Ladyjack Track & Field Inks Five
2/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Feb. 7, 2008
NACOGDOCHES - The Stephen F. Austin track and field team signed five athletes to National Letters of Intent head coach Phil Olson announced Thursday afternoon. Distance runners Brette Flemming-Wood (Mansfield, Texas), Stephanie Ganter (McKinney, Texas), Brittainy Robertson (Manvel, Texas), and Randi Wymer (Overton, Texas) and sprinter Brittany Shorter (Denton, Texas) announced their intentions to continue their education at SFA next fall.
"We are ecstatic about this initial signing class of 2008," said Olson. "Coach Frias and Coach Snelling have done a wonderful job of bringing in some very intelligent and very talented young ladies to our track and field and cross country teams. Brittainy Robertson, Stephanie Ganter, and Brette Fleming-Wood are top names in the middle distance and distance events in the state of Texas, and Randi is a hidden gem from East Texas who will add immediate depth to our team. I'm also proud of Coach Frias and the work she has done with Brittany Shorter, who we see as a rising sprint talent among all classifications in Texas this year. Our congratulations go out to each of these young ladies, their families, and their coaches."
Fleming-Wood comes to Nacogdoches after a successful prep career at Mansfield High School. A model of consistency in the 3,200 meters, Fleming-Wood has recorded a personal best of 11:30.27 in the event. She has repeated similar performances on big stages posting an 11:35.00 at the Texas Relays, and a time of 11:33.00 at the Justin Northwest Relays.
"Brette is a true distance runner that is just starting to come into her own," said Snelling. "She understands the factors that go into being an accomplished distance athlete. Her drive will propel her to success at the collegiate level in cross country and the 5,000 and 10,000 meters."
A standout for coach Julie Martin at McKinney High School, Ganter enters her collegiate career after making a name for herself as one of the top distance runners at the regional and state levels. Ganter posted a sixth-place finish at the Texas Class 4A State Cross Country meet as a junior. She closed out her junior season with a third-place finish in the 1,600-meters at the 4A Region IV Championships.
Ganter picked up in her senior season, where she left off as a junior. She recorded a time of 17:54 to finish 17th overall at the prestigious Footlocker South Championship meet. She went on to win the 2007 regional cross country meet and advance to the state meet where she recorded a fourth-place finish.
"Stephanie is an underdeveloped talent, which is amazing with her list of accomplishments," said Snelling. "She balanced a successful soccer career with cross country and track most of her high school career. The focus she brings along with that talent will allow that untapped potential to blossom during her time at SFA.
Robertson is an Alvin High School product from Manvel, Texas. In the past two seasons, Robertson has competed at the prestigious Footlocker South Champs and Nike South Cross Country Invitational. Roberston posted a time of 18:06 to finish 25th overall at the Footlocker South Championships.
During her senior year, Robertson has posted some strong finishes during the cross country season. Robertson just missed an individual title in the Nike South Cross Country Invitational finishing second overall. She wrapped up her senior cross country season by recording a fourth-place finish at the 5A state meet. It marked the second consecutive season that Robertson recorded a fourth-place finish at the meet.
As a sophomore, Robertson recorded a time of 4:58.16, which was the sixth fastest time in the state. She followed that up by clocking the eighth-fastest time (10:54.07) in the 3,200 meters within the state.
"Brittainy is an extremely accomplished athlete that has the potential to develop into a great collegiate distance runner," said Snelling. "She does not accept anything less than a complete effort on a daily basis. It will be exciting to get her into a team environment that will support and push her on a daily basis."
A local product from the Arp High School ranks, Wymer has really come on strong for coach George Greer over the course of the past two seasons. Wymer closed out her junior campaign with a third-place finish in the 3,200 meters at the 2A regional track and field meet. During cross country this past season, Wymer won the 2A Region III individual title advancing to the state championships, where she finished 10th overall.
"Randi is an East Texas talent that will greatly benefit from being in our team and training environment," said Snelling. "I look forward to seeing her develop into a competitive athlete in the Southland Conference."
"The athletes in this recruiting class have a great deal in common. The high level of talent is obvious with their vast accomplishments. Everyone of these Texas girls is driven to exceed on the track and in the classroom. Their work ethic is amazing. Additionally, they are a great fit for our team chemistry and really understand what we can accomplish in the future. This is easily one of the best classes of distance runners in school history and they will make an immediate impact. I look forward to watching them achieve at the highest level over the coming years," added Snelling.
SFA sprint coach Ta' Frias ventured to Denton, Texas to secure the services of Shorter. A Guyer High School standout, Shorter is one of the top sprinters in the state. She has recorded a personal best of 12.0 in the 100 meters, and has finished as high as fifth at state in the event. Shorter is also a valuable member of the Guyer relay teams, helping lead her prep squad to the state championships in the 4x100, and 4x200-meter relays.
"We are very excited about the speed and talent Brittany brings to our program," said Frias. "She is relatively new to the sport of track and field and has only just tapped into her potential as a sprinter. She is truly committed to the sport and has chosen to devote her senior year to training for the track and field season. I am looking forward to watching her compete in her final high school season and I'm excited that she will be joining our ranks in the fall."
-SFA-
