Dillard, Rust, Wiley garner Week 3 HBCUAC Men's Track and Field Honors

NEW ORLEANS - Dillard University sprinter Surprise Babalola repeats as Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Men's Track and Field Track Athlete of the Week. Romel Collins earns Freshman of the Week. Rust College decathlete Kemal Benjamin captures Field Athlete of the Week. Wiley University distance runner John Russell Jr. takes Newcomer of the Week. The men were honored for their performance between March 23-29, the conference announced on Tuesday.

Babalola finished runner-up in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.26 at the Prairie View A&M Relays. He beat 54 athletes mostly from NCAA Division I schools. His time surpassed the 'A' qualifying standard. Babalola ran a leg on the 4 x 100-meter relay team which finished in 40.07 seconds, surpassing the 'A' qualifying standard. He ranks second in the 100-meter dash and ran on the NAIA No. 1 4 x 100-meter relay team.

Benjamin scored 5,465 points in the decathlon to win the event at the Morehouse Relays. His point total ranks 11th in the NAIA. The top 16 will advance to the 2026 NAIA Men's Outdoor Track and Field national championship.

Collins finished 19th out of 56 athletes in the 100-meter dash at the Prairie View A&M-Relays. He topped several NCAA Division I athletes.

Russell finished runner-up in the 5,000-meter run at the Prairie View A&M-Relays. He was beat by an NCAA Division III athlete.

Additional men's track and field weekly nominees: Dwight Bennett Jr. (Wiley), Myrian Blaze (Wiley), Emmanuel Idris (Huston-Tillotson), Carey Owens (Stillman), Stanley Rhone (Dillard)

2026 HBCUAC Men's Track and Field Athletes of the Week

About the HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Huston-Tillotson University (TX), Oakwood University (AL), Paul Quinn College (TX), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.