SIU Track & Field Introduces 2016 Recruiting Class
08/22/2016 | 5:00:00 | Track and Field
Director of Track and Field Kathleen Raske adds 21 to 2016-17 roster.
CARBONDALE, Ill. - With the 2016-17 school year beginning today, the Southern Illinois Track and Field program introduced their full 2016 recruiting class. The Salukis continue to bring in and develop some of the top prep athletes from across the nation and abroad.
To learn more about the Saluki newcomers, read their bios below:
2016 SPRING SIGNEES
Gavin Hartley
Mid-Distance
Benton, Ill.
Benton High School
Prep Personal Bests:
400m: 50.6
800m: 1:55.73
Hartley comes to Southern Illinois from nearby Benton High School, where he was a three-time all-conference cross country runner and twice earned All-State honors. As a senior, Hartley ended the indoor season by placing third in the 800m at the Illinois Class 2A Top Times Championships. Outdoors, Hartley won the 800m at the IHSA Class 2A Carterville Sectional with a personal-best time of 1:55.73, and finished third in the event at the IHSA Class 2A State Championships.
Kelly O'Shea
Mid-Distance
Valparaiso, Ind.
Vincennes University
JUCO Personal Bests:
600m: 1:39.54
800m: 2:18.65
1000m: 3:03.38
1500m: 4:48.83
3000m: 11:06.07
3000m-steeplechase: 11:29.84
O'Shea comes to Southern Illinois by way of Vincennes University, where she had a tremendous career as a Trailblazer. The Valparaiso, Ind. native was a five-time NJCAA All-American, most recently placing fourth in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2016 NJCAA Outdoor Championships. Prior to Vincennes, O'Shea attended Wheeler High School and was a three-time state qualifier in the 800m.
Tony Newbern
Distance
Avon, Ind.
Avon High School
Prep Personal Bests:
400m: 50.62
800m: 1:53.88
Newbern arrives in Carbondale from Avon High School, where he primarily competed in the 400m, 800m, 4x400m and 4x800m. The Avon, Ind. native was a member of the Orioles' 4x800 relay team that finished second at the 2015 IHSAA State meet. The following season, Avon's 4x800 relay finished fifth and again earned All-State honors. Newbern also qualified for the state meet in 2016 in the 800m.
Chris Edwards
Distance
Columbia, Mo.
Hickman High School
Prep Personal Bests:
1600m: 4:21.45
3200m: 10:16.80
Edwards joins the Southern Illinois cross country and track and field programs after finishing his senior season as Hickman's most successful runner. The Columbia, Mo. native was the school's highest finisher at the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships in November, and was the school's only male state track and field qualifier, where he finished 10th in the 1,600 meters.
Sian Person
Throws
Carbondale, Ill.
Carbondale Community High School
Prep Personal Bests:
Shot Put: 43'-6"
Person will have the shortest drive to campus of any of the Saluki newcomers, as she attended Carbondale Community High School, where she is the school's all-time record holder in the shot put. A two-time state qualifier in the shot, Person finished fourth at the 2015 IHSA Class 2A State meet. She also won back-to-back South Seven Conference shot put titles and twice finished in the top-8 at the Illinois Top Times Championships, Illinois' unofficial state championship meet.
Nikki Freeman
Throws
Fox River Grove, Ill.
Cary-Grove High School
Prep Personal Bests:
Discus: 150'-2"
Shot Put: 42'-10"
Freeman's name should look familiar to Saluki fans, as she's the sister of five-time All-American Josh Freeman. She's made a name for herself at Cary-Grove, where she became just the second female athlete in school history to win a state title. The Fox River Grove, Ill. native took home the gold in the discus while finishing fifth in the shot put. In doing so, Freeman was selected as the Northwest Herald's Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Jared Kern
Throws
Machesney Park, Ill.
Lincoln College / Harlem High School
JUCO Personal Bests:
Shot Put: 61'-1.25"
After a strong two-year stint at Lincoln College in Illinois, Kern comes to Southern Illinois with the pedigree to help bolster the Salukis right off the bat. The Machesney, Ill. native was the 2016 NJCAA Outdoor National Champion in the shot put with a toss of 17.90m (58'-08.75''), winning by more than six inches. During his freshman year at Lincoln, Kern earned All-America honors with a fourth place showing in the shot at the NJCAA Outdoor National Championship en route to being named the USTFCCCA Atlantic Division Male Field Athlete of the Year. Prior to Lincoln, Kern attended Harlem High School, where he was a two-time state qualifier in the shot.
