Men's Track and Field | 2/17/2026 10:15:00 AM

Northbrook, Illinois – As announced by Allstate and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Oberlin College men's track and field senior, Namu Makatiani has been named to the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team for Winter 2025-26.
 
"I am grateful to have been selected to the All-State NACDA Good Works Team among so many accomplished students." Makatiani continues, "For quite some time, I have tried to live my life, giving back to the communities I have been a part of. It started in high school with me simply exploring every aspect of school culture."
 
Makatiani has been as involved in the health and wellness of the Oberlin community as any one individual could be. A State Tested Nursing Assistant, Maktiani volunteers at Kendal at Oberlin supporting nurses, caring for elderly residents, and assisting with the activities of daily living and mobility care.
 
Additionally, the senior shares his talents within his hometown community in Nairobi, Kenya as a Clinical Volunteer for Nyumbani Childre's Home. As a volunteer, Makatiani assists in organizing and conducting diagnostic lab testing, supports home visit coordination and management to ensure continuity of patient care for HIV+ children.
 
"This is such a well deserved honor and recognition for Namu. Now more people will get to know the person we have been so fortunate to know everyday for four years - someone who is caring, compassionate, driven athletically and driven to make a difference in the world." Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track and Field Coach, Izzy Alexander says.
 
On campus, Makatiani is one of the most decorated men's track and field athletes of the last decade. His trophy case boasts four North Coast Athletic Conference Championship crowns, three NCAA All-American honors, and four school records in the outdoor 100m hurdles, outdoor triple jump, indoor 60m hurdles, and the indoor triple jump.
 
His leadership as a captain on the track and field team carries over into his activism and guidance on campus. Last year, Makatiani co-founded the Minority Association of Premedical Students (MAPS), an organization that empowers Oberlin's minority pre-med student body and provides mentorship as students pursue a medical career. MAPS hosts soft skills and art therapy workshops, and brings experience medical professional to Oberlin's campus to speak to MAPS members.
 
Makatiani is also the Black Student-Athlete Group's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Liaison, a Resident Assistant, an Organic Chemistry Research Assistant and Ambassor, a Lead Coordinator for The Center for Learning, Engagement, and Research, and is EMT certified
 
Alexander adds, "He has rewritten the records books for our Track & Field program, but more importantly, he has been the definition of a scholar athlete and someone who, inspiringly so, believes he is part of something bigger than himself."
 
The Biology and Pre-Med student enters his final semester with an optimistic and excited mindset, "At Oberlin, that commitment to service has driven me to engage in many different jobs and extracurriculars on campus."
 
"I like knowing what is going on and being able to contribute in a meaningful way. It is truly an honor to receive this award, and I am thankful to everyone who has helped me along the way."
 
Captaining the Winter Team is Audi Crooks, a junior center on the Iowa State women's basketball team. Crooks launched the Audi Crooks Foundation last year to provide financial assistance and resources to youth engaged in education, athletics, and arts programing. The foundation supports the Boys & Girls Club of Story County, and Feed Our Kids Emmetsburg, organizations local to the Iowa State community and Crooks hometown, respectively.
 
The final team was voted on by the program's esteemed Selection Committee from an impressive pool of nearly 200 nominees nationwide. These student-athletes represent nine winter sports and five collegiate divisions, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of student- athletes in their communities.
 
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