One of the most decorated runners in UT Dallas history, Trent Sakakini, joined the Comet coaching staff as a volunteer assistant in August 2023.
During the 2023 season, the Comet men won the American Southwest Conference championship while the women took fourth. He was part of the 2023 ASC Men's Coaching Staff of the Year. Sakakini helped coach five men's all-conference selections and two for the women.
Sakakini lettered in cross country five years and track & field three seasons. He was a four-time All-ASC First Team selection in cross country and just the second five-time all-conference selection in league history. In 2022, Sakakini was named the Oustanding Track Athlete and High Point Athlete at the ASC Championship. He was a two-time league champion in the 800 and 3,000 meter steeplechase and won the 1,500 meters once.
Sakakini also excelled in the classroom, earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, a three-time ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Team selection and a four-time Academic All-ASC pick. He was also the 2022-23 ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor recipient.Â
A native of Frisco, Texas, Sakakini ran cross country and track for Wakeland High School. He graduated from UTD with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and earned his Master's in the field in 2023.
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