Track and Field Sweeps Conference Weekly Awards

WACO, Texas (March 16, 2026) – The first RRAC Track and Field Athletes of the Week were announced today for March 9-15. This week's honorees are all from Texas A&M-Texarkana, including Jayden Erikewe (men's track), Dexter Lockett (men's field), Damaria Bell (women's track), and Vinae Edwards (women's field).

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

TAMUT junior Jayden Erikewe currently ranks No. 1 in the nation in the men's 400m hurdles and is on the relay team ranked No. 4 in the nation.

Last week at the Ouachita Invitational hosted by Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), Erikewe, along with Jeffrey Legrand, Giovani Jean-Pierre, and Desroy Jordan, placed first out of eight teams in the 4x100m Relay with a time of 41.57. Erikewe also excelled in the 400m Hurdles with a first-place finish out of 11 participants for a time of 53.62.

Erikewe is a junior from Houston.

Additional RRAC track athlete of the week nominees: Markevian White from North Texas-Dallas, Collin Wright Jr. from Xavier (La.)

TAMUT sophomore Dexter Lockett won the long jump with a 6.89m mark in a slate of nine participants. The TAMUT Opener was hosted by Texas A&M-Texarkana.

Lockett participated in the Ouachita Invitational, hosted by Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) in Arkadelphia, Ark. He placed third in the triple jump with a 13.75 mark in a slate of nine athletes.

Lockett is a native of Houston.

Additional men's field athletes of the week nominees: Mansur Ali from XULA

RRAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week – Damaria Bell – Texas A&M-Texarkana

TAMUT sophomore Damaria Bell finished first out of five in the 100m hurdles at the TAMUT Opener. Her mark was 15.27. Bell posted a second-place finish in the 100m with a time of 12.69, just missing the first-place winner, who had a 12.65 mark. Bell, along with J'layah Spellman-Collins, Jakouria Jamerson, and Chuckadera Emeh, won the 4x100m relay with a time of 48.96. The team bested a Wiley (Texas) A Team and B Team. TAMUT's relay team is fourth in the nation.

Bell is a native of Miami, Fla.

Additional women's track athlete of the week nominees: Madison Blanch from UNTD, Jade Harris from XULA

Freshman Vinae Edwards captured first place out of five in the long jump at the TAMUT Opener with a mark of 5.60m. At the Ouachita Invitational, Edwards was the runner-up in the triple jump with a 11.31m mark. The winning time was 11.63. Edwards scored ahead of three jumpers.

Edwards is a native of Los Angeles.

RRAC Notebook

• Markevian White headlined the Trailblazers men's track and field outdoor debut with a school record and top three finish. His 10.57 in the 100m broke his own program record in his final competition last spring. He was also part of the 4x100m relay that cut the previous school record by 0.22 seconds.
• XULA's Collin Wright Jr. placed first out of 19 in the 800m at the Andy Theil SLU Opener with a time of 1:57.02
• XULA Mansur Ali claimed three top-five finishes in throwing events, finishing second in the hammer throw, fourth in shot put, and fourth in discus.
• UNTD senior Madison Blanch headlined the Trailblazers results with a pair of school records and being part of the program's first 4x400m relay. Blanch was a top-5 finisher in the 800m, with participants from NCAA Division I UTA and theNCAA Division II powerhouse Dallas Baptist. Blanch was the opening leg for the 4x400m Relay, as she put her name in the school record books for all three events she participated in.
• XULA's Jade Harris recorded two podium finishes, winning the 100m hurdles and placing second in the 400m hurdles at the Southeastern Louisiana Andy Thiel Meet.
• XULA's Damysia Walls finished second in shot put, third in discus, and fourth in javelin in the Southeastern Louisiana Invitational.