Marshall University Athletics
Herd Track and Field Announces 2020-21 Newcomers
11/24/2020 11:06:00 AM | Track and Field
12 Athletes Join Program
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall track and field head coach Jeff Small announced Tuesday the addition of 12 athletes to the program as part of the 2020-21 recruiting class.
Of the 12 athletes, half are in-state talent from West Virginia. Of the other six, three join the program from Ohio, while the states of Indiana and Illinois are also represented. Marshall will have will athlete, Maria Parra-Vargas, join the program from Venezuela.
The class includes one transfer in Mariah Harmon, a native of Huntington, transferring from Wheeling University. The Herd additionally will have a javelin thrower this season, as Chloe Cahill will be set to become the first athlete to compete in the event since the 2018-19 season.
Two of the newcomers represent the Thundering Herd in different sports as well as track and field. Olivia Neidhardt competes for the women's soccer team while Olivia Harrison is on the cheerleading squad.
The newcomers join the seven athletes who will make their Marshall track debuts after running this past fall for the cross country program. The mid-distance/distance runners additionally part of this recruiting class are: Chaysie Barnes, Haley Bolt, Tori Dotson, Kyleigh Edwards, Cari Hively, Kalei Jordan and Mackenzie Stanley.
Below is a list of the 12 additions to the track and field program:
Chloe Cahill (Javelin) – Westlake High School; Westlake, Ohio
Cahill joins the program specializing in the javelin throw, entering with a personal record of 37.08 meters (121 feet, 8 inches) … despite javelin not being an OHSAA sanctioned event, she competed unattached during the summers as a two-time New Balance Nationals qualifier, five-time USATF JO National Qualifier, two-time AAU JO National Qualifier, a USATF Youth All-American and two-time USATF Youth Outdoor Champion (2018, 2019) … Cahill was a three-sport athlete in high school, earning eight varsity letters across gymnastics and lacrosse and received a 2020 Congressional Nomination to West Point Military Academy from Ohio U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez.
Gabbi Carter (Sprints) – Cabell Midland High School; Huntington, W.Va.
Carter comes to the program from local Cabell Midland High School joining the sprinting crew … she holds personal records of 1:00 in the 400m and 27.01 in the 200m … she qualified for the WVSSAC State Meet in four events in each of her years at Cabell Midland.
Janea Gardner (Sprints) – Bloom Township High School; Sauk Village, Ill.
Gardner comes to Marshall as one of the more decorated sprinting recruits in school history … she finished 5th at the Illinois High School AAA State Track Meet her junior year in the 200m with a personal record of 24.38 and was part of the school's runner-up finish in the 4x200m relay that season … additionally holds personal bests of 7.34 in the indoor 55m and 18 ft. 2 in. (5.53m) in the outdoor long jump … was named her team's 'MVP' her junior year.
Mariah Harmon (Multi-Events) – Wheeling University/Huntington High School; Huntington, W.Va.
Harmon is a local athlete from Huntington who joins the program as a transfer from the Mountain East Conference's Wheeling University … the multi-eventer won the heptathlon at the 2019 MEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a point total of 4,267, winning four of the seven individual events, including setting personal records in the 100m hurdles (14.91) and 200m (26.58).
Olivia Harrison (Sprints/Hurdles) – South Gallia High School; Gallipolis, Ohio
Harrison joins the program as South Gallia High School's school record holder in the 100m hurdles, with additional high school experience in the 300m hurdles, 100m, long jump and high jump … Harrison finished high school as her class valedictorian and is in the Honors College at Marshall … also part of Marshall's cheerleading program.
Catelyn Hughes (Jumps) – Lincoln County High School; Hamlin, W.Va.
Hughes joins the program focusing on the high jump … she enters with a personal best of 5 ft. in the event, and is a two-time WVSSAC AA State Meet qualifier … she additionally competed in her school's state-qualifying shuttle-hurdle relay squad at the 2019 State Meet.
Madyia McCullough (Throws) – Bridgeport High School; Bridgeport, W.Va.
McCullough joins Marshall with a personal record of 125 ft. 5 in. in the discus and 34 ft. 3 in. in the shot put … she won the WVSSAC AA State Championship in the 2018 discus, and was runner-up in 2019 to current teammate Brooke Burns, while earning team points both years in the shot put … she earned Big Ten All-Conference honors all three years of her high school throwing career and maintained high honor roll throughout high school.
Rebecca Merritt (Throws) – Sheridan High School; Sheridan, Ind.
