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Track and Field Adds 11 Student-Athletes
6/24/2015 3:40:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
Murray State track and field head coach Jenny Swieton has announced the addition of 11 student-athletes who will be joining the Racers this fall. The group, which is comprised of four state champions, will be Swieton's fifth recruiting class as the Racers look to contend for an OVC championship.
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Tamdra Lawrence, from Westside High School, is the lone sprinter of the group. The Macon, Ga., product comes to Murray as a two-time state champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. With a personal best time of 11.74 in the 100 and 23.89 in the 200, she is someone Coach Adam Kiesler is excited about working with. "We hope Tamdra can come in and make an immediate impact in the sprints on the conference level. Her talent, plus drive to become better every day is something we look forward to be able to coach here at MSU," said Swieton.
With the loss of LaShea Shaw to graduation, three hurdlers will be making their way to Murray to fill the void that she leaves.
Jocelyn Payne hails from Kirkwood High school in Missouri. An early signee, Payne was the best dual hurdler in the state, and will look to do the same as a freshman. Her 14.99 best in the 100m hurdles gives the team an added boost to the hurdle group.
"Jocelyn will help both our long hurdle and sprints group by adding to the depth of an already talented group. She has a great personality and has never met a stranger," Swieton said.Â
Kassidy Cook comes as the only Kentucky signee, and brings talent in both the hurdles and the jumps. The Harrison County graduate won the hurdles and then took runner-up honors in both the long and triple jump at this year's state meet. With personal best marks of 14.84 in the hurdles and 17'9" in the long jump, she'll be counted on heavily for her ability in multiple events.
"Kassidy has just scratched the surface of what she is capable of in track and field. Her attention to detail and the willingness to do whatever it takes to get better will be a great asset to our team on and off the track," commented Swieton.
Jabreuna Brimlett rounds out the hurdlers for this year's class. In her one year at Poplar Bluff High School in Missouri, she left a lasting impression. "Jabreuna has proven to be one of the most talented athletes in Missouri if not the country," said Swieton.Â
"She will help fill holes that a very productive graduating class has left behind. Still raw, it will be exciting to see what her career holds for her." A dual hurdle champion with a jumping ability to match, Brimlett holds personal bests of 14.23 and 43.52 in the 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles, respectively. Also an All-State jumper, she has a long jump best of 18'11" and a 38'8" triple jump.Â
In the vertical jumps, Emily Heil and Aubrey Main will join for the Racers this fall. Heil will compete in the vault, while Main will contest the high jump.Â
Heil, who comes from Marathon, Wis., will join Chleo LeGrand as a fellow 11-foot vaulter. The Wisconsin state champion in the event looks to make an immediate impact and give the Racers another potential conference point scorer.
"Emily is a competitor plain and simple. She had to overcome a pretty big injury, but still managed to win state with an impressive vault. She'll be a good addition to the vaulters," said Swieton.
Main, who holds a personal best in the high jump of 5'7", will leave her hometown of Huntingburg, Ind., to join the Racers. Her 400 time of 58.76 will be a welcomed addition to the relays when needed.
"Losing Ashley Conway hurts a lot, but having people like Aubrey helps a great deal. If she comes in and does what she's done in high school, that'll definitely soften the blow. Her ability to run a 400 only adds value to an already quality talent."
The distance group will welcome three ladies to campus this fall. They'll be here ready to compete and defend their home course when Murray State hosts this year's OVC Cross Country Championship.
Maddy Brown, from Parkway West High School in Missouri, will compete in events ranging from the mile up to the 5K. Being a 5:04 miler, she'll have Emma Gilmore and Brittany Bohn, both seniors, to look to for leadership. As an 18:32 cross country runner, she'll improve an already deep cross country roster.
"From the moment Maddy arrived on campus I knew she was meant to be a Racer. She was comfortable immediately and we could talk like we had known each other for years," commented Swieton. "She is a great talent out of the tough state of Missouri and we are honored to have her."
