2025 Thunderbird Alumni Summer Spotlight
The end of the spring turned to summer success for many former T-Birds at the next level.
Former Thunderbird baseball head coach Josh Simpson (2008-15) won his second national title with LSU baseball on Sunday, June 22. Simpson is an assistant coach with the Tigers and was the director of baseball operations in 2023 when LSU was also victorious at the College World Series in Omaha, NE.
2024 NMJC grad and current Arkansas Razorback third baseman Brent Iredale competed at the College World Series and was eliminated by fellow T-Bird Simpson in the semifinal of the championship.
2013-14 NMJC men's basketball star Kenrich Williams won the 2025 NBA title with the OKC Thunder on Sunday, June 22. Williams was a reserve for OKC and dribbled out the clock as the Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Williams transferred in 2014 to TCU where he spent four seasons with the Horned Frogs. In 2018, he was signed by the New Orleans Pelicans as an undrafted free agent. Williams spent two seasons in New Orleans and was subsequently traded to Oklahoma City in 2020. There Williams has remained on the roster as a vital role player for the Thunder in his fifth season with the team.
2023 NMJC men's golf alum Matthis Lefèvre reached the quarterfinal of the 130th (British) Amateur Championship hosted by the R&A on Saturday, June 21. The field consisted of 288 of the best amateurs in the world. Lefèvre reached match play after firing a 68-67 to post 7-under. He won his first matchup in extra holes (19) over Gaven Lane, his second match was a 2&1 over Kris Kim, and then he advanced to the quarterfinal with a 4&3 win over Daniel Bennett.
In the televised quarterfinal, Lefèvre was defeated 1 UP by Veikka Viskari of Finland. Oklahoma State's Ethan Fang came out on top to win the prestigious event and earn an invite to the 2025 Open Championship, 2026 Masters, and 2026 US Open.
Thunderbird track & field alum and now Kentucky track star Carlie Makarawu won the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field 200m national title with a lifetime-best 19.84 on Friday, June 13. The time completed the season sweep in the 200m that saw the Zimbabwean win the indoor title on Saturday, March 15 with a time of 20.13.
The 2024 NMJC graduate now owns the Kentucky school record in the indoor and outdoor 200m and the Zimbabwean national record. His time ranks No. 2 in the world for the 2025 track season. Makarawu also placed sixth at the NCAA championships as the anchor leg on the 4x100m team for the Wildcats.
2024 T-Bird grad Donald Chiyangwa was the first leg of the 4x400m relay at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships and guided the Alabama Crimson Tide to a sixth-place finish with a time of 3:02.17.
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