Northbrook, IL – Oberlin junior men’s basketball standout JJ Gray (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) and senior men’s track and field standout Namu Makatiani (Nairobi, Kenya/George School (PA)) were selected to the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team for Winter 2025-26, as announced by Allstate and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) on Tuesday, February 17.
The final team was voted on by the program’s Selection Committee from a pool of nearly 200 nominees nationwide. The Good Works Team recognizes student-athletes across nine winter sports and five collegiate divisions for their impact in their communities.
“Ever since JJ got to Oberlin, he’s made a profound impact on the program and the community as a whole,” Head Men’s Basketball Coach Shiva Senthil said. “Everyone sees the on-court performances and tangible impact he’s made to help our program reach unprecedented successes, but I’m really happy he’s finally getting the recognition for what he’s done off the floor as well. Congrats to JJ for winning this incredible award.”
A 3.9 GPA economics major, Gray co-founded the Asian Student-Athlete Group (ASAG) at Oberlin in 2024. As chair, he works with the ASAG Board to support and spotlight Asian student-athletes within the Oberlin community and beyond. The organization has brought several Hall of Famers back to campus to speak with students and hosts events throughout the year.
“Starting the Asian Student-Athlete Group taught me that meaningful impact happens when you build something bigger than yourself,” Gray said. “Community engagement and service are important because they allow us to use our platforms to uplift others and strengthen the communities around us.”
In conjunction with the rest of the men’s basketball team, Gray volunteers with Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a local non-profit dedicated to building, assembling, and delivering bunk beds to children and families in need. Over the last two years, Oberlin has logged 265 volunteer hours building beds for children in Northeast Ohio.
On the court, Gray has been a key piece of the Yeomen’s recent success. The 2024 NCAC Newcomer of the Year and a two-time All-NCAC selection, the guard recently surpassed 1,000 career points and is one of the winningest players in program history.
Makatiani, a biology and pre-med student, has built an equally impressive portfolio of service and leadership. A State Tested Nursing Assistant, he volunteers at Kendal at Oberlin, supporting nurses, caring for elderly residents, and assisting with daily living and mobility care.
In his hometown community of Nairobi, Kenya, Makatiani serves as a clinical volunteer for Nyumbani Children’s Home, helping organize and conduct diagnostic lab testing and supporting home-visit coordination and management to help ensure continuity of care for HIV+ children.
“I am grateful to have been selected to the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team among so many accomplished students,” Makatiani said. “For quite some time, I have tried to live my life giving back to the communities I have been a part of.”
“This is such a well-deserved honor and recognition for Namu,” Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track and Field Coach Izzy Alexander said. “Now more people will get to know the person we have been so fortunate to know every day for four years — someone who is caring, compassionate, driven athletically, and driven to make a difference in the world.”
On campus, Makatiani is one of Oberlin’s most decorated men’s track and field athletes of the last decade. He has won four NCAC championships, earned three NCAA All-America honors, and set four school records in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles, outdoor triple jump, indoor 60-meter hurdles, and indoor triple jump.
His leadership extends beyond athletics. Last year, Makatiani co-founded the Minority Association of Premedical Students (MAPS), which empowers Oberlin’s minority pre-med students and provides mentorship while students pursue medical careers. MAPS hosts soft-skills and art-therapy workshops and brings experienced medical professionals to campus to speak with members.
Makatiani is also the Black Student-Athlete Group’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee liaison, a resident assistant, an organic chemistry research assistant and ambassador, a lead coordinator for the Center for Learning, Engagement, and Research, and is EMT certified.
“He has rewritten the record books for our track and field program, but more importantly, he has been the definition of a scholar-athlete and someone who, inspiringly so, believes he is part of something bigger than himself,” Alexander said.
“At Oberlin, that commitment to service has driven me to engage in many different jobs and extracurriculars on campus,” Makatiani said. “I like knowing what is going on and being able to contribute in a meaningful way. It is truly an honor to receive this award, and I am thankful to everyone who has helped me along the way.”
Captaining the Winter 2025-26 Good Works Team is Audi Crooks, a junior center on the Iowa State women’s basketball team. Crooks launched the Audi Crooks Foundation last year to provide financial assistance and resources to youth engaged in education, athletics, and arts programming.