TEMPE – Sun Devil Track and Field and Cross Country has bolstered its roster with the addition of a decorated group of student-athletes ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The latest additions bring national championships, All-American honors, international experience and proven postseason success to the Maroon and Gold. The group features talent from across nearly every event area, highlighted by an Olympian, an NCAA national champion, multiple All-Americans, NCAA Championship qualifiers and conference champions.
Alongside the program's previously announced newcomers, the additions bring extensive postseason experience and immediate depth to both the men's and women's rosters as Arizona State enters its first season under director of Track and Field and Cross Country Ryan Vanhoy.
Welcome to Tempe
Men’s newcomers
Chris Caudillo
Caudillo is set for his first season in Tempe after cementing himself as one of the top distance runners in Cal Poly history. Caudillo earned outdoor First-Team All-American honors in the 1,500m, finishing seventh nationally in 3:38.06 to close his junior season.
His highly decorated resume also includes the Cal Poly and Big West 1,500m record at 3:35.13, breaking a conference record that had stood for 48 years.
Caudillo is a five-time All-Big West honoree and two-time NCAA West Preliminary qualifier. He also qualified for the 2025 USATF Championships and helped Cal Poly capture three consecutive Big West team titles under Vanhoy and company.
Tyler Daillak
Daillak's sophomore season follows a standout true freshman campaign that included an appearance for Team USA at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Cross Country Championships, where he helped the Americans capture a bronze medal.
Daillak carried the cross country success into his freshman track season, running a personal-best 13:51.93 in the 5,000m, the fastest mark in the Big West during the 2026 outdoor season. He also clocked a personal-best 3:44.90 in the 1,500m.
He capped his freshman campaign by winning the Big West Championship in the 5,000m with a time of 14:14.74 while also finishing runner-up in the 10,000m.
Liam Miller
Miller joins the Sun Devils following a strong freshman campaign at Cal Poly in which he quickly became a key contributor to the Mustangs' championship distance group.
At the 2026 Big West Championships, Miller earned All-Big West honors with a third-place finish in the 10,000m, before returning to place fourth in the 5,000m. Miller scored 11 points across the two events as Cal Poly captured its third consecutive Big West men's team championship.
Earlier in the outdoor season, Miller was named the Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Week after running 13:56.85 in the 5,000m, a mark that placed him among the top performers in Cal Poly history.
Colin Smith
Smith brings international experience to the Sun Devil distance group after competing extensively in his native country of Ireland.
Smith’s accolades are highlighted by a sub-four-minute performance in the mile run, where he owns an eye-popping personal best of 3:57.62 in the event. Smith also owns personal bests of 1:49.97 in the 800m and 3:40.55 in the 1,500m.
Smith has also competed at the Irish National Championships, advancing to the 1,500m final in 2024 before making the move to Tempe for his senior season.
Jehlani Gordon
Gordon arrives in Tempe with international experience and three NCAA Second-Team All-American honors already on his resume, highlighted by an appearance for Jamaica at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Gordon represented Jamaica as a member of the men's 4x100m relay after qualifying following his freshman season at Georgia.
The Jamaican sprinter earned NCAA Second-Team All-American honors in the 100m as a freshman in 2024 before adding two more Second-Team honors in the 100m and 4x100m in 2025. Gordon finished 11th nationally in the 100m at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships before returning to the national meet the following season.
Gordon owns a personal best of 10.05 in the 100m, set at the 2024 NCAA East First Round, along with a 20.73 personal best in the 200m. Indoors, Gordon owns a 60m best of 6.60.
Jaelon Barbarin
Barbarin comes to ASU after spending the 2025-2026 season at Oregon, bringing NCAA postseason experience to the Sun Devil sprint group.
Barbarin helped Oregon's 4x100m relay advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships during his time with the Ducks. He also earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors and owns a personal best of 10.34 in the 100m.
Prior to his collegiate track career, Barbarin was one of California's top prep sprinters at Simi Valley High School, finishing sixth in the 100m at the CIF State Championships and winning six Coastal Canyon League titles.
Cade DeWitt
DeWitt makes the move to Tempe following one season at Illinois, where he established himself among the top pole vaulters in the Big Ten. The Sun Devils are set to compete in pole vault events once again after previously having a two-year hiatus from the event.
DeWitt notched a career-best clearance of 5.45m (17-10.5) during the 2026 indoor season, a mark that ranks fifth in Illinois program history. He recorded the clearance at the Illini Last Chance Meet, finishing runner-up in the event.
