July 23, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. -
The Illinois State track and field roster and 2008 recruiting class continues to grow, as five student-athletes, which include three state champions from three different states, signed National Letters of Intent to continue their track and field and academic careers at Illinois State.
Illinois State head track and field coach Elvis Forde has high expectations for the incoming class and 2008-09 track and field seasons.
"I think that our team is improving and is going to continue to improve with the addition of the incoming recruiting class," said Forde. "We lost a lot of strong seniors last year, but we believe that the returning freshmen are going to step up and the new people that we bring in are going to make us stronger."
Leigh Petranoff (Cranston, R.I./Cranston West High School), Rachelle Harbert (Pana, Ill./Pana High School) and Alia McAffee (Robbins, Ill./HL Richards High School) join the women's squad.
Petranoff is a four-time Rhode Island high school state javelin champion. She recently captured her fourth title in her senior season with a throw of 144 feet, 1 inch, beating her competition by nearly 16 feet at the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) State Championships. Petranoff career-best in the event is 144-7, a state record, which she set last year. Petranoff's distance of 144-01 at the state championships is the 19th-best throw in the nation among female high school competitors this year.
ISU throws coach Jeff Chakouian feels that Petranoff, who is the daughter of former world javelin champion Tom Petranoff, will solidify the javelin event for the Redbirds.
"Leigh is going to come in and be a huge boost, not only to our throws squad but our entire team," said Chakouian. "She is going to be a contender in the (State Farm Missouri Valley Conference) championships right away.
"Her dad is one of the leading javelin experts in the country and he did a great job coaching her in high school. It is going to be fun coaching her since she has a great understanding of the event. Even though she is technically sound she is still very raw and has a lot to develop. I think once she comes to campus she is really going to benefit from the college setting, where we have a great strength and conditioning staff, athletes to train with, and a strong team to really help her excel."
The Redbirds will also welcome Harbert, the 2008 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) class A pole vault champion, onto the team. The Pana, Ill., native qualified for the state meet all four years and claimed the top spot her senior year, clearing a height of 10 feet, 6 inches. Harbert holds the school record in the pole vault with a career-best height of 10-09.
McAffee rounds out the women's signees and will join the sprinting ranks. A 2008 state qualifier in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, Forde feels that the Robbins, Ill., native is a hidden gem.
"Alia was just a qualifier for the state meet this year," said Forde. "I think that once she is introduced to our system of training she is going to be a good sprinter. I see her running range from the 100 to 400 meters. I expect some good things from her in a short period of time, just because I see a lot of potential."
Joining the men's squad are Tyler Knight (Madison, Wis./La Folle High School) and Kendric Smith (Madison, Wis./Monona Grove High School). Knight a triple jump specialist placed second in the event with a career best 47-0.75 at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association State meet, while Smith is the 2008 WIAA Division I 110-meter hurdle champion (14.73).
"Having Kendric join Josh (Pope) in the hurdles will be good for both of them," said Forde. "Kendric brings more to the table then just being a hurdler. He is also going to try the triple jump and the long jump. He will have his hands full in his first year here, but he is athletic and hopefully he can jump in and gain some points for us at the conference meet.
"Then, Tyler has the qualities and has expectations within him to do big things here and wants to jump over 50 feet in the triple jump. He has the height and is well over six-foot-two, so that will help him tremendously. He is still developing so I think that once he gets here and builds his strength, he will be able to jump 50 feet.
The five new signees will be in good company as they join 14 other student-athletes that signed with track and field earlier this year.
