Wildcats Add 30 to 2013-14 Roster
June 14, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. — With his first season as head coach of the Kentucky track and field teams in the books, Edrick Floreal and his coaching staff have announced the first full recruiting class of their tenure at UK.
Thirty athletes, 22 men and eight women, have signed to compete for the University of Kentucky track and field teams.
The signing class features 16 state champions with more than 43 state titles between them. The incoming class also boasts six signees who own times/marks that rank inside the Track and Field News High School National Top 25.
Alisha Adair – Western Hills High School – Frankfort, Ky.
Alisha becomes a Wildcat having enjoyed one of the most decorated high-school sprinting careers in Kentucky history. She was 2011-12 Gatorade Kentucky Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year, 2012 Kentucky Miss Track and KYtrackXC Sprinter of the Year in 2012. She is an eight-time state champion, having won the Kentucky title five times at 200 meters. Adair was Class AA State Champion at 100, 200 and 400 meters and also anchored the 4×400-meter Relay state championship team in 2012. She also led her team to the Class AA State Team Championship in 2012. That mile relay broke the state record with a time of 4:00.62. She owns a 60M PR of 7.71 a 100M PR of 12.03, a 200M PR of 24.84 and a 400M PR of 56.53. Her 400 PR came at the 2012 state championships.
Nicholas Anderson – Wekiva High School – Apopka, Fla.
A quality hurdles prospect, Nicholas was 2013 Florida runner up in the 110-meter hurdles. Anderson has performed well at high-profile meets across the state of Florida as he placed fourth in his specialty event at the 2013 Florida Relays and was seventh in the same event at the FSU Relays and the Bob Hayes Invitational. He was Metro Conference, District and Regional champion in the 100H in 2013. His 110H PR is 14.11. He plans to major in Veterinary Medicine.
Zack Beavin – Transfer – Belmont University – Louisville, KY.
A distance specialist, Zack transfers to UK from Belmont University where he posted personal bests on 30:34.95 in the 10K, 14:46.97 in the 5K and 8:28.84 in the 3K in his first year of collegiate action. A prep teammate of Wildcat Matt Hillenbrand, Zack set personal bests of 4:22.41 in the 1600m and 9:13.15 in the 3200m for St. Xavier High School. He was 2012 KyMilesplit.com Kentucky High School Senior Distance Runner of the Year.
DaQuan Brown – Lawrence Central High School – Indianapolis, Ind.
One of the top hurdles prospects out of the Midwest. He was the 2012 Indiana 300m hurdles state champion. His 110-meter hurdles personal-best time 14.25 came in a third-place performance at the 2012 IHSAA State Championship. His 60-meter hurdles personal best is 8.30. He won the 110H and 300H at his Regional Championship Meet. Brown was coached by Tim Richey at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis.
Dominique Booker – Transfer – UCF – East Orange, N.J.
Dominique Booker joins UK having already proven to be an elite sprinter at the collegiate level. Her 2013 top 60-meter time 7.32 ranked inside the Track and Field News National Top 25 (including pros). She was 2011 Conference USA Indoor 200-meter champion and The Kentucky Invitational 200 meters champion. She was also a member of UCF’s Conference USA Outdoor Champion 4×100-meter relay team in 2011 and 2012. She owns a collegiate 60 meters personal best of 7.24, a 100M PR of 11.44 and a 200M PR of 23.26. In high school she set 11 school, six conference, four county and three state records and was named to the all-county and all-state teams as a senior at Immaculate Conception High School. She was honored as the All-County MVP in 2010, and was named to the all-county, all-state and all-conference teams as well as being named team MVP all four years. She was also a 2009 NSSF U.S. Junior National Team competitor at the Fourth Caribbean Scholastic Invitational.
David Cline – Bishop Rosecrans – Zanesville, Ohio
A top-notch shot putter out of Ohio, David also competes in the discus. He owns a shot put personal best of 17.54m / 57 feet 6.5 inches, which came in a fourth-place and All-State performance at the Ohio State Championships. He recently won the East Central Ohio League Championship shot put title for the second season in a row. Cline was Regional Shot Put Champion in 2012, and District Champion in 2013. He placed sixth in the discus at his 2013 District Meet.
