Marshall Announces Cross Country/Track and Field Newcomers

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall cross country and track and field programs have announced their 2019-20 newcomers.

"We are very excited about our recruiting class this year," said Marshall head coach Jeff Small. "On the women's side, we really added a lot of quality and quantity to most of our event groups, especially in the long sprints and in the middle distance area. We have added some good young throwers who we hope can eventually replace our great crew that graduated this year. Caleb Bowen did an outstanding job on the men's cross country recruiting side, signing perhaps the top-ranked class in Conference USA."

Bowen also weighed in on the talent headed to Huntington.

"I am extremely excited for this upcoming season," said Bowen of Marshall's cross country newcomers. "We have some great new talent coming in on both the men's and the women's side. We have multiple West Virginia state champions in Julia Muller, Sydney Smith, and Ronnie Saunders, as well as guys like Jacob Birurakis, Evan White, and Paul Sepulveda. I don't think I have ever been more excited about a recruiting class than I am with this one. I can't wait until August 15 when they all report to camp. It's going to be a fun year with this crew."

The 2019-20 newcomers are as follows:

Evan White: Milford High School, Milford, Michigan
As a senior in 2018, he finished sixth in the MHSAA Division 1 State Cross Country Championship. He also finished eighth in the prestigious Mid-East Cross Country Championships. In track, White ran a PR of 9:05.28 in the 3200 at the Golden West Invitational and finished third in the MHSAA Division I State Track and Field Championship as well as leading his 4x800 team to a third-place finish with a time of 7:49.47.

Paul Sepulveda: Stafford High School, Fredericksburg, Virginia
As a senior in 2018, Sepulveda finished fifth in the VHSL 5A Cross Country State Championships, running a 15:47.80 Cross Country 5K personal record. In track, he holds PRs of 9:48.66 in the 3200, 4:27.40 in the 1600, and 2:36.09 in the 1000m run.

Jacob Birurakis: George Washington High School, Charleston, West Virginia
As a senior in 2018, Birurakis finished fourth in the WVSSAC AAA State Cross Country Championship. His season best was 15:58.60 at the Chick-Fil-A Invitational. He proceeded to have an amazing senior track season, finishing second in the 3200, 1600, and 800 running West Virginia Top 10 times of 9:15.05, 4:15.59, and 1:55.50 respectively.

Ronnie Saunders: Wheeling Park High School, Wheeling, West Virginia
Saunders capped off a successful senior cross country season by winning the WVSSAC State Cross Country Championship with a time of 15:55.22. In the 2019 track season, he battled with future teammate Jacob Birurakis and finished fourth in the 3200 (running PR of 9:26.96), fourth in the 1600 (running PR of 4:20.94), fifth in the 800 (running PR of 1:59.05), and leading his 4x800 team to the state title running 8:01.29.

Justin Belcher: Hurricane High School, Hurricane, West Virginia
Belcher completed his senior cross country season finishing with all-state honors by earning eighth at the WVSSAC Cross Country State Meet and ran a PR of 16:18.30 at the Region IV meet earlier in the season. In track, he ran PRs of 9:57.30 in the 3200 and 4:36.25 in the 1600 and qualified for the WVSSAC State track meet in the 3200.

Brett Armbruster: Cabell Midland High School, Barboursville, West Virginia
Armbruster finished his junior season in cross country with a 15th-place finish at the WVSSAC State Cross Country meet and brings a 16:34.07 cross country PR to the Herd. On the track, he focused on the 800 this year, while playing baseball and finished fourth at the WVSSAC Track and Field Championship in the 800, running a PR of 1:56.31.

Women's Cross Country/Distance/Mid Distance Track
Julia Muller: Bridgeport High School, Bridgeport, West Virginia
Muller comes to the Herd with a very successful list of accomplishments. She is a two-time all-state runner in cross country, finishing second at the 2018 WVSSAC State Cross Country Championships, a Foot Locker South Regional champion of the Senior Race, and a three-time state champion in Track). Her Track PRs are as follows:
800-2:22.98
1600-5:17.39
3200-11:25.25

Sydney Smith: Buffalo High School, Buffalo, West Virginia
Smith comes to the Herd as one of the most decorated Single A runners in the State of West Virginia. She is a two-time state meet qualifier with a highest place of eighth, receiving all-state honors in the A/AA race. She is the 2018 State Champion in the 1600, three-time runner-up in the 800, and holds PRs of:
800-2:21.29
1600-5:14.53
3200-11:49.85

