A “jack of all trades,” is defined as a person who does various types of work. For students, that can mean jobs or maybe a double major, but one of ACU’s student athletes fits that description to the letter.
Tristin Keller, a freshman guard from Mason, has been involved in the world of sports ever since she was little but the hardwood of a basketball court was not the only surface she competed on.
By the time Keller graduated from Mason High School, she had lettered in six different varsity sports, including basketball as well as one unexpected sport: Football.
Keller’s football journey began in third grade, whenever she would play football with her family and all the boys her age in Mason. As she got older, she continued to love playing football, and by her freshman year of high school, she made it on her school’s varsity team alongside her friends she grew up with.
“It was something special that I cannot even explain, it just means so much to me,” Keller said. “I’m so thankful for just knowing I can call some of those guys up right now, and we could just have endless conversations about things that have happened and things we’ve gone through. Those guys are my absolute brothers and I love them to death.”
In her four-year high school career, she played on both sides of the football as a wide receiver on offense and cornerback on defense. During her time as a punter, the team reached a pinnacle in 2018, when the team won the UIL State Championship. Keller later went on to be a consistent starter in 2020 until she graduated Mason in 2022.
Along with playing football and basketball in high school, the other sports Keller lettered in included track and field, golf, tennis and softball.
With playing six sports, Keller always found herself busy and on the go, often finding herself at school for only one day out of the entire week. But coming from a smaller community like Mason, her hometown coaches, teachers and parents rallied around her, making all she wanted to do possible.
“I would go do track for 45 minutes, work out after school, then go directly do some pole vaulting for 30 minutes. My mom would pick me straight up as a senior, directly up from the track and take me to softball from 5 p.m to 6:30 p.m. Then straight out of softball, go straight to golf practice, so it was just back to back to back. I could not have done that at all without my family and coaches just being willing to work with me.”
One coach who worked with Keller was Michael McLeod, Mason’s head football coach, athletic director and track coach while Keller was in high school.
McLeod has known Keller since she was 3 years old and described her as “the ultimate competitor, determined and full of life,” saying those personality traits plus the extra competition she had year round led to her success and her ability to lead.
“She is so determined, because there are no restrictions in her mind on what she’s capable of doing,” McLeod said. “Whether it be a boys versus girls thing or a skill level or a different type of surface, it didn’t matter if it was, she just had no limitations for herself. She was competing constantly, and you can get extra time in any skill sport you want or any sport you want, but you cannot replace competition.”
Her tenacity and determination in all sports also translated to the hardwood. While playing basketball at Mason, Keller was named all-state in basketball three times plus led her team to two state tournament appearances.
Her performance in high school led to multiple teams trying to recruit her. Ultimately she chose to play for ACU under head coach Julie Goodenough, who had her eye on Keller for a long time, especially given her family ties to the Wildcats.
“She’s a legacy kid,” Goodenough said. “Her grandparents, mom, they all went to school at ACU. So, we’ve been in touch with Tristin since maybe your eighth grade year, and she has been very interested in our program.”
During her recruitment, Goodenough nicknamed Keller “The Mason Flash” due to her athleticism and speed, but that was not the only reason Goodenough recruited her. She saw her determination, coachability and her personality and wanted to bring that energy into her locker room.
“I don’t think Tristin’s ever met a stranger and she’s never at a loss for words,” Goodenough said. ”She always has something to tell you about, which is fun. She has lots of stories, so she’s just thinking all the time. She’s got a lot of things she wants to tell you about on the court.”
Training for the 2022-23 season began over the summer, allowing Keller to only focus on one sport for the first time in athletic career. With this change, Keller said some of her upperclass teammates have come alongside and supported her, for which she has been grateful.
“When I first came in, I was and still am, the most rambunctious and energetic person,” Keller said. “I’m in the locker room shaking with excitement before practice and they’re like, OK, you need to learn to calm down, which I’m still learning. But they help me a lot and when I really need it, they’re there.”
Now, with the 2022 season underway, Keller is already starting to see playing time with the Wildcats, scoring her first collegiate career in ACU’s home opener against Howard Payne. With the start of the season, Keller is looking forward to starting a new chapter.
“I’m just now starting my basketball journey,” Keller said, “Lots of girls when they get to college, they’re close to their peak. But since I played six sports and did so many different things in academics, I am truly starting on my basketball journey. So, I’m excited to just learn all these new things and I’m mind blown with the fact that I’m actually here.”
