Troy University Athletics
Trojan Track and Field Adds 24 With 2013 Recruiting Class
2/22/2013 4:14:00 PM | Cross Country, Track & Field
TROY, Ala. – Troy University track and field and cross country, as well as head coach Jill Lancaster are happy to announce their 2013 recruiting class. 15 female and nine male student-athletes will join the program next year.
“Obviously we feel this class of early signees have the talent to propel our program to the next level,” Lancaster said. “This is a great reflection and complement to our staff to be able to attract such gifted and talented athletes who will represent Troy University, our athletic program and the community at a very high level athletically and academically.”
The class features student-athletes from seven different states, including seven from Alabama. The women's team brings in eight distance runners, while the men's squad will see five new faces.
ATHLETES
Female
Event Hometown Previous School
Makensie Block Distance Woodstock, Ga. Woodstock HS
Katrina Bokenfohr Distance Enterprise, Ala. Enterprise HS
Kristina Bokenfohr Distance Enterprise, Ala. Enterprise HS
Corina Cox Throws Los Fresnos, Texas Los Fresnos HS
Madison Hale Distance Marrietta, Ga. Carlton J. Kell HS
Sara Lane Distance Tallahassee, Fla. Chiles HS
Rae Leach Distance Gadsden, Ala. Westbrook Christian
Marsel Mosley Distance Niceville, Fla. Niceville HS
Sarah Northup Distance Howey in the Hills, Fla. Tavares HS
Tabitha Parker Distance Fort Myers, Fla. Riverdale HS
Mariah Pennington Throws Huntsville, Ala. Huntsville HS
Riley Schwietz Heptathlon/Hurdles Frisco, Texas Wakeland HS
Lauren Smith Throws West Union, Iowa Iowa Central CC
Aleeah Stigarll Heptathlon/Jumps Mansfield, Texas Mansfield HS
Ali Taylor Throws Kansas City, Mo. Staley HS
Male
Event Hometown Previous School
Cameron Allen Distance Palm Coast, Fla. Matanzas HS
Jake Bagwell Distance Marietta, Ga. Marietta HS
Tim Bulger Distance Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Fort Walton Beach HS
Chris Cazer Middle Distance Madison, Ala. Bob Jones HS
Madison Estes Middle Distance Scottsboro, Ala. Scottsboro HS
Hayes Grissom Throws Overland Park, Kan. Johnson County CC
Stephen Haye Sprints Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Hinds CC
Travis Lucas Distance Tampa, Fla. HB Plant HS
Josh Nelson Distance Foley, Ala. Foley HS
WOMEN
Makensie Block
Personal Bests
5k XC – 19:45.12
1600 – 5:37
Block comes to Troy after a great career at Woodstock High School, where she also played basketball. While there, she earned all-county and all-region accolades in cross country.
“A star basketball player at Woodstock, Makensie will be able to specialize a little more as she moves to the next level,” cross country and distance coach Jeff Jenkins said. “With her intelligent edge, I expect Makensie to be a potential cross country runner for us and to make an immediate splash as a 1500/3k steeple specialist.”
Katrina Bokenfohr
Personal Bests
5k XC – 19:45.03
Bokenfohr will join the Trojans after a successful prep career at Enterprise High School. She was the co-captain of her squad and was a qualifier for the USATF Cross Country Junior Olympics. A five-time all-state selection in cross country, Bokenfohr holds her school record in the 5k as well as being part of the school record holding 4x800 team.
“Kat is someone who is used to winning,” said Jenkins. “It's great to get the local talent from our backyard that seems to be running on natural ability. I believe she will thrive in the environment at Troy University and prove to be a solid addition to our women's roster.”
Kristina Bokenfohr
Personal Bests
5k XC – 20:08.58
Kristina joins her twin sister Katrina for the 2013 cross country season at Troy. Kristina was a co-captain of the cross country team at Enterprise High School, earning all-state honors five times. She currently holds school records in the 800, 1600 and 3000, as well as being part of the school record holding 4x800 team.