Kyle Kling
Throws
Machesney Park, Ill.
Lincoln College / Harlem High School
JUCO Personal Bests:
Shot Put: 53'-9.75"
Discus: 160'-11"
Hammer Throw: 147'-7"
Kling and Jared Kern have been teammates since their freshman year at Harlem High School, and will continue to be at Southern Illinois. Kling qualified for the 2016 NJCAA Outdoor National Championships in both the shot put and the discus, finishing 10th in the discus. During his senior season at Harlem High School, Kling finished fifth in the shot put and 11th in the discus at the IHSA Class 3A State meet.
Emani James
Jumps/Multis
Calumet City, Ill.
T.F. North High School
Prep Personal Bests:
Long Jump: 17'-3.25"
Triple Jump: 38'-2.5"
James comes to Carbondale by way of Calumet City, Ill., where she had a tremendous prep career as a Meteor. She was a three-time state qualifier in the triple jump, finishing as high as sixth at the 2015 IHSA Class 3A State meet. At the 2016 Illinois Top Times Indoor Championships, James took fourth in the event with a personal-best jump of 37'-11.75".
Kilee Hagerstrand
Jumps/Multis
Tuscon, Ariz.
Central Arizona CC / Marana High School
JUCO Personal Bests:
800m: 2:38.93
60H: 8.83
100H: 14.10
High Jump: 4'-11.50"
Long Jump: 17'-11"
Javelin: 132'-3"
Pentathlon: 3206 points
Heptathlon: 4308 points
Hagerstrand arrives at Southern Illinois after a successful two-year stint at Central Arizona Community College, where she was a seven-time NJCAA All-American across six different events. Her versatility and endurance were showcased at the 2016 NJCAA Region I Track and Field Championships, as she placed in the top-8 in seven events, one of which was the heptathlon.
Charlene Helton
Jumps/Multis
Carrollton, Ill.
Carlinville High School
Prep Personal Bests:
400m: 1:03.67
Javelin: 128'-6"
Long Jump: 15'-8.75"
Helton qualified for the IHSA Class A State meet in back-to-back seasons while at Carlinville High School, and competed in the 100m and the 200m at the 2015 Illinois Top Times Indoor Championships. She most recently took eighth in the javelin at the 2016 AAU Junior Olympics in Humble, Texas.
Devyn Torbert
Sprints/Hurdles
Florissant, Mo.
Hazelwood Central High School
Prep Personal-bests:
60m hurdles: 9.79
100m hurdles: 15.10
300m hurdles: 44.88
400m: 1:00.21
Torbert was a nine-time state qualifier across five events while at Hazelwood Central High School, competing in the 100 and 300m hurdles as well as the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays. As a freshman, Torbert was part of the 4x200 relay that won the MSHSAA Class 3 & 4 State title. In 2015, the 4x100 relay team with Torbert as the anchor medaled at the MSHSAA state meet, finishing third. During her senior season, the Florissant, Mo. native ran a personal-best 44.88 in the 300m-hurdles at the MSHSAA Class 5 State championships, placing fifth.
Luca-Anna Palasti
Sprints
Szeged, Hungary
Personal-bests:
400m: 54.47
800m: 2:11.63
Palasti comes to Carbondale as an already established runner in her home country of Hungary, having won bronze in the 4x400m relay at the 2016 Hungarian Athletics Championships. In 2013, she took eighth in the 400m at the 2013 IAAF World Youth Championships.
Jaylen Galloway
Sprints/Hurdles
Calumet City, Ill.
T.F. North High School
Prep Personal Bests:
110H: 14.56
300H: 39.32
Galloway was a three-time state qualifier while at T.F. North High School, qualifying twice in the 4x200 and once in the 300m hurdles. Indoors, the Calumet City, Ill. native won both 60m hurdle events he competed in as a senior, running a personal-best 8.35 to win the Auburn Invitational on Feb. 6. Galloway's athleticism was on display throughout his senior season, as he competed in seven different events outdoors and won four event titles.
