The University of Kentucky track and field program will welcome 19 new faces for the 2004-05 cross country, indoor and outdoor seasons, it was announced Monday by head coach Don Weber. Among the new crop of athletes is a World Junior champion, an Olympian and 12 state title holders.

?Although we are always cautious about burdening young athletes with premature predictions for greatness, we are extremely pleased with this recruiting class,? Weber said. ?We definitely believe they can make an immediate impact in the Southeastern Conference and will ultimately perform equal to or exceed the best we?ve ever had.

?We?ve graduated some of the most accomplished athletes in UK history, but the roster of returning athletes still has great talent and even greater potential,? Weber continued. ?With this recruiting class, we have expanded the competitiveness of our team into additional event areas and in all running events we have dramatically enhanced the essential athletic weapon? speed.?

Michael Mason, the 2004 World Junior title holder in the high jump, heads up the class. The Nanoose Bay, Canada native won the world title this summer with a jump of 7-03.00, a mark that tops the current record for freshmen at UK. Another key signee in the class is the 2004 Venezuelan Olympic 400-meter runner, Luis Luna from Banquisimeto, Venezuela. Luna holds a personal-best time of 45.82 in the 400 meters and 1:50.96 in the 800 meters.

The 2004-05 roster will sport newcomers holding state titles from seven different states, including four state champions from the Bluegrass. Dedrick Tillerson is a seven time state champion from Henderson, Ky. In 2002, the sprinter claimed four state titles, including the 110 meters, 200 meters, 300-meter hurdles and 4 x 200-meter relay. Tillerson spent the past two seasons running at Purdue, where this past season he placed seventh in the 400 meters (47.11) at the Big Ten Championships.

Other Kentuckians on the roster include Adam Franklin, the 2003 and 2004 state champ in the 110-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles. Franklin ran for Harrison County High School in Cynthiana, Ky., and holds career marks of 14.42 in the 110-meter hurdles and 38.24 in the 300-meter hurdles. The Cats add another high jumper in Chris Payne of Bardstown, Ky., who claimed both the high jump and triple jump titles at this year?s state meet.

The final Bluegrass native joining the squad for 2005 is Brett Schrooten, the 2003 and 2004 state champion in the 400 meters and 4 x 800-meter relay. The Owensboro native holds a career mark of 49.33 in the 400 meters.

Utah state champion Daniel Hutson comes to Kentucky from Draper, Utah and will specialize in sprints and middle distance work. He holds state titles in the 200 (21.89), 400 (47.46) and 800 meters (1:51.79), making him a triple threat. Stephan Smith of Tallahassee, Fla., will help the Wildcats as a middle distance runner after earning the 2004 state title in the 4 x 800-meter relay and finishing as the runner-up in the 800 meters.

Lavera Morriss also hails from the Sunshine state and is an impressive weapon as a middle distance and distance runner. The Orlando, Fla., native has won back-to-back state crowns in the 800 meters and holds a personal best of 2:09.79 in the event. Justin Harrison comes to UK from Wheaton, Ill., where he was the 2004 state champion in the 400 meters (47.26). Another Illinois native joins the roster in Jeremy Johnson, who will compete in sprints and was the 2003 state title holder in the 200 (21.34) and 400 meters (47..84) and the 4 x 100-meter relay. He hails from South Holland, Ill.

Andrea Brown travels cross country from Bellingham, Wa., to join the Kentucky squad. She has dominated the state meet in the 800 meters (2:12.20) for three years, taking home the title in 2002, 2003 and 2004. She also won the 2004 title in the 1,600 meters (5:02.10). Andre Silva makes the 2004 class bicoastal as he hails from Centereach, NY and will compete as a middle distance and distance runner for the Wildcats. He was the New York Class A state champ in the 1,600 meters (4:12.44) this past year. He also holds a personal best time of 1:55.51 in the 800 meters.

Liliane Sparkes is the third foreign signee for 2004, hailing from Courtice, Ontario. She was the Ontario high school champion in the 1,500 meters and holds a personal best time of 4:40.00 in the event. Nathanael Browning claimed back-to-back Illinois high school championships in the 400 meters (48.78) and hails from the state capitol of Springfield.

Aleksandrs Grietens is another west coast signee out of Nipomo, Calif. The 2004 California state discus champion holds a personal best of 189-06.00 in the event. Lauren Abney also joins the Kentucky team as a field events specialist. The Lawrence, Kan., native was the runner-up in the javelin at the 2004 Kansas State Championships. Her personal best in the event is 138-09.00.

