SFA Track & Field Lands Strong Signing Class
9/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Sept. 7, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin men's and women's track and field team signed 21 athletes announced head coach Phil Olson Wednesday afternoon. The 2011 signing class fits Olson's system of adding strength across the board on both the men's and women's roster. The class consists of seven sprinters, five throwers, three multi-event athletes, four middle distance runners, one high jumper, a pole vaulter, one distance runner and a hurdler.
"We are really excited about the quality of this incoming class," said Olson. "It is a strong class that adds talent several event areas. The class is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our coaching staff. They targeted standout athletes who fit our needs and did a great job in the recruiting process."
Sprints and hurdles coach Sean Lonergan added five talented sprinters and a hurdler to the Ladyjack roster. The sprinters include Olivia Harris, Cierra Jefferson, Brasharyia Simpson, D'arkeisha Tryon and Sharmaine Williams, while Ashley Burris is the lone hurdler in the group.
A product from Katy's Taylor High School, Harris will focus on the short sprints, along with Simpson. One of the state's top sprinters, Simpson won the 100-meter dash state title for Marlin High School.
"Olivia has a lot of talent and is relatively new to track," said Lonergan. "So we feel like her best days are ahead of her. We are also excited about the addition of Brasha's speed and championship abilities. I believe she can be an impact athlete in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes."
Jefferson comes to SFA from Arlington Seguin High School where she was a 4A State finalist in the 400 meters, 4x200 meter and 4x400-meter relays. A talented sprinter with good range, Jefferson will be expected to produce in several different events for the Ladyjacks. Tryon is similar to Jefferson in that she has the range and versatility to help SFA in several different events. She has excelled in all of the relay disciplines during her prep career, and has the ability to help in the 60 - 400-meter races. In addition to Jefferson and Tryon, Williams will strengthen the Ladyjacks' 200-400 group.
"We just love Cierra's work ethic and attitude," said Lonergan. "We feel like she will step right in and help us in the 400 and relays. Keisha is an all-around sprinter with a great attitude that we believe will be a real boost in many areas. Sharmaine gives us great depth in the 200 and 400 events. We will count on her to be pretty versatile and help us in several areas."
Burris, the lone hurdle signee, was a high school teammate of Tryon at Mansfield Timberview. A former state champion in the 300-meter hurdles, Burris was ranked among the nation's top-10 in the event.
"Ashley is a high level athlete with great speed from a very strong program," said Lonergan. "Not only a success on the track, she is also a very strong student-athlete. We are thrilled to have her on the roster."
SFA will be counting on Glenn McQuinney, Darryl Dozier and Shawn Goff to bolster an already strong, youthful men's sprints squad. High school teammates at Irving Nimitz, McQuinney and Dozier will be expected to help the relays and focus on the true sprints while Goff will be more of 400-800 runner.
"Glenn is one of the premier quarter-milers that graduated last year," said Lonergan. "We are anxious for him to step in and be a part our young, talented 400 group already established on campus. Darryl is a very talented sprinter who has had success in all of the relays, and we think if we can keep him healthy, he could be a huge success.
"Shawn is a former state finalist, who comes in with a great attitude. He's pretty new to the 800, so he should have a good deal of room to excel as a 400-800 guy," added Lonergan.
Coppell native Landon Massey will join Goff in the middle distance events. An 800-meter runner, Massey helped guide Coppell to the distance medley relay title at the Texas Relays.
"Landon is a hard worker that will add to our depth in the 800," said Lonergan. "We love the work ethic he brings to the table."
Dejernal Jordan will look to strengthen the women's middle distance roster, which already consists of the 2011 SLC 800-meter champion in Danielle Burchett. An east Texas product, Jordan won the state 800-meter title for San Augustine High School.
"We love her attitude and championship mentality," said Lonergan. "She will add to our already strong 800-meter group."
The additions of Caitlin Jones and Lindsey McDonald to the Ladyjack roster, and Cody Rhodes for the men address an immediate need, with graduation taking a heavy toll on SFA's multi-event athletes.
A USATF Nike Junior Olympic All-American, Jones is a two-time TAAF high jump champion who won the 2009 high jump national title. A very versatile athlete, Jones has qualified for the regional championships in the high jump, triple jump, long jump, 400 and 800-meter relays. In 2011, she scored 48 points at the district championships, and qualified for the regional meet in five events.
McDonald was three-time selection to the Beaumont Enterprise Super Gold Track team following a career that saw her win four regional titles in the 300-meter hurdles, and finish among the state's top four in the event all four seasons. She was also a two-time regional champion and state qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles. A four-sport letterwinner at East Chambers High, McDonald also excelled in the classroom being named to the National Honor Society and graduating in the top 10-percent of her class.
