NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State track and field and cross country program added 16 new student-athletes to their roster for the 2014-15 season, head head track and field and cross country coach Jeff Bovee announced Wednesday.
The new Redbirds who signed their National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic and academic careers at Illinois State University include Katelyn Hill (Glenn Ellyn/Glenbard South), Shelby Allen (Oak Park, Mich./Oak Park), Reid Smith (Elmhurst, Ill./York), Erik Miller (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North), A.J. Musser (Plain, Wis./Sauk Prairie), Michael Jopes (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central), Ashley England (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North), Ariel Michalek (Aurora, Ill./Wisconsin), Lindsey Lewis (Lave Villa, Ill./Grant Community), Krista Fitzmaurice (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East), Emily Cowan (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley), Kalli Hentis (Red Bud, Ill./Red Bud), Victoria Jones (Chicago Ridge, Ill./Oak Lawn Community), David Curnock (Batavia, Ill./Batavia), Ladaisha Steen-Yates (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) and Tye Sutherland (Toledo, Ill./Cumberland).
Hill is the school-record holder in the 100-meter hurdles and was the first athlete at Glenbard South to reach the state finals in four events. In 2014, she was the state champion in the 100-meter hurdles and runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles.
Allen captured two state championships in the triple jump and an All-American title in the event in 2014. She currently holds the high school state record in the triple jump and is a four-year state qualifier. Smith also adds depths in the jumps, as he holds a personal-best mark of 6-08.00 in the high jump.
Miller was a three-sport athlete coming out of high school. He was named Male Athlete of the Year at St. Charles North and is a three-time All-Conference honoree and two-time conference champion.
Musser hails from Wisconsin, and will fill the void of Curt Jensen and Akil Mills in the throwing events. Musser is a state-qualifier and placed ninth at the 2013 Wisconsin state meet.
Jopes is a four-year letterwinner in track and field and will come to ISU with hurdling experience. Jopes placed sixth at the state meet in 2013 in the intermediate hurdles and was also part of the third-place 4x400-meter relay team.
England and Michalek bring an array of distance knowledge to ISU, as England is an All-State honoree and four-time state qualifier. Michalek is a transfer from Wisconsin, bringing collegiate experience to the group. Michalek was a four-time conference champion, four-time All-Conference honoree and a four-time state qualifier. At Wisconsin, she won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Wisconsin Open with a personal-best time of 10:54.30, won the unseeded mile at the Bill Bergan Invitational with a time of 5:06.63 and holds a 6K (cross country) time of 21.44
Lewis was a four-time MVP in cross country, a four-time all-county honoree in cross country and was named to the all-conference team four years in a row. She currently holds her high school record in the 3200-meter race and 4x800-meter relay.
Fitzmaurice helped her cross country team to a third-place finish at the state meet and was named to the all-conference, all-state and all-sectional team. Cowan also holds her high school records in three events (55-, 100- and 200-meter sprints). She was a three-time state qualifier and an AAU and USATF National Qualifier.
Hentis comes to ISU with a sprinting background, as she is a two-time state qualifier in the 100- and 200-meter sprints. Jones is the school record-holder in the 100-meter sprint and a four-year MVP for her high school.
Curnock and Sutherland will join the middle distance crew and will set a good pace for the 400- and 800-meter runners next season.
Steen-Yates is a proven sprinter, qualifying for the state meet four-consecutive years.
Kyle Hatton will also join the Redbird squad, as a middle distance runner.Â
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