Also joining Kentucky for the 2004-05 season are Megan Brunick, a distance runner from Naperville, Ill., and Colleen Krout, a distance specialist from Toledo, Ohio. Brunick holds a personal best time of 5:15.00 in the 1,600 meters and 11:21.54 in the 3,200 meters. Krout?s top time in the 3,200 meters is 11:02.80.

Kentucky opens its 2004 cross country schedule on Sept. 3 with the Woodford Trials in Versailles, Ky., while the 2005 indoor track season opens in January.

A summary of the 2004 recruiting class:

Luis Luna

Hometown: Banquisimeto Venezuela
High School: Colegio Aplicacion
Personal Bests: 400m: 45.82 | 800m: 1:50.96
Notables: 2004 Venezuelan Olympic team member in the 400 meters.

Michael Mason

Hometown: Nanoose Bay BC, Canada
High School: Ballenas Secondary
Personal Bests: High Jump: 7-03.00
Notables: 2004 World Junior Champion in the high jump.

Daniel Hutson

Hometown: Draper, Utah
High School: Alta High School
Personal Bests: 200m: 21.89 | 400m: 47.46 | 800m: 1:51.79
Notables: Utah State Champion in the 200, 400 and 800 meters.

Stephan Smith

Hometown: Tallahassee, Fla.
High School: Chiles High School
Personal Bests: 800m: 1:51.74
Notables: 2004 Florida State Champion in the 4×800 relay and runner-up in the 800 meters.

Lavera Morris

Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
High School: Oak Ridge High School
Personal Bests: 400m: 55.50 | 800m: 2:09.79 | 1600m: 5:01.69
Notables: 2003 and 2004 Florida State Champion in the 800 meters.

Justin Harrison

Hometown: Wheaton, Ill.
High School: Wheaton Warrenville South High School
Personal Bests: 200m: 21.54 | 400m: 47.26
Notables: 2004 Illinois State Champion in the 400 meters.

Jeremy Johnson

Hometown: South Holland, Ill.
High School: Thornwood High School
Personal Bests: 100m: 10.78 | 200m: 21.34 | 400m: 47.84
Notables: 2003 Illinois State Champion in the 200 meters, 400 meters and the 4 x 100-meter relay.

Andrea Brown

Hometown: Bellingham, Wash.
High School: Mt. Baker High School
Personal Bests: 800m: 2:12.20 | 1600m: 5:02.10
Notables: 2002, 2003 and 2004 Washington State Champion in the 800 meters. 2004 Washington State Champion in the 1,600 meters.

Andre Silva

Hometown: Centereach, NY
High School: Centereach High School
Personal Bests: 800m: 1:55.51 | 1600m: 4:12.44
Notables: New York Class A State Champion in the 1,600 meters.

Dedrick Tillerson

Hometown: Henderson, Ky.
High School: Henderson County
Previous College: Purdue
Personal Bests: 400m: 47.11 | 400 Hurdles: 54.23
Notables: 2002 Kentucky State Champion in the 110m and 300m hurdles. Finished seventh in the 400 meters at the 2004 Big Ten Championships.

Liliane Sparkes

Hometown: Courtice, Ontario
High School: Saint Charles Garnier
Personal Bests: 800m: 2:11.26 | 1500m: 4:40.00
Notables: Ontario High School Champion in the 1500 meters.

Adam Franklin

Hometown: Cynthiana, Ky.
High School: Harrison High School
Personal Bests: 110 Hurdles: 14:42 | 300 Hurdles: 38.24
Notables: 2003 and 2004 Kentucky State Champion in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles.

Nathanael Browning

Hometown: Springfield, Ill.
High School: Lutheran High School
Personal Bests: 400m: 48.78
Notables: 2004 Illinois Class A State Champion in the 400 meters.

Aleksandrs Grietens

Hometown: Nipomo, Calif.
High School: Arroyo Grande High School
Personal Bests: Discus: 189-06.00

Chris Payne

Hometown: Bardstown, Ky.
High School: Bardstown High School
Personal Bests: High Jump: 6-10.00
Notables: 2004 Kentucky State Champion in the high jump and triple jump.

Brett Schrooten

Hometown: Owensboro, Ky.
High School: Daviess County High School
Personal Bests: 400m: 49.33
Notables: 2004 Kentucky State Champion at 400 meters & 4×800 relay

Lauren Abney

Hometown: Lawrence Kan.
High School: Free State High School
Personal Bests: Javelin: 138-09.00
Notables: 2004 runner-up at the Kansas State Championships in the javelin.

Megan Brunick

Hometown: Naperville, Ill.
High School: Waubonsie Valley High School
Personal Bests: 1600m: 5:15.00 | 3200m: 11:21.54

Colleen Krout

Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
High School: St. Ursula Academy
Personal Bests: 3200m: 11:02.80