BriAnna Branch
Sprints/Hurdles
Chicago, Ill.
Mount Mercy University / Chicago Hope Academy
Prep Personal Bests:
100m: 11.70
Branch transfers to Southern Illinois from Mount Mercy University, where she earned NAIA All-America honors in the 100m dash. The Chicago, Ill. native broke the school record in the 100m with a time of 11.70 in the prelims of the NAIA outdoor national meet. Prior to Mount Mercy, Branch broke the 100m school record at Chicago Hope Academy and was a two-time state qualifier in the 100-meter dash.
These six Salukis signed during the fall signing period.
Genesis Ewell
Sprints
St. Charles, Mo.
Orchard Farm High School
Prep Personal Bests:
400-meter dash: 57.58
Ewell is a multi-talented sprinter from Orchard Farm High School. Ewell is a four-time state qualifier, most recently finishing fourth in the 400m and eighth in the 200m at the 2016 MSHSAA Class 3 Track and Field Championships. In 2015, the St. Charles, Mo. native finished third in the 400 and eighth in the 100 at the state meet after finishing seventh in the 400 as a sophomore.
Savannah Long
Hurdles
DeKalb, Ill.
DeKalb High School
Prep Personal Bests:
60-meter hurdles: 9.02
100-meter hurdles: 14.56
300-meter hurdles: 43.34
400-meter hurdles: 62.44
400m: 58.24
Long won the IHSA Class 3A State title in the 300-meter low hurdles with a personal-best time of 43.34, and was a six-time state qualifier. The DeKalb High School standout was the runner-up in the 400 hurdles at the USA Track & Field Junior Olympics with a personal-best time of 62.44 seconds. She was recognized as the Daily Chronicle's Girls Track and Field Player of the Year and intends to major in criminal justice at SIU. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.
Maddi Meyer
Multi-events
Carterville, Ill.
Carterville High School
Prep Personal Bests:
Long Jump: 18'-1"
400-meter dash: 57.58
200-meter dash: 25.42
Meyer placed in the long jump at the state meet all four seasons while at Carterville High School, finishing as high as second. A 13-time state qualifier across the long jump, 100m, 200m and 400m, Meyer finished second in the long jump and seventh in the 100 at the 2014 IHSA Class 2A meet on her way to being named The Southern Illinoisan's Girls Track Athlete of the Year. She is the daughter of SIU track and field alumna Brandi (Mock) Meyer and has yet to decide on a major.
Olivia Murphy
Distance
Mandeville, La.
Mandeville High School
Prep Personal Bests:
5K (XC): 18:36
1 Mile: 5:16.05
Murphy led the Mandeville High School girls cross country team to the 2015 Louisiana 5A state championship with a first-place finish. The Mandeville, La. native was the individual champion of the state meet with a time of 18:36. As a sophomore, Murphy took second at the Class 5A championship meet finishing the 3-mile race in a time of 18 minutes, 26.99 seconds. She was also named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) All-State track and field team for the 1600 and 3200.
Alexis Roberson
Throws
Jefferson City, Mo.
Jefferson City High School
Prep Personal Bests:
Shot put: 43'-0.75"
Discus: 143'-8"
The St. Charles, Mo. native won Jefferson City's first-ever Class 5 state shot put title at the 2015 Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Track & Field Championships. As a senior, Roberson narrowly repeated as champ, finishing second in the shot and third in the discus. She qualified in the shot in each of her four years and intends to major in exercise science at SIU.
Nathan Stout
Throws
Glenville, W. Va.
Gilmer County High School
Prep Personal Best:
Shot put: 61'-9"
Discus: 167'-0"
Stout put an exclamation point on his stellar prep career at Gilmer County High School in West Virginia, sweeping the shot put and discus at the West Virginia Class A State meet for the second-consecutive year. A four-time state champion, Stout also won the national championship in the shot put and placed fourth in the discus at the 2013 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Junior Olympics, and later took fourth in the shot put at the 2015 AAU National Junior Olympics. In the classroom, Stout is ranked eighth in his senior class, intends to major in exercise science and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Players Mentioned