Abby Herring: Parkersburg South High School, Parkersburg, West Virginia
Herring joins the Marshall University Cross Country/Track teams after completing a successful senior season. In 2018, she narrowly missed all-state honors by finishing 12th at the WVSSAC AAA State Cross Country Meet, but did receive first-team all-conference honors in the TRAC and OVAC Meets, as well as first-team all-region. In 2015, Herring finished fourth at the WVSSAC Cross Country state meet, receiving all-state honors. In track, she qualified for the state track meet in the 1600 and 4x800 and ran PRs of:
800-2:28.43
1600-5:22.45

Astoria Beckett: Apopka High School, Apopka, Florida
Beckett joins the Herd after having a record-breaking senior season at Apokpa. This outdoor season, she finished eighth in the FHSAA 4A State Championship in the 800m run, earning all-state honors and a spot on the podium. Beckett comes in as one of the fastest 800m runners in Marshall University history. She also holds PRs of:
400-58.52
600-1:42.19
800-2:14.53

Jordan Balog: Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg, West Virginia
Balog comes to the Marshall Track and Field program focusing on the Mid-Distances. As a multi-sport athlete, she placed seventh in the MSAC Championship 400 and eighth at the Region IV AAA Championship, narrowly missing all-region honors.

Chloe Adkins: Cabell Midland High School, Ona, West Virginia
Adkins joins the Marshall Cross Country/Track and Field teams as a three-time WVSSAC state Cross Country Meet Qualifier. In track, Adkins finished with first-team All-MSAC Honors and first-team all-region IV in the 800, as well as finishing runner-up in the 4x800 at the state meet.

Women's Track and Field Throws
Lily Grimes: Greensburg High School, Greensburg, Indiana
Grimes capped off a successful senior season with huge marks in the shot put and discus. At the 2019 Indoor Indiana State Relays, Grimes won the indoor shot put. In the outdoor season, she finished fourth at the state meet and then qualified for the prestigious Midwest Meet of Champions. Grimes holds PRs of:
Shot Put-43'4"
Discus-131'3"

Brooke Burns: Scott High School, Madison, West Virginia
Burns comes in to the Marshall Thundering Herd program as the Single A state champion in the state of WV in the Discus and as the All-Class Champion in the Discus. Not only did she win the discus, but she also earned runner-up in the shot put. She holds the following PRs in the discus and shot put:
Discus-131'1"
Shot Put-38'10.5"

Katie Hill: Crestview High School, Ashland Ohio
Hill comes to the Thundering Herd as a three-time region qualifier and earned all-district honors three times. Hill holds PRs of the following in the shot put and discus:
Shot Put-33'11"
Discus-119'2"

Women's Track Sprints/Jumps
Mikah Alleyne: Woodrow Wilson High School, Beckley, West Virginia
Alleyne comes to the Marshall track and field program as one of the most decorated West Virginia sprinters/hurdlers since current Marshall standout Safiyyah Mitchell. Alleyne is a seven-time state champion in the 100H, 200, 400, and 300H. In 2018, she qualified for the New Balance National Outdoor Championship. This year, she was undefeated in the 400. Alleyne holds PRs of the following:
100H-14.72
200-25.33
300H-44.51
400-56.04

Tiarra Jackson: St. Albans High School, St. Albans, West Virginia
Jackson comes to Marshall as a long hurdle standout. In 2018, she finished second in the 300h at the WVSSAC AAA State Track Meet. She is a four-time state meet qualifier in the 300h. She holds PRs of the following:
300h-45.72

Jillian King: Buffalo High School, Buffalo, West Virginia
King will be joining the Marshall University Thundering Herd to compete in the pentathlon and heptathlon. She scored at the 2019 West Virginia state track meet in the 400, 300h, high jump, and long jump. She holds the following PRs:
High Jump-5'2"
100m-13.05
200-26.89
400-1:01.00
60-8.55

Tori Mackowiak: Oak Hill High School, Oak Hill, West Virginia
Mackowiak joins the track program as the reigning state champion in the AA 200m run. She also placed third in the 200 and helped her team place fourth in both the 4x200 and 4x400 relays. She holds the following PRs:
200-25.94
400-56.99

Reagan Hefner: Shady Spring High School, Shady Spring, West Virginia
Hefner is a seven-time state meet qualifier in the 100 and 200, holding the eighth-best time in the 200 in WV all classes. This year, she scored fifth in the 200 and led her team to score third in the 4x400 at the state meet. Her PRs are as follows:
100-12.78
200-26.10

Jamaicia James: University of Charleston, Lakelands Florida
James comes to Marshall University as the reigning MEC Champion in the 400m run and was part of the championship-winning 4x400 and 4x100 teams. She also scored third in the 200m and was runner-up in 2018. James will add depth to the short sprint group here at Marshall. Her PRs are:
60-7.98
100-12.25
200-25.07
400-56.90

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