Courtesy of HBCU Athletic Conference Communications
NEW ORLEANS – Huston-Tillotson University student-athletes earned Player of the Week awards in three different sports from the HBCU Athletic Conference this week, continuing the school's streak of weekly honors.
Chaleica Booker, a junior from Chicago, Ill., claimed HT's first women's track and field weekly award as a member of the HBCU Athletic Conference. Baseball senior Weston Bailey and softball sophomore Alayali Alaniz were repeat winners in their respective sports.
The recipient of the conference's Women's Track Athlete of the Week, Booker qualified for the 2026 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women's Outdoor Track and Field National Championship in the 200-meter dash. Her time of 24.29 seconds surpassed the 'B' qualifying standard.Â
Booker recorded Top 20 finishes in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes at TCU's Alumni Invitational last week. Her finishes were ahead of many NCAA Division I competitors at the event.
Furthermore, Booker's qualification for the national meet was the earliest in the season an HT track and field athlete qualified for the national event in more than a decade.
A senior from Austin, Bailey was named the conference's Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season. He struck out seven SUNO batters over six innings en route to his fourth victory in as many starts.
This is Bailey's third overall weekly award this season, as he also won the league's Pitcher of the Week award last week.
Alaniz led the Rams with six hits and six RBIs as they won two out of three at Oakwood (Ala.) this weekend. She collected all six hits during Sunday's doubleheader, finishing the day with six hits in eight at-bats, with a double, a triple, and six RBIs for the day.Â
A two-time recipient of the conference's Player (Hitter) of the Week award, Alaniz helped HT to a 9-1 victory in the series finale with three runs and four RBIs. She slugged .818 for the week.
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