University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Zach Del Bello / Mean Green Sports
Track & Field/Cross Country Adds Three More Signees to 2024 Class
5/24/2024 10:56:00 AM | Track & Field/XC
DENTON, Texas – The UNT cross country and track & field program announced the signing of three future Mean Green in the Class of 2024 on Friday.
A class that already had 10 signees added a pair of jumpers in NyKaela Mays and Lyric Cheeks, as well as local distance runner Ella Bengtsson.
Mays is a two-time district champion in the high jump at Fossil Ridge High School in Keller, Texas. She cleared a personal best height of 5-8 to win the regional meet and earn a berth at her first state championships. Mays took fifth in Class 6A at the state meet with a height of 5-4, although her mark from regionals would have won the meet.
Cheeks won a district championship in the triple jump as a senior with a personal-best mark of 12.16 meters. She would go on to take second at the area meet and fourth at the regional meet to cap off her high school career. A native of Katy, Texas, Cheeks will focus on the horizontal jumps at North Texas but also ran sprints in her prep career.
Bengtsson will stay close to home after attending Byron Nelson High School. She placed 61st at the UIL State Cross Country Championship in her lone appearance at the event in 2023. During the track seasons, Bengtsson shined in the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters early in her high school career before adding the 800 meters to her repertoire as a senior. During her junior year, she set personal bests in both the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters in runner-up finishes at the district meet.
Bengtsson is the second female distance runner out of Byron Nelson to sign with the Mean Green in this year's class, joining teammate Maggie Cuppett.
A class that already had 10 signees added a pair of jumpers in NyKaela Mays and Lyric Cheeks, as well as local distance runner Ella Bengtsson.
Mays is a two-time district champion in the high jump at Fossil Ridge High School in Keller, Texas. She cleared a personal best height of 5-8 to win the regional meet and earn a berth at her first state championships. Mays took fifth in Class 6A at the state meet with a height of 5-4, although her mark from regionals would have won the meet.
Cheeks won a district championship in the triple jump as a senior with a personal-best mark of 12.16 meters. She would go on to take second at the area meet and fourth at the regional meet to cap off her high school career. A native of Katy, Texas, Cheeks will focus on the horizontal jumps at North Texas but also ran sprints in her prep career.
Bengtsson will stay close to home after attending Byron Nelson High School. She placed 61st at the UIL State Cross Country Championship in her lone appearance at the event in 2023. During the track seasons, Bengtsson shined in the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters early in her high school career before adding the 800 meters to her repertoire as a senior. During her junior year, she set personal bests in both the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters in runner-up finishes at the district meet.
Bengtsson is the second female distance runner out of Byron Nelson to sign with the Mean Green in this year's class, joining teammate Maggie Cuppett.
Thursday, May 02
Monday, April 10
Friday, July 08
Friday, July 08