Track & Field
December 2, 2017 - 07:06 PM

Kentucky Track & Field Announces Initial Fall 2017 Signings

by Jake Most

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fourteen talented student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to attend the University of Kentucky and compete on the track and field team during the initial signing period.

The initial portion of the signing class includes five national titles 12 state titles, 15 All-America honors and three athletes that have represented their nations at the international level.
The initial group of signings represent seven states and four nations including the United States.

The signings are listed below with brief biographies alphabetically by last name.

	Tatiana Aholou Laval, Québec (Canada) – College Stanislas Personal Bests: 60m: 7.49 \| 100m: 11.71 \| 60H: 8.44\| 100H: 13.89 \|LJ: 20’6.25″/6.25m Canadian youth record holder in the 60-meter hurdles (76.2 cm) (8.41). Canadian Junior Champion in 2016 in the 100m (with a PR time of 11.71 into a -1.3 wind) and long jump, and repeated that title in the 2017 U20 long jump. A 20-feet-plus long jumper and talented hurdler, she represented Canada at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in The Bahamas.
	Dubem Anikamadu Huntley, Illinois – Huntley High School Personal bests: 60m: 6.93 \| 100m: 10.58 \| 200m: 21.70 Claimed bronze in the Illinois Class 3A 200 meters, was eighth in the 100m and anchored Huntley’s eighth-place 4x100m relay to medal three times at the IHSA state meet in 2017. Northwest Herald Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year for 2017. Ran a 200m PR 21.70 earlier in 2017, his junior season. Illinois finalist the last two years in the 100m, having run a PR 10.58 to have the fastest time of the prelims at States in 2017.

	Jaci Bickett Henderson, Kentucky – Henderson County High School Personal Best: PV: 13’3″/4.03m Kentucky 3-A State Champion in the pole vault from three of the last four years (when she was in eighth grade, a freshman and a junior). A New Balance Nationals competitor where she placed sixth. Vaulted a state high-school record 13’3″ to win the 2017 State Title at the UK track during her junior season. She won the 13-14 year-old USATF National Junior Olympic title in the pole vault in 2014.
	Tai Brown Brooklyn, New York – Midwood High School Personal Best: 100mH: 13.86 New Balance Nationals fifth place in 2017 in the 110m hurdles where he ran 13.86, a PR. AAU Junior Olympics participant in 2017. New York City Mayor’s Cup Champion in the 110H in 2016 and 2017. USATF New York Association Champion in 2016. Placed fourth in the 2017 USATF Hershey Youth Indoor National Championships 200m final in 2017. Claimed bronze in the 2015 USATF Region 1 Junior Olympic Championships decathlon, and silver in the 2016 PSAL Brooklyn Borough Championship in the pentathlon.
	Sophie Carrier Shaker Heights, Ohio – Shaker Heights High School Personal Bests: 3200m 10:31.23 \| 5k XC 17:58.0 Ohio State silver medalist in the 3,200m in 2017 running a PR 10:31.23. Placed in the top 15 at the Ohio State Cross Country Championships the past two seasons.
	Noah Green Dallas, Texas – Duncanville High School Personal Bests: 110mH: 13.51 \| 400mH: 52.52 2017 New Balance Nationals Champion in the 110m hurdles with a PR 13.51. Took bronze at the 2017 USATF Junior Championships in Sacramento. Green won Kansas state championships in the 110m and 300m hurdles at the Kansas state track and field championships en route to state titles each of the past two years. Transferred in Fall 2017 to Duncanville High School in Dallas from St. Thomas Aquinas High in Overland Park, Kansas and Blue Valley High in Stilwell, Kansas the year before. A 36.28 300m hurdler who has been reported as a consistent 48-second leg on 4x400m relays. USATF Junior Olympics Runner-up in the 110m hurdles in 2016. Bronze medalist at 2017 New Balance Indoor Nationals in the 60m hurdles.
	Kaitlyn Lacy Louisville, Kentucky – Male High School Personal Bests: Mile: 4:54.67 \| 3,200m: 10:44.79 Kentucky State Champion in the 3,200m in 2017, and bronze medalist in 2016. Kentucky Cross Country Champion in 2017 after silver medal finishes at the same meet the two years prior. Winner of the Kentucky dream mile in 2017. Kentucky silver medalist in the mile in 2016 and 2017 after placing fourth in 2015.
	Devine Parker Freeport, Grand Bahama Personal Bests: 100m: 11.45 \| 200m: 23.54 A top sprinter out of the Bahamas, who has represented her nation at high levels of the sport, including at the CARIFTA Championships and the World Relays. Won the Caribbean Gold Medal with the Bahamas Team at the CARIFTA Championships in Curacao, and placed sixth at World Relays
	Travis Riley Kingston, Jamaica \| Calabar High School \| Western Texas College Personal Bests: LJ: 25’9.25″/7.85m \| TJ: 50’4.5″/15.35m A 25-feet-plus long jumper and 50-feet-plus triple jumper who claimed bronze at the National Junior College Championships in the outdoor long jump, and silver in the NJCAA indoor long jump a year ago for Western Texas College. Placed second at the Digicel Grand Prix long jump while representing Calabar at the Jamaica National Stadium.
	Patrick Schaefer Louisville, Kentucky \| St. Xavier High School Personal Bests: 3,200m: 9:30.44 \| 5k (XC): 15:30.90 Kentucky Cross Country silver medalist in 2017 and bronze medalist in 2016. Nike Cross Nationals participant in 2016. Kentucky finalist in the 3,200m in outdoor track the past three years, finishing fifth in 2016.
	Jacob Smith Acworth, Georgia \| Allatoona High School Personal Bests: 100m: 10.51 \| 200m: 21.38 \| 400m: 47.00 Georgia Class 6A State Champion in the 200m, leading his team to the State Title. 2016-17 Marietta Daily Journal Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Georgia Silver Medalist in the 400m in 2017.
	Joshua Sobota Knoxville, Tennessee \| Bearden High School Personal Bests: Discus: 190’3″/57.98m \| Shot Put: 65’11″/20.09m 2016-17 Tennessee Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Won the shot put and discus Tennessee state meet in 2017. Claimed bronze at New Balance Outdoor Nationals in the shot put, and sixth in the discus. Won the 2016 USATF Youth Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and the 2015 AAU Junior Olympics in the discus and shot put. Placed eighth at 2017 New Balance Indoor Nationals in the shot put.
	Gabe Szalay Wadsworth, Ohio \| Wadsworth High School Personal Best: Mile: 4:11.35 Ohio finalist in the mile outdoors each of the past three years, placing 11th, ninth and seventh improving each of the last three years. New Balance Nationals competitor the past three seasons, with a silver as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore and eighth as a junior in 2017.
	Kelli Walsh Centerville, Ohio \| Centerville High School Personal Best: 5k (XC): 18:22.21 New Balance Outdoor Nationals competitor two of the past three years in the two-mile placing ninth in 2015 and 28th in 2017. Competed at New Balance Nationals indoors in 2016.

