m off the NAIA "B" qualification standards. Later in the day, he took fifth in the discus with a 46.83m best throw.

Ali is a native of Pike Road, Ala.

Additional RRAC men's field athlete of the week nominee: Jayden Jackson from North American (Texas)

RRAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week – Jayden Erikewe – Texas A&M-Texarkana

TAMUT junior Jayden Erikewe placed seventh in the preliminaries of the 110m hurdles at the Carl Knight Invitational. His initial mark was 15.05, improving to a strong 14.60 mark in the final, securing him a second-place finish in a strong field of 18 competitors. Erikewe currently sits at No. 13 in the nation in the men's 110m hurdles.

Erikewe is a native of Houston, and he attended Fort Scott Community College.

Additional RRAC men's track athletes of the week nominees: Kegwon Palm from NAU, Ben Perin from North Texas-Dallas, Jaheene Bell from XULA, Jose Saucedo from Our Lady of the Lake (Texas)

RRAC Women's Field Athlete of the Week – Leojai Hibbert – Xavier (La.)

Leojai Hibbert participated in the Southern Miss Invitational. She placed fourth in the high jump with a 5-foot-2.25 clearance, the 31st-best effort in the NAIA this year and the 25th best among HBCUs. Hibbert also made the final nine in a crowded shot-put field, eventually placing fifth with a best throw of 11.45 meters, a top-100 effort in the NAIA and top-50 among HBCUs.

Additional RRAC women's field athlete of the week nominee: None

RRAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week – Jade Harris – Xavier (La.)

Jade Harris had another great showing in the 100m hurdles, sprinting to a fourth-place finish at the Southern Miss Invitational. Her time of 14.10 is the 10th-best in the NAIA this season and below the NAIA "B" time for national qualification.

Gonzalez is a native of Edinburg, Texas.

Additional RRAC women's track athletes of the week nominees: J'layah Spellman Collins from TAMUT, Laila Williams from NAU

RRAC Notebook

  • NAU junior Kegwon Palm put together one of the most complete performances of the weekend. He opened with a personal best 11.11 in the 100m, then doubled back in the 110m hurdles (15.21) before closing with another personal best in the 400m hurdles (1:03.46).
  • UNTD sophomore Ben Perin led the Trailblazers at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. Perin entered the program's record books in the trio of events, tying the 100m record with a 10.57 time. He was also part of both relay teams that shattered previous records in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays earlier this spring.
  • XULA's Jaheene Bell won bronze in the 400m at the Southern Miss Invitational with a 47.95-second run, the 16th-best time in the NAIA this season and 34th-best among HBCUs.
  • OLLU senior Jose Saucedo ran the 3000m steeplechase at the Bobcat Invitational. He placed eighth with a time of 10:01.
  • TAMUT junior J'layah Spellman Collins participated in the Carl Knight Invitational and ran a strong 12.31 100m, placing her at No. 32 in the NAIA for the event. She was also a leg in the Eagles' 4x100m relay, where the team earned a new season best of 47.66. The relay mark put the Eagles as the new No. 15 in the nation in the 4x100m relay.
  • NAU sophomore Laila Williams took part in the Carl Knight Collegiate Invitational. She ran the 100m in 13.64, the 100m Hurdles in 18.53, and the 200m in 29.34.