Vallery Korir will have a couple of her countrywomen alongside her this season, as Purity Chebet and Ida Mutai from Kenya close out the newest distance signees for Racer Track and Field and Cross Country.
With a 1,500m best of 4:56, Chebet will look to contend for a podium place at both the indoor and outdoor championships. "We are really excited to add a student-athlete of Purity's ability to our team. She could have an immediate impact on our program and will be a great addition to an already strong training group," said Swieton.
Mutai holds an 18:30 best in the 5K, something that excited Coach Swieton. It was after learning of her lineage however, that she was sold on her potential. "It is great to welcome Ida to Murray," said Swieton. "She is the cousin of former Racer Carolyne Tanui. We couldn't be happier to add another great student-athlete from such a great family."
Tonia Pratt will now have two new Racers looking to take down her records in Christina Meinhardt and Jessenia Ellis. "Tonia leaves pretty big shoes to fill, and in time, I'm confident Coach Kielser will have them atop the podium just as she was upon graduation." Swieton commented.
Meinhardt, a thrower from Illinois, comes in ranked as one of the state's best shot put and discus competitors. A finalist in both events at this year's state meet, she holds personal best marks of 41 feet in the shot and 133 feet in the discus, both good enough to place at this year's OVC Championships. Coach Kiesler gave much praise to the incoming freshman's ability.
"Christina has a work ethic second to none. The ability to help us in two events makes her an invaluable addition to the team," said Kiesler.
Rounding-out the freshman class is Jessenia Ellis. A high school teammate of Brimlett, Ellis will work with Coach Kiesler to show why she was one of the best throwers in Missouri. "Jessenia has improved greatly over her four years in high school," said Kiesler.Â
"She has proven to be very knowledgeable in the throwing events. We hope with the addition of the hammer she can help our team in all three events."
Discus is Ellis' specialty, where she has a best of 138'4" and will look to improve on her 40'7" shot put best as well.
"What's really good about this year's class of ladies is that they cover all facets of track and field and cross country. They can make an immediate impact on the success and future of the program," Swieton concluded about this year's signing class. "We're extremely excited about our newest additions to the Racer family."
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Tamdra Lawrence, from Westside High School, is the lone sprinter of the group. The Macon, Ga., product comes to Murray as a two-time state champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. With a personal best time of 11.74 in the 100 and 23.89 in the 200, she is someone Coach Adam Kiesler is excited about working with. "We hope Tamdra can come in and make an immediate impact in the sprints on the conference level. Her talent, plus drive to become better every day is something we look forward to be able to coach here at MSU," said Swieton.
With the loss of LaShea Shaw to graduation, three hurdlers will be making their way to Murray to fill the void that she leaves.
Jocelyn Payne hails from Kirkwood High school in Missouri. An early signee, Payne was the best dual hurdler in the state, and will look to do the same as a freshman. Her 14.99 best in the 100m hurdles gives the team an added boost to the hurdle group.
"Jocelyn will help both our long hurdle and sprints group by adding to the depth of an already talented group. She has a great personality and has never met a stranger," Swieton said.Â
Kassidy Cook comes as the only Kentucky signee, and brings talent in both the hurdles and the jumps. The Harrison County graduate won the hurdles and then took runner-up honors in both the long and triple jump at this year's state meet. With personal best marks of 14.84 in the hurdles and 17'9" in the long jump, she'll be counted on heavily for her ability in multiple events.
"Kassidy has just scratched the surface of what she is capable of in track and field. Her attention to detail and the willingness to do whatever it takes to get better will be a great asset to our team on and off the track," commented Swieton.
