SMU freshman Haylie Donovan earned ACC Freshman of the Week after a record-setting weekend that moved her up the Mustangs’ all-time lists.
SMU freshman Haylie Donovan is wasting no time making her name known in the ACC.
Donovan was named ACC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Freshman of the Week after a breakout performance at the SMU Invitational, where she delivered one of the fastest 400-meter races in Mustangs history and helped power a record-setting relay.
READ MORE: SMU Football Lands in Post-Spring Top 25
Running at home on Saturday, Donovan posted a personal-best 54.04 seconds in the 400 meters. That mark now stands as the fourth-fastest outdoor 400 time in SMU program history, a major early-career statement for the freshman sprinter.
It also pushed her to 16th in the ACC this season, giving the Mustangs another young athlete to watch as the postseason picture begins to build.
Donovan wasn’t finished there.
She also ran as part of SMU’s 4x400-meter relay team, which clocked 3:37.07. That time is the second-fastest in school history and set both the SMU Invitational meet record and the facility record, making the weekend even more memorable for Donovan and the Mustangs.
For SMU head coach A’Havahla Haynes, Donovan’s rise is about more than one fast day on the track.
“Improvement like this doesn't happen by accident,” Haynes said. “As a freshman, it is the result of showing up, trusting the process, and committing day after day. This reflects not just performance, but belief in the work.”
That belief is already showing up in the results.
Donovan’s award gives SMU another boost during its first ACC outdoor season, and her continued improvement could become a key storyline for the Mustangs.
With a top-four school mark in the 400 and a relay record already attached to her name, Donovan is quickly becoming one of SMU’s most exciting young performers.
Join Our Roundtable Community For Free! Share your takes, connect with our Roundtable writers, and talk sports with fellow fans. Download the free Roundtable App today and stay closer to the conversation.