Brooks Divine – Marion County – Lebanon, Ky.
Brooks is a multi-event prospect and one of the best pole vaulters in Kentucky with a top clearance of 14.42M/14’6”. He was 2013 State Champion in the pole vault both indoors and outdoors. He won the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Region 5 Decathlon, high jump, 100-meter hurdles, javelin, shot put and 400 meters. He was also USA Track and Field Kentucky Meet champion in the pole vault and javelin. He was bronze medalist in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2013 state championship with a personal-best time of 15.35.
Nathan Donnellon – Transfer – Siena Heights University – Ypsilanti, Mich.
An elite decathlete, who especially excels in throws events. He set the American Junior record in the decathlon discus with his throw of 49.64M/162’10” at the 2012 USA Junior Track & Field Championships. Donnellon was a NAIA National Championship qualifier. He owns a Decathlon PR of 6428 points. Donnellon is a native of Ypsilanti, Mich.
Clyde Gross – Fork Union Military Academy – Fork Union, Va.
Clyde Gross joins the UK track and field team as a decorated hurdler. He was gold medalist at the 2013 Virginia State Meet in three events; the 110m hurdles, 300m hurdles and was on FUMA’s first-place 4×100-meter relay team. He owns a 55m hurdles PR of 7.71, his 110m hurdles PR is 14.58 and his 300m hurdles best is 38.84.
Cassidy Hale – duPont Manual High School – Louisville, Ky.
Cassidy is one of the most accomplished distance runners to come out of Kentucky in some time. She was the 2011 Gatorade Runner of the Year as well as Ms. Kentucky Cross Country 2011. Cassidy is a four-time participant in the Kentucky Dream Mile, an event in which she owns a personal best of 5:01.43. She was the 2011 Class
AAA cross country champion, and has a personal best of 17:41. In 2013, she also lowered her 3,200 meters personal best to 10:52.83. She was Kentucky 3,200-meter runner up, and also a member of the 4x800m State Championship team in 2013.
Kristen Hale – duPont Manual High School – Louisville, Ky.
Kristen will be joining her twin sister Cassidy as a Wildcat. Kristen was fifth in the 2011 AAA cross country state championships, and she was the 2012 runner-up at 3,200m. She owns personal bests of 5:10.10 for 1,600m, 11:14.56 for 3.200m and 17:55 for 5K in cross country. She earned her first state championship as a member of the Manual 4x800m relay team this spring.
Gabriel Harm
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Eagle High School – Eagle, Idaho – Distance
Harm joins the UK distance program having competed at some of the Northwest’s biggest meets over his high school career including the Oregon Relays and multiple trips to Nike Cross Regionals. He has an 800 meters PR of 1:54.58, a 1,600M PR of 4:23.49 and a 5K PR of 16:19.00. Gabe competed at Eagle High School in Eagle, Idaho.
Nikolas Huffman – Virginia High School – Bristol, Va.
Four-time Virginia State Champion, twice in the shot put and twice in the discus. Broke a 30-year old Group A State Championship meet record with a PR throw of 17.89 meters / 58’8.5” in 2012, and won the state title in the event again in 2013. Huffman also won the Virginia Discus Throw Championship twice, in 2011 and 2012. He has a discus PR of 55.19M / 181’1”. Ranks inside the national high school top 15 in the shot put, hammer throw and weight throw. He is Virginia high school record holder in both the shot put and discus.
Spencer Hrycay – Janesville Craig – Janesville, Wis
Spencer Hrycay competes in distance events having developed into one of the elite distance runners in the state of Wisconsin over his high-school career. He was a two-time All-State selection in cross country. Hrycay’s 3,200 meters personal-best time of 9:18.59 came in fourth-place performance at the 2013 Wisconsin State Championships. He owns a 1,600m PR 4:19.19 and a 5K PR 15:30.25. He competed at Janesville Craig High School under coach Brian Lawton. An honor student with a GPA of 3.75, Hrycay was a four-time all-state academic honoree in cross country and plans to enroll in pre-med. Last name is pronounced Ritz-I.