Merritt joins the program as Sheridan High School's school record holder in both shot put and discus … she is a three-time state finalist in the outdoor shot put and discus and indoor shot put … a 2019 IHSAA sectional and regional champion in the discus and is the 2019-20 Hoosier Heartland Conference Record Holder in the discus.
Josie Moore (Throws) – Buffalo High School; Buffalo, W.Va.
Moore enters the program as a thrower with personal records of 109 ft. 11 in. in the discus and 33 ft. 7 in. in the shot put … she is a 2018 and 2019 WVSSAC State Meet qualifier as her regional runner-up in each event … a National Honor Society member and received the 2020 Honorary Secretary of State award for her efforts to register eligible students to vote from West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner.
Olivia Neidhardt (Mid-Distance) – Olentangy Berlin High School; Galena, Ohio
Neidhardt attended Olentangy High School for two years in Lewis Center, Ohio, and Olentangy Berlin High School for two years in Delaware, Ohio … was a four-year varsity letter winner in women's soccer and track … a two-time district runner-up, league championship winner in 2016 and a two-year captain in soccer … 2019 Academic all-Ohio, 2019 district runner-up and 2019 state qualifier in the 1600m run … won the OHSAA Sportsmanship Award and was an eight-time Scholar Athlete Award winner … also on Marshall women's soccer team.
Maria Parra-Vargas (Jumps) – U.E. Talento Deportivo-Lara; Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela
Parra-Vargas joins the program with an extensive background in track and field competition from Venezuela … She holds a personal record of 6.07 meters (19 ft. 11 in.) in the long jump and 1.71 meters (5 ft. 7.25 in.) in the high jump … she has competed in three different continents including attending the 2017 U18 World Championships in Nairobi, Kenya … she finished second in the long jump at the Student Central American Championships in the long jump in both 2013 in Cuba and 2015 in Mexico.
Savannah Scaggs (Pole Vault) – Cabell Midland High School; Huntington, W.Va.
Scaggs comes to the Herd program from nearby Cabell Midland High School, joining the pole vault crew … she holds an 8 ft. personal record in the event set during her junior year … she was additionally part of her high school's 2018 shuttle hurdle relay squad which qualified for and competed at the WVSSAC State Meet.
#RiseAsOne
Follow the team on Twitter and Instagram @HerdTFXC for the latest information and updates from the Marshall Track and Field program.
Of the 12 athletes, half are in-state talent from West Virginia. Of the other six, three join the program from Ohio, while the states of Indiana and Illinois are also represented. Marshall will have will athlete, Maria Parra-Vargas, join the program from Venezuela.
The class includes one transfer in Mariah Harmon, a native of Huntington, transferring from Wheeling University. The Herd additionally will have a javelin thrower this season, as Chloe Cahill will be set to become the first athlete to compete in the event since the 2018-19 season.
Two of the newcomers represent the Thundering Herd in different sports as well as track and field. Olivia Neidhardt competes for the women's soccer team while Olivia Harrison is on the cheerleading squad.
The newcomers join the seven athletes who will make their Marshall track debuts after running this past fall for the cross country program. The mid-distance/distance runners additionally part of this recruiting class are: Chaysie Barnes, Haley Bolt, Tori Dotson, Kyleigh Edwards, Cari Hively, Kalei Jordan and Mackenzie Stanley.
Below is a list of the 12 additions to the track and field program:
Chloe Cahill (Javelin) – Westlake High School; Westlake, Ohio
Cahill joins the program specializing in the javelin throw, entering with a personal record of 37.08 meters (121 feet, 8 inches) … despite javelin not being an OHSAA sanctioned event, she competed unattached during the summers as a two-time New Balance Nationals qualifier, five-time USATF JO National Qualifier, two-time AAU JO National Qualifier, a USATF Youth All-American and two-time USATF Youth Outdoor Champion (2018, 2019) … Cahill was a three-sport athlete in high school, earning eight varsity letters across gymnastics and lacrosse and received a 2020 Congressional Nomination to West Point Military Academy from Ohio U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez.
Gabbi Carter (Sprints) – Cabell Midland High School; Huntington, W.Va.
Carter comes to the program from local Cabell Midland High School joining the sprinting crew … she holds personal records of 1:00 in the 400m and 27.01 in the 200m … she qualified for the WVSSAC State Meet in four events in each of her years at Cabell Midland.
Janea Gardner (Sprints) – Bloom Township High School; Sauk Village, Ill.