“Tina really shows her competitive edge by performing well in the biggest races,” said Jenkins. “Like her twin sister Katrina, she competes well on ability alone. With the training environment our girls have fostered, Tine has the ability to show some tremendous upswing.”
Corina Cox
Personal Bests
Discus – 154'-0.25”
Shot Put – 40'-6.25”
Cox joins the Trojans as an accomplished thrower at Fresnos High School in Fresnos, Texas, ranked 25th in the nation in the discus by MileSplit. She placed third at the AAU Junior Olympic National Championships in the discus, earning All-American accolades. She placed fourth at the Texas 5A State Championships in the discus and ninth in the shot put.
“Corina is a great get for our program,” said throwing coach Shawn Williams. “Not only is she one of the top-ranked discus throwers in the nation, but she is just as good in the classroom as a student. With finishing third last summer in the AAU Junior Olympic National Championships she has shown what she can do against the top competition in the country. We can't wait for her to continue her success as a Trojan.”
Madison Hale
Personal Bests
5k XC – 20:44.77
1600 – 5:59.30
A three-time captain at Carlton J. Kell High School in Marrietta, Ga., Hale will join the Trojans for the 2013 season. Hale competed in cross country and distance events for the track and field team, earning Most Valuable Runner accolades from her team.
“As one of the top women at Kell High School, Madison has demonstrated extraordinary leadership,” Jenkins said. “Her coaches have raved about her ability to lead. I think Madison is in for a major breakthrough at the college level.”
Sara Lane
Personal Bests
5k XC – 19:16.60
3200 – 11:55.20
1600 – 5:31.54
Lane comes to Troy after competing in Tallahassee, Fla., where she helped lead Chiles High School to the 2010 FHSAA 3A Girls State Championship. She was a two-time first-team All-Panhandle selection in cross country, as well as a two-time Tallahassee Democrat All Big Bend in cross country.
“Sara is as solid as a rock when it comes to showing up in big races and being consistently reliable,” said Jenkins. “She is a team player that brings a great knowledge of the sport. I believe that she will see tremendous gains this spring after a successful fall. Sara has an unmistakable love for Troy and is going to be a valuable asset in everything from the 1500-meter to cross country.”
Rae Leach
Personal Bests
5k XC – 22:46.04
Leach enjoyed success at Westbrook Christian School in Gadsden, Ala., both in cross country and in the classroom. She was captain of her school's cross country team in its first year as a program and was a Wendy's Heisman Scholar Athlete, as well as a Bryant-Jordan Scholar Athlete.
“Rae came to the sport from cheerleading and has almost no competitive running background,” Jenkins said. “I am very excited to have Rae joining us this fall and to see how she will do after training regularly. She is the type that will thrive in a team environment with top facilities and training. I'm thrilled to be adding the textbook definition of a scholar athlete from in-state.”
Marsel Mosley
Personal Bests
5k XC – 18:19.71
3200 – 11:35.38
1600 – 5:13.26
800 – 2:20.23
Prior to coming to Troy, Mosley was an accomplished distance runner at Niceville High School in Niceville, Fla. She competed in both track and field and cross country, holding several school records. Mosley, the FHSAA 3A District 1 XC Champion, was named the Florida Daily Newspaper Runner of the Year, was team MVP three times and the Okaloosa County champion.
“Marsel is one of the top distance runners in our region,” said Jenkins. “She is highly competitive and motivated despite an inactive senior cross country season. I'm watching for Marsel to be an immediate points scorer at Sun Belt in anything from 800-meters to 10,000-meters and a possible all-conference cross country runner for Troy women.”
Sarah Northup
Personal Bests
5k XC – 20:07.97
Northup earned first-team all-county twice in cross country, helping lead her team to the district championship. A two-time team cross country MVP, Northup was also a strong competitor in track and field, holding the school record in the 4x800.
“Sarah has an incredibly inviting personality that will prove to be a glue for the team,” Jenkins said. “She has real ability to make a push for a top-7 spot this fall in cross country. For the past few years, she has yet to level off. Her improvements are coming by the minute.”