Michael Iacofano – St. Vincent-St. Mary – Akron, Ohio
Iacofano has enjoyed a decorated high school career, which was highlighted by his 2012 State Cross Country Championship. Has a 1,600-meter personal best time 4:15.32, a 3,200-meter PR 9:19.36 and a 5K PR 15:32.98. He was state runner-up at 3,200 meters outdoors in 2012. His 1,600m PR came in a Bronze Medal performance at the Ohio State Meet. He won his Regional Championship at 1,600m and 3,200m in 2013. Coached at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School – the high school where LeBron James attended – by Dan Lancianese. Parents are Mike and Heather and he has a sister named Rachel.
Madison Jacobs – Arroyo Grande – Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Has posted the seventh-best discus throw 49.97M / 163’ 11.5” and seventh-best shot put mark of 14.4M / 47’ 3” in the nation during 2013. Jacobs was the runner-up in the discus at the 2012 California State Championships with that throw, coming up just an inch short of the winning throw. She is a two-time Pac-7 League Champion in both the shot put and discus. Plans to compete in the shot put, hammer and weight throws. Coached at Arroyo Grande High School by James Brown. Plans to major in business and music. Brother Seth plays football at Oklahoma State. Father’s name is Jimmy. Coached in high school by Megan Howard and James Brown.
Michael Jensen – Appoquinimink High School – Middletown, Del.
One of the nation’s top pole vaulters. He had the 19th-highest vault clearance in the country during 2012 (5 meters / 16’4.75”). That clearance won him the prestigious boy’s event at the Penn Relays. Jensen has competed at multiple big-time meets including 2013 New Balance Indoor Nationals at the famous Armory Track and Field Center in New York City. Jensen is a three-time state pole vault champion.
Justin Kretchmer – Waterloo High School – Waterloo, Ill.
Justin Kretchmer joins the Wildcats as one of the nation’s top high jump prospects. Kretchmer is tied for the No. 3 high school high jump clearance in the nation this season at 2.16M/ 7’1”. That mark is two inches under the nation’s leading clearance. He has amassed an impressive array of competitive accolades including 2012 All-State honors after he won the Illinois high jump title last season. Kretchmer recently won the high jump and long jump at the Mississippi Valley Boys Conference Championship.
Tim Layten – Carlmont High School – Belmont, Calif.
Layten joins the UK track and field program as one of the best distance/middle distance runners out of California. Layten’s 800m personal best time is 1:52.60, and he was a California State Meet finalist in the event. His prep-best time over 1,600m is 4:17.7. He was MVP of his high school track team this past season. He also qualified for the California State Cross Country Meet for the past three seasons. He placed fourth in the 800m at the 2012 California Indoor State Championships.
Jacob McLimore – Bryan Station High School – Lexington, Ky.
Jacob McLimore is a Lexington product who has amassed just about every accolade a local athlete could collect in high school. McLimore won the
2012 3A State Championship in the 300-meter hurdles with a PR time of 38.80. He also has won four city championships: the 2010, 2011 and 2012 110-meter hurdles titles and the 2011 300-meter hurdles crown. He has competed at high-profile meets like New Balance Indoor Nationals at New York City’s famous Armory Track. He was a high-school teammate at Bryan Station of fellow 2013 UK signee Corey Williams.
Charles Moushey – Westerville Central High School – Westerville, Ohio
Among the best pole vault prospects out of the state of Ohio. Moushey holds Westerville Central High School’s pole vault record clearance 4.88 meters / 16 feet. He was runner-up at the 2013 Ohio State Championships after finishing in the top 5 at the 2012 State Meet. He also has shown multi-event potential as he has amassed some impressive results in the high jump and long jump.
Ryan Polman – Transfer – Dayton – Independence, Ohio
Ryan Polman comes to UK from Dayton after enjoying a stellar high school career in Ohio in cross country and track and field. He was a four-time State Cross Country Meet qualifier winning the State Title in 2009. He also qualified for the 2011 Footlocker Cross Country Nationals where he placed 28th. He competed at two cross country meets in 2012 at Dayton with an 8K season-best time 26:00.5 at the All-Ohio Cross Country Championships. 
