Second RRAC Track and Field Athletes of the Week announced

WACO, Texas (March 23, 2026) – The RRAC Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the dates March 16-22 are North American (Texas) Aaderius Blanks (men's field), Texas A&M-Texarkana's Desroy Jordan (men's track), TAMUT's Janiya Ross (women's field), and Xavier's (La.) Jade Harris (women's track). This is the second set of Men's and Women's Track and Field Athletes of the Week.

RRAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week – Aaderius Blanks – North American (Texas)

NAU senior Aaderius Blanks placed fifth in the men's long jump at the TSU Relays this past weekend. Blanks had a 6.11m mark among nine jumpers.

Blanks is a native of North Carolina. He has been a part of the men's basketball team since his freshman year.

Additional RRAC men's field athletes of the week nominees: Maurice Williams from TAMUT, Bryson Mcrae from North Texas-Dallas, Damarian Alfred from Our Lady of the Lake (Texas), Ovane Williams from XULA.

TAMUT freshman Desroy Jordan finished second in the 200m at the Ole Miss Classic with a time of 21.40 out of 40 runners. He and teammates Jayden Erickewe, Giovani Jean-Pierre, and Jeffrey Legrand placed fifth in the 4x100m relay with a time of 41.81. Jordan had a sixth-place finish in the 100m with a time of 10.51.

The Ole Miss Classic featured teams from across all levels, including host school Ole Miss, SIU Edwardsville, and North Alabama.

Jordan is a native of Saint Vincent (Caribbean).

Additional RRAC men's track athletes of the week nominees: Kari Noel from XULA, Ben Perin from UNTD, Kengwon Palm from North American (Texas), Joshua Veliz from OLLU

RRAC Women's Field Athlete of the Week – Janiya Ross – Texas A&M-Texarkana

Junior Jania Ross competed in the high jump at the Ole Miss Classic, finishing with a mark of 1.60 among 13 participants.

The Ole Miss Classic featured teams across all levels, including the host school, Ole Miss, SIU Edwardsville, and North Alabama.

Ross is a native of Phoenix, Ariz. 

Additional RRAC women's field athletes of the week nominees: Tori Robinson-Thomas from XULA, Lawren Tanner from OLLU

Senior Jade Harris raced at the Louisiana Classics, a meet hosted by the University of Louisiana and featuring a huge field of mostly NCAA competitors. She earned a second-place finish in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.39.

Harris also participated in the 400m for a 27th-place finish with a time of 1:02.09.

The field featured 21 participants from schools in the NCAA D2, NAIA, and NJCAA D1.

Harris is a native of Sugar Land, Texas.

Additional RRAC women's track athletes of the week nominees: Damaria Bell from TAMUT, Madison Blanch from UNTD, Laila Williams from NAU, Liliana Hernandez from OLLU

RRAC Notebook

• TAMUT freshman Maurice Williams placed 13th in the hammer throw at the Ole Miss Classic with a mark of 41.02. He placed 12th in the shot put with a mark of 13.47m, and eighth in the discus with a mark of 42.02m.
• XULA's Ovane Williams placed seventh in the high jump at the 2026 Louisiana Classic. He set a mark of 1.99m.
• UNTD sophomore Bryson Mcrae made his outdoor season debut this weekend at the TCU Alumni Invitational. He was the lone Trailblazer to compete in a field event with the long jump. His mark cracked the top-10 in a big meet with multiple competitors from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, NJCAA, and professional.
• OLLU freshman Damarian Alfred finished fourth in the UTSA Invitational against mostly NCAA D1 schools. His mark was 1.95m.
• XULA freshman Kari Noel, already an indoor All-American in the 400m, showed the outdoor version of the race was equally within his grasp, claiming a podium and a bronze with a 47.66 run in the Louisiana Classics, an event hosted by the University of Louisiana and featuring a huge field of mostly NCAA Division I competitors.
• UNTD sophomore Ben Perin had the best individual performance for the Trailblazers at the TCU Alumni Invitational as he was part of two records for the program and finished top half of the 200m. His 21.53 time in the 200m was 0.01 ticks ahead of his record time from last week. He was also part of the 'A' squad relay team that finished in the top 10 out of 21 teams. That unit also broke a program record.
• At the 74th TSU Relays, NAU sophomore Kegwon Palm and teammates Uros Bekcic, Nicholas Hatchett, and Jason Reeves won the 4x200m relay with a time of 1:39.76. His 4x100m relay with Bekcic, Jamarric Hammond, and Jayden Jackson placed fifth. Palm had a 15.90 time in the 110m hurdles for seventh place. He placed 22nd in the 100m with a time of 11.28.
• OLLU junior Joshua Veliz finished in fifth place in the 800m at the UTSA Invitational with a time of 1:54.92.
• XULA's Tori Robinson-Thomas competed in the 2026 Louisiana Classic and placed seventh in the high jump with a mark of 1.57m and 13th place in the shot put with a mark of 11.40m.  
• OLLU senior Lawren Tanner had a mark of 5.79 in the long jump at the UTSA Invitational.
• TAMUT sophomore Damaria Bell participated in the Ole Miss Classic, competing in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.46 for first place, 400m hurdles with a time of 1:09.66 for ninth place, and 4x100m relay with a time of 48.62 for seventh place.
• UNTD senior Madison Blanch ran the 800m in the TCU Alumni Invitational with a time of 2:26.95; 400m hurdles with a time of 1:11.45; and the 4x400m hurdles with a time of 4:20.23.
• NAU sophomore Laila Williams participated in the 100m hurdles at the 74th TSU Relays and ended in fourth place with a time of 18.88, and the 100m for seventh place with a time of 13.68.
• OLLU senior Liliana Hernandez ran the 800m at the UTSA Invitational. Her time was 2:24, placing 19th.

2026 RRAC Track and Field Weekly Selections: 

Upcoming events in the RRAC: