NSAF Announces Nike Elite Program Participants for the 2025-2026 Season

National Record Holders Cooper Lutkenhaus and Tate Taylor lead the group.

Westwood, MA - The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF), USATF, and Nike are proud to announce the members of the Nike Elite Program powered by the NSAF. This is the third year of the ground-breaking program that provides comprehensive support for 43 of the United States’ top high school track and field athletes for the 2025-2026 school calendar year.

The Nike Elite Program, powered by NSAF, is centered around five core elements meant to equip the athlete with the best support system for him/her to achieve their goals and become competitive at an international level.

The five core elements are:

Guidance. A dedicated, highly qualified program manager will serve as a touchstone for Nike Elite Program athletes throughout the year.

Product. Nike, the global leader in footwear and apparel, will provide training and competition apparel and footwear to the Nike Elite Program athletes throughout the program.

Mentorship. Nike-sponsored professional athletes and collegiate athletes who have completed the Program will serve as mentors for Nike Elite Program athletes.

Opportunity. Provide support to compete in highly competitive and national championship events throughout the year, including Nike Indoor Nationals, Nike Outdoor Nationals, NSAF “select” events such as the Millrose Games, Arcadia Invitational, and Mt. SAC Invitationals, and USATF U20 Championships.

Community. Throughout the program, athletes have the opportunity to develop relationships with peers in their event group and across the sport. 

The 43 athletes will be invited to a Kick-Off Event at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, from July 18-21, 2025. There, they will learn about the year-long program, tour the Nike World Headquarters, meet the Nike Elite Program staff and other Nike Elite program athletes, and more.

The Nike Elite Program team is composed of athletes from 19 states across sprint, hurdles, throws, jumps, and distance track and field disciplines. Thirteen athletes return to the program, with four athletes returning for the third time: Sophia Rodriguez, Elizabeth Leachman, Kimberly Beard, and Kendrick Jones, Jr. 

Texas has the largest number of athletes with 13 selections, with Oregon and Washington next best with three.

Six athletes ranked number-one in the US at the end of the season were selected: Kimberly Beard (Hammer Throw); Tate Taylor (100m and 200m); Cooper Lutkenahus (800m); Quentin Nauman (1,600m); Kendrick Joshua (400m hurdles); and Victor Olesen (Pole Vault).

Two national record holders were included in this class: Cooper Lutkenhaus (800m indoor and outdoor) and Tate Taylor (100m outdoors and 200m indoors).

The complete 2025 Nike Elite Program athletes are as follows:

Benjamin Adams (Mountain Vista, Highland Ranch, CO) - CO State Champion. 2nd fastest mile sophomore of all time. 3rd fastest 2-mile sophomore of all time.

Lily Alder (Timpview, Provo, UT) - 2  Time Selection. 2-time UT State Champion. HS National Champion. 5-time All-American.  7th fastest 1-mile junior of all time.

Ellie Barada (South, Bloomington, IN) - IN State Champion. HS National Champion. 3-time All-American.

Blair Bartlett (The Lawrence School, Lawrenceville, NJ) - 2-Time NJISAA Champion. 3-time All-American. 2nd fastest 3,000m sophomore of all time. 8th fastest 1 mile sophomore of all time.

Kimberly Beard (King’s Academy, Seattle, WA) - 3 Time Selection. 4-time WA State Champion. 2-time HS National Champion. 3-time USATF JO Champion. Freshman Hammer throw record holder.

Journee Belcher (Rickards, Tallahassee, FL) - FL State Champion. 2025 All-American.

Andrew Beroset (Gulf Breeze, FL) - Sixth fastest miler and 2 miler sophomore of all time.

Gabbie Bishop (Providence Classical Christian Academy, Rogers, AR) - 6-time Arkansas state champion. 2025 All-American.

Angel Brefo (Heritage, Midlothian, TX) - 2-time TX State Champion. 2-time All-American.

Destiny Coleman (Woodlawn, Gwynn Oak, MD) - 4-time MD State Champion. National Champion. 5-time All-American.

Joshua Cooper (Willow Spring, Fuquay Varina, NC) -  2025 All-American. 2nd fastest 500m indoor sophomore of all time. 3rd fastest 800m sophomore of all time. 

Jasir Fontenot (San Diego, CA) - CA State Champion. 2-time MS National Champion. 3-time USATF JO Champion. 2-time All-American.  110m Hurdles Freshman Record Holder.

Nia Harrison (Greenhill, Addison, TX) - 4-time All-American. Second NEP selection.

Jaelen Hunter (Servite, Anaheim, CA) - 6th fastest 400m freshman of all time. 

Marissa Johnson (Tigard, OR) - 2-time Selection. 5-time OR State Champion. USATF JO Champion. 4-time All-American. 

Andrew Jones (Kelin Collins, Spring, TX) - 2-time TX State Champion. National Champion. USATF JO Champion. 2-time All-American.

Kendrick Jones Jr (Lake Belton, Temple, TX) - 3-time selection. 3-time TX State Champion. HS National Champion. 3-time AAU JO Champion. 6-time All-American. 2 AAU JO National Records.

Kendrick Joshua (Richmond Hill, GA) - GA State Champion. USATF U20 Champion 

Ava Kitchings (Greater Atlanta Christian, Norcross, GA) -  2-time HS National Champion. GA State Champion. USATF U20 Champion. USATF JO Champion. 6-time All-American.

Elizabeth Leachman (Champion, Boerne, TX) - 3-time Selection. 5-time TX State Champion. 4-time HS National Champion, 3-time National Record Holder, 2024 Olympic Trials Qualifier.

Caden Leonard (Carroll, Southlake, TX) -  5-time TX State champion. 2024 All-American. Fourth fastest mile sophomore of all time.

Ellery Lincoln (Lincoln, Portland, OR) -  2 Time Selection. OR State Champion. 2-time All-American.  7th fastest mile sophomore of all time.

Brooke Lloyd (Summer Creek, Humble, TX) - 2-time selection. 2-time National Champion. TX State Champion. 3-time All-American.

Cooper Lutkenhaus (Northwest, Justin, TX) - 2-time selection. 2 TX State titles and 5 National Championships. US HS 800m indoor, 1:43.86 and outdoor, 1:45.45 record holder. Undefeated against high schoolers in the 800m in his career.

Marcelo Mantecon (Belen Jesuit, Miami, FL) - 2-time FL State champion. 3-time All-American.  3-time All-American. US HS Indoor 5,000m and 2-mile and 3,200 meter freshman record holder and fourth fastest soph 3,200m record holder of all time.

Chris Marcell (Marathon, WI) - 2-time WI State Champion. Top returning discus thrower 2025 All American

Mia Maxwell (Atascocita, Humble, TX) - 3-time National Champion. 2-time TX State Champion. 4-time All-American. 5th fastest 100m all time.

Mariah Maxwell (Atascocita, Humble, TX) - TX State Champion. USATF JO Champion. 4-time All-American.

Ryin Miller (Seaman, Topeka, KS) - 5-time KS State Champion. 2-time All-American.

Dillon Mitchell (C.E. King, Houston, TX) - 100m freshman record holder. USATF JO Champion. 2025 All-American.

Quentin Nauman (Western Dubuque, Epworth IA) - 7-time IA State champion and National Champion. 2-time All-American. Fastest junior ever in the mile. Only high school athlete to run under 1:50 for 800 meters, under 4 minutes in 1,600m, and under 9 minutes for 3,200m in the same meet.

Miles Nesmith (Central, Memphis, TN) - 3-time TN State Champion and National Champion. 

Victor Olesen (St. Christopher’s, Richmond, VA) - 2 Time Selection. 5-time VA State Champion. 3-time HS National Champion. AAU JO Champion. 2-time USATF U20 Champion. 4-time All-American. 5th highest pole vaulter in HS history.

Chinweoke “Sam” Onwuchekwa (Cypress Springs, Cypress, TX) - 2nd fastest 100m freshman of all time.

Jasmine Robinson (North Cobb, Kennesaw, GA) - 2-time selection. 2-time National Champion. 5-time GA State Champion. 8-time All-American. USATF JO Champion. US 300mH sophomore and junior record holder. 3rd fastest 300mH all time. 

Sophia Rodriguez (Mercer Island, WA) - 3-time Selection. 6-time WA State Champion. 8-time All-American. 

Simon Rosselli (Mead, Spokane, WA) - 2-time WA State Champion. 2025 All-American.

Malachi Schoenherr (Sheldon, Eugene, OR) - 2-time selection.2-time OR state champion. 2-time All-American. 5th fastest junior of all time in the 3,000m.

Joshua-Kai Smith (Gar-Field, Woodbridge, VA) - 4-time VA State Champion. 3-time All-American.

Ataja Stephane-Vazquez (Southeast Guilford, Greensboro, NC) - 2-time NC State Champion. 3-time All-American.

Addy Stiverson (Montrose, MI) - 3-time MHSAA LP Division Champion. 2024 All-American. Shot put sophomore record holder.

Tate Taylor (Harlan, San Antonio, TX) -  2-time TX State Champion. USATF JO Champion, 2-Time National Champion. 5-time All-American. 100m outdoor High School Record Holder. 200m Indoor High School Record Holder. US Junior Class 200m Record Holder.

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About the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation, Inc.

The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF) is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1990, with the mission to inspire and empower student athletes on and off the track.  The NSAF supports high school and junior-aged track and field athletes through national high school competitions, including Nike Indoor and Nike Outdoor Nationals, the Great American XC Festival, and the HBCU Challenge. The NSAF provides approximately $250,000 in grants annually.  For more information about the NSAF, please visit NationalScholastic.org.

About USATF
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the national governing body for track and field, long-distance running, and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the country's No. 1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org.

About Nike

NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Converse, a wholly-owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiary brand, designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit http://about.nike.com/en/newsroom and follow @NIKE.