DeWitt continued his success outdoors by qualifying for the NCAA West First Round in the pole vault, finishing just outside a trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Blake Homiston
Homiston is set to suit up in the Maroon and Gold following a decorated prep career in North Dakota, highlighted by back-to-back state championships in the pole vault.
Homiston capped his high school career by clearing 15-9 to capture the 2026 North Dakota Class A state championship, establishing a Class A and overall state meet record in the process.
He owns a pole vault personal best of 4.90m and also displayed his versatility on the track, clocking a personal-best 10.29 in the 100m during his senior season.
Women’s newcomers
Kelli Gaffney
Gaffney arrives in Tempe following a breakout 2025 cross country season that culminated in an individual appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships for Cal Poly.
She punched her ticket to nationals after placing 16th at the NCAA West Regional, running 20:07.5 in the 6K to earn All-West Region honors. Gaffney improved 76 places from her regional finish the previous season and became Cal Poly's highest women's finisher at the meet since Peyton Bilo placed ninth in 2016.
Gaffney placed third overall at the 2025 Big West Cross Country Championships, earning her first career All-Big West cross country honor and helping Cal Poly capture its fourth consecutive conference championship.
She went on to represent the Mustangs at the NCAA Championships, becoming the first Cal Poly woman to compete at the national meet since 2018.
Additionally, Gaffney won her debut as a Sun Devil, crossing the finish line in the women’s 4k with a time of 13:47.3.
On the track, Gaffney carries a continued success that includes two NCAA Preliminary Round qualifications in the 10K, while clocking in a personal best 33:49.78 in the event in addition to a 5k PB of 16:15.11.
Ashlyn Leath
Leath brings postseason experience to the Valley after helping Cal Poly continue its run as one of the Big West's top women's cross country programs.
She competed at the 2025 NCAA West Cross Country Regional as Cal Poly finished eighth as a team.
Leath also placed 13th at the Big West Cross Country Championships,as the Mustangs captured their fourth consecutive women's conference championship.
Her track success features an impressive 16:52.12 in the 5,000m and 34:45.87 in the 10,000m as well.
Jazzlyn Islas
Islas joins the Sun Devils following a decorated career at San Diego Mesa College, highlighted by a pair of California Community College state championships on the track and a state runner-up finish in cross country.
Islas captured state titles in both the 800m and 1,500m, establishing herself as one of the top middle-distance runners in the California Community College ranks. She also finished runner-up at the state cross country championships.
Laynee Hollech
Hollech made the jump to Tempe after spending two seasons at Paradise Valley Community College, where she established herself as one of the NJCAA's top distance runners across the nation.
As a freshman, Hollech placed seventh at the 2024 NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in the 5K. She followed with an even stronger sophomore campaign, placing third at the NJCAA Region I/ACCAC Championships before finishing fourth nationally at the 2025 NJCAA Cross Country Championships.
On the track, Hollech qualified for the NJCAA Indoor Championships in the 3,000m before advancing to the NJCAA Outdoor Championships in the 5,000m and 4x800m relay.
Grace Davis
Davis comes to Tempe following one of the top freshman campaigns in NCAA Division II track and field, highlighted by an individual national championship and a pair of All-American honors at Converse University.
Davis became the first individual NCAA national champion in Converse history when she captured the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Championship in the 60m, winning the national title in a personal-best 7.26. She also captured the Conference Carolinas indoor title in the event.
Her success continued outdoors, where Davis earned another All-America honor after placing third nationally in the 100m with a personal-best time of 11.34. Davis also captured the Conference Carolinas outdoor championship in the 100m during her freshman season.
Alyssa Moronez
Moronez, an incoming freshman, joins the Sun Devils following a standout prep career at Crismon High School in Queen Creek, establishing herself as one of Arizona's top pole vaulters.
Moronez cleared a personal-best 12-7 during her senior season, placing herself among the state's top performers in the event. She also captured the pole vault title at the Pioneer Invitational with a clearance of 12-1 as part of her breakout senior campaign.
Up next
Sun Devil Cross Country will be back in action on September 26th, headed east to Princeton, New Jersey as the squad is set to compete at the Meadows Challenge in its second meet of the season.
2026 remaining Cross Country schedule
9/26 | Meadows Challenge | Princeton, New Jersey
10/16 | Arturo Barrios Invitational | College Station, Texas
10/31 | Big 12 Championship | Stillwater, Oklahoma
11/13 | NCAA West Regionals | Sacramento, California
11/21 | NCAA National Championships | Terre Haute, Indiana
Follow along
You can follow the Sun Devils throughout their 2026 season via the team’s social media accounts, @SunDevilTFXC on Instagram, Facebook and X.