OLLU's Thibeaux, Xavier's Bell and Doxley, and TAMUT's Ross tabbed as RRAC Track and Field Athletes of the Week

WACO, Texas (April 13, 2026) – The four RRAC Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the April 6-12 period are as follows:
Male Field: Willis Thibeaux from Our Lady of the Lake (Texas)
Male Track: Jaheene Bell from Xavier (La.)
Female Field: Janiya Ross from Texas A&M-Texarkana
Female Track: Charieon Doxley from Xavier (La.)

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

RRAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week – Willis Thibeaux – Our Lady of the Lake (Texas)

OLLU freshman Willis Thibeaux participated in the Cactus Cup hosted by Texas A&M-Kingsville. He placed first among NCAA D2 schools and set an OLLU record in the long jump with a mark of 7.61m among a field of 15. He finished second in the triple jump with a 14.09m mark. Six men participated in this event.

Thibeaux is a native of Katy, Texas.

Additional RRAC men's field athletes of the week nominees: Bryson Mcrae from North Texas-Dallas, Mansur Ali from XULA, Jayden Jackson from North American (Texas)

RRAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week – Jaheene Bell – Xavier (La.)

In the Pelican Relays, Jaheene Bell took first place in the 400m hurdles with a time of 52.38, the fourth-best time in the NAIA this season. His time was two-tenths clear of the NAIA A-qualifying standard. Bell also teamed with Karri Noel, Tremanie Hamilton, and D'Kirian Allen, who won gold in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:15.47, the 10th-best time in the NAIA this season. The time was less than a half-second off the NAIA qualifying standard.

Bell is a native of Jamaica.

Additional RRAC men's track athletes of the week nominees: Deven Langston from OLLU, Markevian White from UNTD, Kegwon Palm from NAU

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

Junior Janiya Ross competed in the High Jump at the Harding Multi Bryan Phillips Invite hosted by Harding (Ark.). Her mark of 1.58 gave her a second-place finish among 14 athletes.

Ross is a native of Phoenix, Ariz.

RRAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week – Charieon Doxley – Xavier (La.)

XULA's Charieon Doxley took silver in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.32, just over a tenth-of-a-second off the NAIA national qualification standard. She competed against 10 participants in the Pelican Relays.

Doxley is a native of Lakewood, Ohio.

Additional RRAC women's track athletes of the week nominees: Ja'Kouria Jamerson from TAMUT, Alex Wells from OLLU, Laila Williams from NAU, 4x100m relay team from UNTD

RRAC Notebook

• UNTD sophomore Bryson McRae placed fourth in the long jump at the 2026 Warhawk Classic. His mark was 7.05 among 35 participants.
• XULA Mansur Ali won Gold in both the hammer throw and discus, and placed fourth in the shot put, at the 2026 Pelican Relays hosted by Southern University. Ali's 52.04m throw in the discus surpassed the NAIA A standard.
• NAU senior Jayden Jackson set a personal record in the long jump with a mark of 6.29. He placed 10th in a field of 15 at the Cactus Cup.
• OLLU freshman Deven Langston placed second in the 200m at the Cactus Cup. He competed among 46 athletes in the Cactus Cup.
• UNTD sophomore Markevian White helped the Trailblazers to a pair of second-place finishes and was part of another record-setting mark in the 4x100m relay. He was 0.02 seconds from the event champion from NCAA Division III East Texas Baptist.
• NAU junior Kegwon Palm set a personal record in the 400m hurdles, 110m hurdles, and the 100m. The 1:00.94 time for the 400m hurdles and 15:05 time in the 110m hurdles were also team records.
• OLLU sophomore Jadae Freeman had a fourth-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 10.96 at the Cactus Cup.
• UNTD sophomore Jada Cole made her team's outdoor debut in the shot put at the Warhawk Classic. Cole notched an 8.34m result.
• NAU sophomore Laila Williams competed in the triple jump with a mark of 10.11 at the Cactus Cup.
• TAMUT's Ja'Kouria Jamerson participated in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:04.82 for third place, earning a new PR with this mark that she achieved at the Bryan Phillips Invitational.
• OLLU freshman Alex Wells ran the 200m with a time of 25.18 at the Cactus Cup for eighth place out of 42.
• UNTD broke a school record in the 4x100m relays. Jocelyn Owens, Ashli Barron, and Jada Cole put this milestone together. The relay team claimed second place and was 0.02 seconds away from tying NCAA Division II Angelo State.
• NAU Laila Williams participated in the Cactus Cup. In the 100m, her time was 13.93 for 11th place, in the 200m, her time was 29.54 for 33rd place, and in the 100m hurdles, her time was 18.46 for 11th place.

2026 RRAC Track and Field Weekly Selections: 

Upcoming events in the RRAC: