SFA Track and Field Announces Five New Additions to Program
12/19/2017 4:36:00 PM | Track & Field
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – SFA Track and Field head coach Phil Olson announced the signing of five new track and field athletes on Tuesday that are set to join the program beginning next fall. A pair of distance runners in Alexis Antkowiak (Brenham, Texas/Brenham HS) and Awet Beraki (Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer HS) will join field athletes Abi Toops (Leander, Texas/ Rouse) and Nastassja Campbell (New Caney, Texas/ New Caney HS) at SFA in Fall of 2018, while Avery Ellis-Byerly will join the program as a heptathlete in January.
Antkowiak will join SFA after concluding a prep career in which she was a two-time state qualifier in cross country and a two-time region qualifier in the 1600m. Alexis reached PR's of 5:22.45 (1600m), 11:39.53 (3200m), 18:22.20 (5k XC) and 7:33.64 (2000k steeplechase).
"Alexis will be a good edition to our squad this year", said SFA cross country coach Cody Clark. "She comes from a great program at Brenham - her coach Trenton Hall is an alumni. I believe Alexis is on the cusp of really making that next big step at the collegiate level, and I look forward to seeing that through. She will be a solid productive member of the distance squad, and will help us in cross country and 5k-10k on the track."
Beraki hails from Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he set PR's of 9:35.74 in the 3200m and 1:10:09 in the half-marathon.
"Awet comes from Colorado where his ability has steadily flown under the radar," added Clark. "I believe Awet can make an immediate impact in our program and have a presence at the regional and national level one day. Awet will be one of our top guys on the cross country team and cover 5k-10k on the track as well."
Toops joins SFA after a successful career as a jumper at Leander Rouse High School in Leander, Texas. She set personal bests in the long jump (17' 4") and high jump (5'4") and will compete primarily as a heptathlete at SFA.
"Abi will be a heptathlete for us," said SFA multi/jumps coach Ron McCown. "She is a very talented jumper and I am excited to see her development as a multi. She wants to compete in the heptathlon and I believe she has the mentality and work ethic to be very successful."
After qualifying for the 5A state meet in all three high school seasons, Campbell will join the SFA program in the fall as a pole vaulter.
"It is awesome to have Natassja Campbell on our team for next year," said McCown. "This young lady has done very well up to this point, having qualified for the 5A state meet in each of her three high school seasons. I feel like she is one of the best vaulters in the state."
Joining the team in January will be Avery Ellis-Byerly, who has notched personal bests of 115'9" in the javelin and 42' in the shot put. She attended Austin Bowie High School in Austin, Texas, and will also compete for the Ladyjacks as a heptathlete.
"Avery will be a heptathlete for us beginning in January," added McCown. "Avery has great potential as a multi and I am very pleased to have her join our team. Avery has been working with one of the best high jump/field event coaches in the country in Sue Humphrey for the past few years, and I expect her to have an impact immediately."
-SFA-
Antkowiak will join SFA after concluding a prep career in which she was a two-time state qualifier in cross country and a two-time region qualifier in the 1600m. Alexis reached PR's of 5:22.45 (1600m), 11:39.53 (3200m), 18:22.20 (5k XC) and 7:33.64 (2000k steeplechase).
"Alexis will be a good edition to our squad this year", said SFA cross country coach Cody Clark. "She comes from a great program at Brenham - her coach Trenton Hall is an alumni. I believe Alexis is on the cusp of really making that next big step at the collegiate level, and I look forward to seeing that through. She will be a solid productive member of the distance squad, and will help us in cross country and 5k-10k on the track."
Beraki hails from Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he set PR's of 9:35.74 in the 3200m and 1:10:09 in the half-marathon.
"Awet comes from Colorado where his ability has steadily flown under the radar," added Clark. "I believe Awet can make an immediate impact in our program and have a presence at the regional and national level one day. Awet will be one of our top guys on the cross country team and cover 5k-10k on the track as well."
Toops joins SFA after a successful career as a jumper at Leander Rouse High School in Leander, Texas. She set personal bests in the long jump (17' 4") and high jump (5'4") and will compete primarily as a heptathlete at SFA.
"Abi will be a heptathlete for us," said SFA multi/jumps coach Ron McCown. "She is a very talented jumper and I am excited to see her development as a multi. She wants to compete in the heptathlon and I believe she has the mentality and work ethic to be very successful."
After qualifying for the 5A state meet in all three high school seasons, Campbell will join the SFA program in the fall as a pole vaulter.
"It is awesome to have Natassja Campbell on our team for next year," said McCown. "This young lady has done very well up to this point, having qualified for the 5A state meet in each of her three high school seasons. I feel like she is one of the best vaulters in the state."
Joining the team in January will be Avery Ellis-Byerly, who has notched personal bests of 115'9" in the javelin and 42' in the shot put. She attended Austin Bowie High School in Austin, Texas, and will also compete for the Ladyjacks as a heptathlete.
"Avery will be a heptathlete for us beginning in January," added McCown. "Avery has great potential as a multi and I am very pleased to have her join our team. Avery has been working with one of the best high jump/field event coaches in the country in Sue Humphrey for the past few years, and I expect her to have an impact immediately."
-SFA-
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