Tabitha Parker
Personal Bests
5k XC – 21:55.06
Parker joins the Trojans after competing at Riverdale High School in Fort Myers, Fla. A three-time team captain, Parker was a strong competitor in cross country.
“Tabitha comes from an athletic family,” said Jenkins. “We look to transition her to a slightly higher training load and see some big improvements this fall. She has a ton of Trojan Pride and will, without a doubt, bring a lot to our team for the next four years.”
Maria Pennington
Personal Bests
Javelin – 136'-2”
A 2011 AHSAA 6A state champion and state record holder in the javelin, Pennington comes to Troy with an accomplished history in the sport. She placed second in the javelin in 2012 and was ranked as high as 38th in the nation as a sophomore in 2011.
“Mariah will add more talent to the great history of Troy javelin throwers,” Williams said. “As the state record holder and a top-50 national talent, Mariah could end up as one of the next great javelin throwers from our school.”
Riley Schwietz
Personal Bests
Heptathlon – 3666 points
100-meter hurdles – 15.24 seconds
Schwietz placed fifth at the 2012 USATF Outdoor Youth National Championships and will be sure to be a quality competitor for the Trojans next season.
“Riley has already gotten off to a great start this indoor season and looks to continue on this pace this spring,” Lancaster said. “We feel Aleeah and Riley will make a double impact in the heptathlon area while continuing to improve in their open events.”
Lauren Smith
Personal Bests
Discus – 153'-7”
Shot Put – 42'-00”
Weight Throw – 46'-10”
Hammer Throw – 130'-7”
A three-time state champion in high school (twice in discus, once in shot put), Smith comes to Troy after two seasons at Iowa Central Community College. She placed seventh at the NJCAA National Championships in the discus, earning All-American accolades. Smith was also a national qualifier in the shot put and weight throw in indoor, as well as the discus and shot put in outdoor track.
“Lauren is another great addition to our team as a top level national competitor,” said Williams. “She is a two-time state champion coming out of high school an last season proved herself against collegiate competition, finishing seventh at the Junior College National Championship meet. Any time you can add collegiate All-American, things are looking great.”
Aleeah Stigarll
Personal Bests
Heptathlon – 4235 points
High Jump – 5'-5.75”
Long Jump – 18'-3.75”
Stigarll will join the Trojans after a quality high school career. She was a USATF Junior Olympics National Championships qualifier, placing 12th in the heptathlon.
“Aleeah will bring a wealth of talent with valuable but limited experience in the heptathlon,” said Lancaster. “She will be able to expand on this as she learns the event. Her individual events will give us valuable depth as well.”
Ali Taylor
Personal Bests
Discus – 130'-3”
Taylor enjoyed a promising high school career at Staley High School in Kansas City, Mo. She will compete in the discus at Troy, after placing seventh at the MSHSAA 4A State Championships in the event.
“Ali has a lot of potential to do some big things at Troy in the throws,” Williams said. “She is a great student and an incredibly driven athlete with the right tools to make an impact down the road.”
MEN
Cameron Allen
Personal Bests
5k XC – 16:12.07
3200 – 10:07.08
1600 – 4:36.90
2k Steeplechase – 7:00.21
Allen joins the Trojans after helping make Matanzas High School to the FHSAA 3A District 4 cross country champions. A team captain, Allen will be expected to contribute in both cross country and track and field.
“As the top distance guy at Matanzas, Cameron has pulled through again and again for his team with several top-five finishes,” said Jenkins. “He is consistent, a natural leader and potentially an immediate top-seven cross country guy with the experience and ability to do well in the steeplechase and longer events.”
Jake Bagwell
Personal Bests
5k XC – 15:56.50
3200 – 10:01.91
1600 – 4:33.53
An all-county selection, Bagwell will join the Trojans as an extremely accomplished high school athlete. He was the individual champion at regionals and finished in the top 10 at the GHSAA Championships. He was named to the All-Atlanta Metro team for his accomplishments.
“Jake had a breakthrough senior season with some big new personal bests in cross country,” Jenkins said. “He has already ran a few good times outdoors in his junior season that look to be indicators of a big senior season and an even bigger collegiate career at Troy University. Jake is the type of guy that we expect to have an immediate impact in both track and cross country with little to no difficulty moving up to the 8k and 10k.”
Tim Bulger
Personal Bests
5k XC – 15:43.00
3200 – 10:19.42
1600 - 4:34.23
800 – 2:02.77
A three-time all-area selection, Bulger comes to Troy after competing at Fort Walton Beach High School. He holds a number of school records and will likely compete from day one.
“FWB has continued to put out quality athletes from their program,” said Jenkins. “Tim is no exception. He has a great knowledge for the sport and a wide range of ability. He also brings a competitive nature to some of the other guys on the team that he used to compete with and against in high school.”
Chris Cazer
Personal Bests
800 – 2:02.33
400 – 51.48
Cazer, a member of the Alabama First Team Elite, joins the program with a deep football background and will compete in the middle distance events.
“Chris is also a football player turned middle distance runner,” Jenkins said. “He is relatively new to this side of the sport, but has run well in the few times he has raced at the distance. He will be making a big transition this fall to add a little more volume to his training and is a sure fire future points scorer in the middle distance events. It's great to get a guy like Chris from within the state. I'm looking for big things from him.”
Madison Estes
Personal Bests
800 – 1:55.46
1600 – 4:39.98
A six-time all-state selection and a four-time section champion, Estes is another new Trojan with a football background. He was the indoor state champion in the 800-meter run and holds his school record in the same event.
“Our football star of the group, Madison has never run cross country and only competed in events longer than 800-meters twice,” said Jenkins. “I've already seen some outstanding qualities in Madison by him trusting his coaches and making tremendous sacrifices for his team. He is willing to run any distance and do whatever is asked of him for the overall success of the team. I am looking to Madison to be a possible varsity cross country runner and a big points scorer for the Trojans next spring.”
Hayes Grissom
Personal Bests
Javelin – 211'-11”
Grissom joins the Trojans after two seasons at Johnson County Community College. He was the national runner-up in the javelin in 2012, earning first-team All-American accolades. Grissom also placed fifth at the 2012 USATF Junior National Championships. At the high school level, Grissom was a 6A state qualifier in the javelin, placing fourth.
“Hayes is another top national talent to help continue the success of the javelin program,” Williams said. “As the runner-up at the NJCAA Junior College National Championships, Hayes is the top returner in his event in the junior college ranks this season. I look to him to do some very big things this season and only improve on that during his time her at Troy.”
Stephen Haye
Personal Bests
400 – 48.03
200 – 21.69
Another athlete with junior college experience, Haye will join the program and immediately make an impact in the sprints. He placed third at the NJCAA National Championships in 2012 in the 4x400-meter relay, earning All-American accolades. At the high school level, he placed fifth in the 200-meter at the FHSAA 3A State Championships.
“Stephen was a member of one of the top junior college relays in the nation,” said Lancaster. “He will make an immediate impact on the team in the open relay events with his two years of collegiate experience.”
Travis Lucas
Personal Bests
5k XC – 16:22.91
3200 – 10:08.00
1600 – 4:48.70
Lucas was a strong competitor in both track and field and cross country at the high school level. As a team captain at HB Plant High School, Lucas has an understanding of leadership and what it takes to win.
“Travis has just recently come on the scene as a competitive distance runner,” Jenkins said. “He has shown more of a drastic time drop in the past year than anyone on this list by far. He comes from a multisport background and has a lot to prove. The personal bests seem to come with every race and his determination is unmatched. I look for him to mix things up this fall.”
Josh Nelson
Personal Bests
5k XC – 19:28.65
Nelson joins the program after competing at Foley High School in Foley, Ala., last season.
“Josh was a big contributor as one of Foley's top-five cross country runners this past fall,” said Jenkins. “He continues to develop and unfold over the spring in hopes of being competitive this coming fall as he dons the cardinal singlet for the first time.”
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