Jabreuna Brimlett rounds out the hurdlers for this year's class. In her one year at Poplar Bluff High School in Missouri, she left a lasting impression. "Jabreuna has proven to be one of the most talented athletes in Missouri if not the country," said Swieton.Â
"She will help fill holes that a very productive graduating class has left behind. Still raw, it will be exciting to see what her career holds for her." A dual hurdle champion with a jumping ability to match, Brimlett holds personal bests of 14.23 and 43.52 in the 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles, respectively. Also an All-State jumper, she has a long jump best of 18'11" and a 38'8" triple jump.Â
In the vertical jumps, Emily Heil and Aubrey Main will join for the Racers this fall. Heil will compete in the vault, while Main will contest the high jump.Â
Heil, who comes from Marathon, Wis., will join Chleo LeGrand as a fellow 11-foot vaulter. The Wisconsin state champion in the event looks to make an immediate impact and give the Racers another potential conference point scorer.
"Emily is a competitor plain and simple. She had to overcome a pretty big injury, but still managed to win state with an impressive vault. She'll be a good addition to the vaulters," said Swieton.
Main, who holds a personal best in the high jump of 5'7", will leave her hometown of Huntingburg, Ind., to join the Racers. Her 400 time of 58.76 will be a welcomed addition to the relays when needed.
"Losing Ashley Conway hurts a lot, but having people like Aubrey helps a great deal. If she comes in and does what she's done in high school, that'll definitely soften the blow. Her ability to run a 400 only adds value to an already quality talent."
The distance group will welcome three ladies to campus this fall. They'll be here ready to compete and defend their home course when Murray State hosts this year's OVC Cross Country Championship.
Maddy Brown, from Parkway West High School in Missouri, will compete in events ranging from the mile up to the 5K. Being a 5:04 miler, she'll have Emma Gilmore and Brittany Bohn, both seniors, to look to for leadership. As an 18:32 cross country runner, she'll improve an already deep cross country roster.
"From the moment Maddy arrived on campus I knew she was meant to be a Racer. She was comfortable immediately and we could talk like we had known each other for years," commented Swieton. "She is a great talent out of the tough state of Missouri and we are honored to have her."
Vallery Korir will have a couple of her countrywomen alongside her this season, as Purity Chebet and Ida Mutai from Kenya close out the newest distance signees for Racer Track and Field and Cross Country.
With a 1,500m best of 4:56, Chebet will look to contend for a podium place at both the indoor and outdoor championships. "We are really excited to add a student-athlete of Purity's ability to our team. She could have an immediate impact on our program and will be a great addition to an already strong training group," said Swieton.
Mutai holds an 18:30 best in the 5K, something that excited Coach Swieton. It was after learning of her lineage however, that she was sold on her potential. "It is great to welcome Ida to Murray," said Swieton. "She is the cousin of former Racer Carolyne Tanui. We couldn't be happier to add another great student-athlete from such a great family."
Tonia Pratt will now have two new Racers looking to take down her records in Christina Meinhardt and Jessenia Ellis. "Tonia leaves pretty big shoes to fill, and in time, I'm confident Coach Kielser will have them atop the podium just as she was upon graduation." Swieton commented.
Meinhardt, a thrower from Illinois, comes in ranked as one of the state's best shot put and discus competitors. A finalist in both events at this year's state meet, she holds personal best marks of 41 feet in the shot and 133 feet in the discus, both good enough to place at this year's OVC Championships. Coach Kiesler gave much praise to the incoming freshman's ability.
"Christina has a work ethic second to none. The ability to help us in two events makes her an invaluable addition to the team," said Kiesler.
Rounding-out the freshman class is Jessenia Ellis. A high school teammate of Brimlett, Ellis will work with Coach Kiesler to show why she was one of the best throwers in Missouri. "Jessenia has improved greatly over her four years in high school," said Kiesler.Â
"She has proven to be very knowledgeable in the throwing events. We hope with the addition of the hammer she can help our team in all three events."
Discus is Ellis' specialty, where she has a best of 138'4" and will look to improve on her 40'7" shot put best as well.
"What's really good about this year's class of ladies is that they cover all facets of track and field and cross country. They can make an immediate impact on the success and future of the program," Swieton concluded about this year's signing class. "We're extremely excited about our newest additions to the Racer family."
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