LEVELLAND— Three members of the South Plains College track and field teams inked their National Letter of Intent on Wednesday afternoon in the Texan Club on the campus of South Plains College in Levelland.
Hassan Abdi, an Amarillo native and the 2015 Half-Marathon national champion, signed with Oklahoma State University after proving to be one of the top distance runners in the country during his two seasons wearing the orange and blue. An elite athlete and standout in the 3K and 5K for the Texans, Abdi is excited to earn the chance to compete at the highest collegiate level next season.
"South Plains gave me the chance to progress as an athlete and as a person growing up," Abdi said, "and I learned a lot about academics and getting ready for the next level. I chose OSU because the schedule was the same as here, and I like their team because they can compete for national championships."
Joining Abdi in the Sooner State is Medinah Spencer, a Baltimore, Maryland native, who will take her talents just down the road to Norman, where she will compete for the University of Oklahoma. Spencer has been an asset for the Lady Texans this season, and will be looking to continue to progress when she arrives on the OU campus.
"I just saw it (South Plains) as a great opportunity, developing, and becoming a good athlete and preparing to go to a Division I school," Spencer said. "I chose Oklahoma because it's still in a competitive conference, I love the campus, and the team and the coaches seem really close knit."
The second Lady Texan to sign on Wednesday afternoon was Alexis Hyshaw, a Naperville, Illinois native who will head to Conference USA and compete for Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. A sprinter who earned multiple top-10 finishes in the 60 meters this season, Hyshaw believes South Plains granted her the opportunities to advance her career at the next level.
"I guess it (South Plains) just makes you appreciate, because it's like having a second chance coming out of high school and not being able to go straight to Division I schools," Hyshaw said. "For me, it makes me appreciate the fact that I can come here, regather myself, and do what I have to do in order for me to go to the next level."
South Plains will be competing for the 2016 NJCAA Outdoor national championship on May 17-May 19 in Levelland. The Texans will be looking to make collegiate history as they battle to capture their 10th consecutive national title. The Lady Texans have also won back-to-back national Outdoor championships during the past two seasons, and will be looking to extend that steak when they take to the track next Tuesday.
Attached is a link to watch the signing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Fo5jmkpPY&feature=youtu.be