A new semester marks the start of the track and field season. With a combination of 27 returning competitors and 18 newcomers, the team hopes to surpass previous accomplishments.

Johnathan Farquharson, junior from Freeport, Bahamas, and Daniel Block, senior journalism major from Dalmeny, Saskatchewan, are returning runners that finished in the top three during nine meets last season.

Luke Woods, junior from Houston, and Jeremy Tatham, junior from Pembroke Pines, Florida, are both returners who led the team in hurdles.

Woods was also a standout in high jump, pole vault and shot put. He led in the decathlon with a finish of more than 6,500 points in two meets.

With the loss of Aaron Bynum, a top thrower in the Southland conference, the team will turn to newcomers Joshua Hunter, freshman from Abilene, Morgan Knight, freshman from Longview, and Kai Schmidt, freshman from Krefeld, Germany to fill in his shoes.

On the women’s team is returner Diana Garcia-Munoz, sophomore from Phoenix. Munoz had a successful cross country season in the fall and is expected to continue that streak during the spring.

Lexus Williams, senior from Mesquite, is returning this year and is expected to lead the team in hurdles. Williams has four Lonestar Conference titles and finished as the best hurdler in the league in 2013.

After losing Shaunice Guyton, a runner who led the 100-meter and 200-meter races, the team will depend on a new sprinter to take her spot.

Keith Barnier, head coach, believes this set of newcomers is well-prepared for the Southland Conference. Barnier said he thinks they can all contribute significantly to the program.

Track and field will compete in six of the same tournaments as last year: Texas A&M, Texas Relays in Austin, Drake Relays in Iowa, Bobcat International at Texas State and several visits to different Texas Tech meets.

ACU will host the second annual Wes Kittley Invitational on the new track and field complex, where they will face opponents New Mexico University, TCU and Texas Tech.

The Wildcats kick off their season this weekend in College Station.