A pure athlete, Rhodes received all-district honors in three sports during his high school career. Rhodes is a two-time district champion in the 100 and 300-meter hurdles, who closed out his prep career by adding a district title in the pole vault and high jump. In addition to helping guide his football team to a state title, he also ran the lead off leg of Celina's 2011 state champion 1,600-meter relay team.
A three-time district and regional high jump champion, Ashley Gadson comes to SFA following a standout career at Sabine High School. Gadson cleared a personal-best height of 5-8.00 in the event, and won back-to-back state titles. A district MVP in basketball, Gadson closed out her high school career by posting a third-place finish at the state championships.
Jessica Cunningham comes to Nacogdoches following a high school career that has already seen her clear 12 feet in the pole vault. She closed out her prep career with a fifth-place finish at the state championships. Cunningham was a regional qualifier for Canyon Lake High School in three events during her career, and was just as successful in the classroom. An academic all-state selection, Cunningham graduated fourth in her class.
"This is a very athletic group that will have an immediate impact," said multis coach Ron McCown. "I am excited to have them on our team and I look for great accomplishments from the entire group."
Nick Guerra is the lone distance runner in the 2011 signing class. Guerra is another individual state champion in a very strong recruiting class. A state cross country champion during his junior season, Guerra finished off the year strong by posting a second-place finish in the two-mile run, and a third-place spot in the one mile during the track season. He closed out his high school career by posting third-place finishes in cross country and the two-mile run and a runner-up finish in the mile run at the state championships. Guerra brings personal bests of 15:37 (5,000 meters), 9:33 (two miles) and 4:23 (one mile) to Nacogdoches.
"Nick comes from a small school where his work ethic really thrived," said distance coach Cody Clark. "He has been really successful the last two years of his high school career and he is looking to continue that success here at SFA. I have no doubt that he will be successful in the years to come. We look forward to seeing him grow as a member of the men's distance squad."
SFA added five throwers, which includes two on the men's side and three on the women's side. The Ladyjack signees fill an immediate need for the three-time defending indoor and outdoor conference champions. Madison Johnston, La'Tricia Griffin and Tiffany Mott will look to fill the void left by the graduation of former conference champion two conference champions and an All-American in the past two years.
Similar to Andrews, Johnston comes to Nacogdoches from Ontario, Canada, where she was the top-ranked junior javelin thrower. Johnston has posted a personal best of 153-6 in the event, but her skills are not simply focused in the javelin. The Barrie, Ontario, native, also was the fourth-ranked junior in the discus (141-6).
"Madi has been involved in many different throwing disciplines," said Olson. "She is a talented young woman with a strong upside athletically. We will narrow her event focus and let her concentrate her technique in the discus and the javelin, all the while improving her fitness levels."
Griffin is the regional record-holder in the discus for Van Vleck High School. One of the top-10 discus throwers in the state, Griffin comes to Nacogdoches with a toss of 147-2 in the event. She also brings a personal record of 42-6.25 in the shot put with her to SFA. There was already a strong connection with SFA prior to Griffin's recruitment. Griffin's mother, Pat Johnson, was a former standout on the Ladyjack basketball team.
"La'Tricia has all the tools to be an outstanding collegiate thrower," said Olson. "She has the potential to be a three-event athlete for us."
Mott is an east Texas standout who comes to SFA from Diboll High School where she excelled in the shot put and discus. A former state and regional qualifier, Mott brings a personal best of 123-6 in the discus and 40-9 in the shot put.
"Tiffany is a terrific young lady who I expect to really take off in the throws when she gets to college," said Olson. "She is very motivated on the field and in the classroom, and I expect to see a lot of improvement in her events immediately."
Derek Calvert and Adam Amaya will strengthen what was considered one of the top young throws' squads in the league last year. Calvert is a two-time state champion who has the skills to help SFA in the shot put, hammer throw and discus. The state's 14th-ranked shot putter, Calvert brings a personal best of 58-1 in the shot, and 166-2 in the discus, to Nacogdoches.
Amaya, a teammate of Calvert's at Grand Saline High School, will also compete for SFA in the shot put, discus and hammer throws. Amaya was a regional qualifier in both the shot and discus.
"Derek will provide some talent and depth in both the shot put and discus," said Olson. Obviously, a two-time gold medalist at the state meet is someone who you want on your team, and we are excited about Derek's future."
"Adam is a good all-around athlete. We are going to see what events he is best suited for in college. His athleticism may transfer well to learning the hammer and eventually the weight throw. I am looking forward to seeing what he can do," added Olson.
The SFA men's and women's track and field program is coming off its most successful season in school history. The Ladyjacks captured the Southland Conference triple crown in 2010-11, winning the league titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. The track and field titles marked the third consecutive for both seasons, while the Lumberjacks won their first conference outdoor title in program history last May. Olson has delivered a level of success unparalleled in school history recording 19 conference titles since the 2001-02 season.
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