NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State track & field and cross country signed eight athletes to the 2021-22 class on National Signing Day earlier this week. Seven of these student-athletes will join the Redbirds next fall, while Mathis Chavand will join the team in January 2021.
"We are adding some additional key pieces to the recruiting puzzle with a very talented group," Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee said. "We expect several delayed signings as the high school seniors in our sport did not have a junior year track and field season due to COVID. Nonetheless, I am very pleased with the quality of student-athletes in this group in regards to their contributions on and off the track or field."
The Redbirds added three women and two men to the cross country team and distance squad.
Lauren Schulze | West Des Moines, Iowa | Valley High School
- Finished second at the 2020 Iowa State Cross Country Championships, recording a personal-best time of 18:18.30
- 2020 CIML – Central Conference Cross Country Champion
- Competed at the Nike Cross Nationals Heartland Regional in 2017, 2018 and 2019
- Four-time cross country state qualifier and two-time track & field state qualifier
Kaitlin Skeate | Bloomington, Illinois | Bloomington High School
- Ran a personal-best time of 17:33.3 in the three-mile run to place second at the Big 12 Conference Cross Country Championships
- Placed sixth at the 2020 Cross Country Championships, clocking in at 18:48.9 in the 5K
- Won the 2020 IHSA 2A Metamora Cross Country Regional
- Finished second at the 2020 IHSA 2A Peoria Notre Dame Cross Country Sectional
Mattison Plummer | Pleasant Hill, Iowa | Southeast Polk High School
- 2020 Cross Country District Champion (5K)
- Placed 13th at the Iowa State Cross Country Championships in October 2020
- Finished second at the Iowa State Cross Country Championships as a freshman
- Placed sixth in the 3K at the Iowa State Track & Field Championships in 2019
Mathis Chavand | Feurs, France | Lycée du Forez
- Placed third at the 2019 U18 Outdoor Nationals in the 1,500m
- Finished sixth overall the 2019 U18 Cross Country Nationals
- Placed eighth in the 800m at the 2018 U18 Indoor Nationals
- Three-time District Champion
- Two-time Regional Champion
Max Barrios | Chicago, Illinois | Von Steuben High School
- Personal-best of 16:05 for three miles in cross country
- Earned All-City and All-Sectional honors as a sophomore
- Ran a personal-best times of 9:59 in the 3,200m, 4:36 in the 1,600m and 6:32 in the 2K steeplechase
Coach Rebholz's throws squad added one to the men's team and one to the women's team.
Jake Borman | South Elgin, Illinois | Burlington Central High School
- Set the indoor school record in the shot put (54-4 ft.) as a junior
- Earned All-Conference honors during his junior season
- Ranked No. 1 in 2A in the shot put in 2020
- Helped Burlington Central to a team conference championship as a sophomore
- Was ranked the No. 1 sophomore shot putter in the state in 2019
Taylor Kesner | Highland, Illinois | Highland High School
- Placed sixth in the shot put at state as a sophomore
- 2019 All-Conference in shot put and discus
- 2019 All-County in shot put
- Set the shot put meet record at Granite City
- Named Female Athlete of the Meet at the 2019 Granite City Relays
Coach Wood's pole vault squad got deeper with the addition of Tori Thomas.
Tori Thomas | Rock Island, Illinois | Alleman Catholic High School
- Recorded a personal-best clearance of 13-0 ft. to win the 2020 Pole Vault Pandemic Meet
- A five-time IHSA 1A All-State performer
- 2019 state runner-up in the pole vault
- 2018 state runner-up in the pole vault
Graphics will be posted on social media as the Redbirds continue to add new members to the 2021-22 signing class. A release with the complete 2021-22 signing class will come out later in 2021.
Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 outdoor season was canceled and the 2020 cross country season has been postponed by the Missouri Valley Conference.
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