Texas A&M-Commerce’s sprinters, led by two-time national champion J.T. Smith, hold the fourth position in NCAA Division I for the 100-meter dash event squad, with a combined time of 40.65 seconds. Texas Tech leads the ranking (40.15), followed by Louisiana State University (40.36) and Florida State (40.65).
The Lions outperform other top 10 competitors including Clemson (40.82), Houston (40.85), Kentucky (40.97), Texas (40.98), Louisville (41.03), and Alabama State (41.08).
Smith, the former NCAA Division II national 100-meter dash champion and recent U.S. Indoor 60-meter dash winner, holds the regional lead with a 9.92-second 100-meter dash. This time, which also won him the Southland Conference championships, puts him second nationally, slightly behind Texas Tech’s Terrence Jones (9.91).
Smith’s teammate Ibrahim Fuseini ranks regionally sixth and nationally tenth with a 10.07 time, securing second place in the conference meet. Delan Edwin, who holds the 13th regional and 37th national rank, completed the conference meet in 10.16.
The Lions’ 4×100-meter relay team, composed of Tyke Owens, Smith, Fuseini, and Edwin, ranks fifth regionally and 26th nationally with a school-record 39.38 time, achieved at the Southland meet.
In the 200-meter dash, Smith and Edwin stand 14th and 35th nationally with times of 20.32 and 20.54, respectively.
In their inaugural NCAA Division I season, the Lions secured the No. 10 rank in the South Central Region, according to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), with the Lion women ranking No. 22.
Other notable regional rankings include Cameron Macon (27th in 100-meter dash), Adrian Taylor (50th in 400-meter dash), Axel Paolucci (26th in 400-meter hurdles), Nicholas Deutsch (34th in 3,000-meter steeplechase), and Alex Speer (24th in 10,000-meter run).
In field events, conference pole vault champion Nikita Strogalev holds a high regional ranking, while Trayveon Franklin, the conference triple jump champion, is ninth. Other notable placements include Owens (20th in high jump) and Aiden Pelphrey (44th).
On the women’s team, Leah Pettis ranks 25th regionally in the 100-meter dash, and Sofia Khenfar is 48th. The 4×100 relay team stands at 19th, while the 4×400 meter relay team ranks eighth.
In field events, Veronika Kramarenko ranks fourth regionally in the high jump, following her Southland title win. Celeste Sela (23rd in long jump), Amaka Ezukanma (14th in triple jump), and Tamara Susa (seventh in javelin) also hold notable rankings.