Gardner comes to Marshall as one of the more decorated sprinting recruits in school history … she finished 5th at the Illinois High School AAA State Track Meet her junior year in the 200m with a personal record of 24.38 and was part of the school's runner-up finish in the 4x200m relay that season … additionally holds personal bests of 7.34 in the indoor 55m and 18 ft. 2 in. (5.53m) in the outdoor long jump … was named her team's 'MVP' her junior year.
Mariah Harmon (Multi-Events) – Wheeling University/Huntington High School; Huntington, W.Va.
Harmon is a local athlete from Huntington who joins the program as a transfer from the Mountain East Conference's Wheeling University … the multi-eventer won the heptathlon at the 2019 MEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a point total of 4,267, winning four of the seven individual events, including setting personal records in the 100m hurdles (14.91) and 200m (26.58).
Olivia Harrison (Sprints/Hurdles) – South Gallia High School; Gallipolis, Ohio
Harrison joins the program as South Gallia High School's school record holder in the 100m hurdles, with additional high school experience in the 300m hurdles, 100m, long jump and high jump … Harrison finished high school as her class valedictorian and is in the Honors College at Marshall … also part of Marshall's cheerleading program.
Catelyn Hughes (Jumps) – Lincoln County High School; Hamlin, W.Va.
Hughes joins the program focusing on the high jump … she enters with a personal best of 5 ft. in the event, and is a two-time WVSSAC AA State Meet qualifier … she additionally competed in her school's state-qualifying shuttle-hurdle relay squad at the 2019 State Meet.
Madyia McCullough (Throws) – Bridgeport High School; Bridgeport, W.Va.
McCullough joins Marshall with a personal record of 125 ft. 5 in. in the discus and 34 ft. 3 in. in the shot put … she won the WVSSAC AA State Championship in the 2018 discus, and was runner-up in 2019 to current teammate Brooke Burns, while earning team points both years in the shot put … she earned Big Ten All-Conference honors all three years of her high school throwing career and maintained high honor roll throughout high school.
Rebecca Merritt (Throws) – Sheridan High School; Sheridan, Ind.
Merritt joins the program as Sheridan High School's school record holder in both shot put and discus … she is a three-time state finalist in the outdoor shot put and discus and indoor shot put … a 2019 IHSAA sectional and regional champion in the discus and is the 2019-20 Hoosier Heartland Conference Record Holder in the discus.
Josie Moore (Throws) – Buffalo High School; Buffalo, W.Va.
Moore enters the program as a thrower with personal records of 109 ft. 11 in. in the discus and 33 ft. 7 in. in the shot put … she is a 2018 and 2019 WVSSAC State Meet qualifier as her regional runner-up in each event … a National Honor Society member and received the 2020 Honorary Secretary of State award for her efforts to register eligible students to vote from West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner.
Olivia Neidhardt (Mid-Distance) – Olentangy Berlin High School; Galena, Ohio
Neidhardt attended Olentangy High School for two years in Lewis Center, Ohio, and Olentangy Berlin High School for two years in Delaware, Ohio … was a four-year varsity letter winner in women's soccer and track … a two-time district runner-up, league championship winner in 2016 and a two-year captain in soccer … 2019 Academic all-Ohio, 2019 district runner-up and 2019 state qualifier in the 1600m run … won the OHSAA Sportsmanship Award and was an eight-time Scholar Athlete Award winner … also on Marshall women's soccer team.
Maria Parra-Vargas (Jumps) – U.E. Talento Deportivo-Lara; Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela
Parra-Vargas joins the program with an extensive background in track and field competition from Venezuela … She holds a personal record of 6.07 meters (19 ft. 11 in.) in the long jump and 1.71 meters (5 ft. 7.25 in.) in the high jump … she has competed in three different continents including attending the 2017 U18 World Championships in Nairobi, Kenya … she finished second in the long jump at the Student Central American Championships in the long jump in both 2013 in Cuba and 2015 in Mexico.
Savannah Scaggs (Pole Vault) – Cabell Midland High School; Huntington, W.Va.
Scaggs comes to the Herd program from nearby Cabell Midland High School, joining the pole vault crew … she holds an 8 ft. personal record in the event set during her junior year … she was additionally part of her high school's 2018 shuttle hurdle relay squad which qualified for and competed at the WVSSAC State Meet.
#RiseAsOne
Follow the team on Twitter and Instagram @HerdTFXC for the latest information and updates from the Marshall Track and Field program.
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Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Multi-Events
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Distance
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