Dylan Rich – Buffalo High School – Buffalo, West Virginia
Dylan has quickly ascended the ranks in West Virginia as one of the top runners in his state. He won four events and was high point scorer at the 2013 West Virginia State Championship Meet. He owns the state records at 800 and 1600 meters. Rich also won both the 800m and the Mile run at the heart of the Bluegrass meet hosted by UK this spring. A former basketball player, Dylan has great potential to develop into an outstanding collegiate distance runner. He owns personal bests of 1:55.99 in the 800m and 4:19.84 in the 1600m.
Cassidy Shippy – Knox Central – Barbourville, Ky.
Cassidy comes to UK having recently solidified her reputation as one of the top short sprinters in the state of Kentucky as she recently won the State 100-meter dash title. Shippy will train as a heptathlete at UK. She was runner up in the long jump and bronze medalist in the 200 meters at the 2013 State Championships as well. She swept the Region 5 AA Championships in all three of those events this season. Cassidy has a 100M PR of 12.04 a 200M PR of 25.64 and a long jump personal best of 5.47M/17’11.25”.
Ibn Short – Milton Hershey High School – Hershey, Pa.
A top-quality high jump prospect who excels on the biggest stages. Short was the top American finisher the Penn Relays Boy’s Championship of America high jump with a personal-best clearance 2.09M / 6’ 10.25” inches. That mark ranks inside the high school national top 25. Runner-up in the New Balance Indoor Nationals high jump. 2012 Pennsylvania State High Jump champion. First name is pronounced Ay-bin.
Charles “Lou” Styles – Midpark High School – Middleburg Heights, Ohio
A distance and middle distance standout from Ohio. He owns an 800-meter personal-best time 1:55.24, a 1,600M PR of 4:13.29, a 3,200-meter run PR of 9:32.81 and a 5K PR of 15:53.38. Styles was Ohio outdoor runner-up at 800 meters in 2012. He posted a top-10 finish at the Ohio State Meet in the 1,600m, and won the Regional Meet at that distance in 2013. He has competed at a number of high-profile meets including the 2011 New Balance Outdoor Nationals where he ran a personal best in the mile of 4:17.82, one of the top sophomore times in the country.
Alyssa Taylor – Owings Mills High School – Baltimore, Md.
An elite distance competitor out of Maryland. She was a First-Team All-Metro Baltimore selection in cross country with a 5,000m best of 19:13. Taylor went on to finish third at the Maryland Class 2A State Championships. She owns a 1,600-meter personal-best time of 5:12.94 coming from her 2nd-place finish at the Maryland Indoor State Championships.
Dyarius Tucker – Hillgrove High School – Powder Springs, Ga.
One of the elite combination hurdles prospects out of the state of Georgia. He owns the seventh-fastest high school 300-meter hurdles time in the nation this season (37.29), which ranks second in the state. He has a knack for top performances on high-profile stages as his PR 300H time came at the Bob Hayes Invitational in a photo finish. Tucker was 2012 AAU Club National 400-meter hurdles Champion after posting a PR 53.63. He owns a 110-meter hurdles personal best time of 14.05, a 60H PR of 8.19.
Johna’ Whitaker – Pine Forest High School – Pensacola, Fla.
One of the most accomplished high school hurdlers in the nation. Whitaker owns the fifth fastest high school 100-meter hurdles time in the nation at 13.70 and the seventh fastest 300m hurdles time at 42.42. She is the 2012 and 2013 Florida State
100-meter hurdles Champion and the 2013 300m hurdles State Champion. She posted a wind-aided 100H time of 13.62 in the Florida State Meet prelims. FLRunners.com Athlete of the Week in early April.
Corey Williams – Bryan Station High School – Lexington, Ky.
One of the most decorated high school jumpers ever to come out of Lexington and the state of Kentucky. He was State Champion in both the long jump and triple jump in 2013 with respective PR marks of 7.23m / 23’8.75” and 14.03M / 46.05’. He was also 2012 Kentucky State Long Jump Champion, helping lead his high school – alongside 2013 UK signee Jacob McLimore – to the team AAA State Title. Williams was the AAU National Runner-Up in the High Jump with a PR clearance at 1.98M/6’06” as well as the New Balance Nationals long jump runner-up in the Emerging elite section. He tied that high jump personal best in a runner-up performance at the 2013 State Meet. He has won two City Championships (high jump and triple jump), and swept the HJ, TJ and LJ at the Heart of the Bluegrass Classic in April.