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	Tatiana Aholou Laval, Québec (Canada) – College Stanislas Personal Bests: 60m: 7.49 \| 100m: 11.71 \| 60H: 8.44\| 100H: 13.89 \|LJ: 20’6.25″/6.25m Canadian youth record holder in the 60-meter hurdles (76.2 cm) (8.41). Canadian Junior Champion in 2016 in the 100m (with a PR time of 11.71 into a -1.3 wind) and long jump, and repeated that title in the 2017 U20 long jump. A 20-feet-plus long jumper and talented hurdler, she represented Canada at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in The Bahamas.
	Dubem Anikamadu Huntley, Illinois – Huntley High School Personal bests: 60m: 6.93 \| 100m: 10.58 \| 200m: 21.70 Claimed bronze in the Illinois Class 3A 200 meters, was eighth in the 100m and anchored Huntley’s eighth-place 4x100m relay to medal three times at the IHSA state meet in 2017. Northwest Herald Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year for 2017. Ran a 200m PR 21.70 earlier in 2017, his junior season. Illinois finalist the last two years in the 100m, having run a PR 10.58 to have the fastest time of the prelims at States in 2017.

	Jaci Bickett Henderson, Kentucky – Henderson County High School Personal Best: PV: 13’3″/4.03m Kentucky 3-A State Champion in the pole vault from three of the last four years (when she was in eighth grade, a freshman and a junior). A New Balance Nationals competitor where she placed sixth. Vaulted a state high-school record 13’3″ to win the 2017 State Title at the UK track during her junior season. She won the 13-14 year-old USATF National Junior Olympic title in the pole vault in 2014.
	Tai Brown Brooklyn, New York – Midwood High School Personal Best: 100mH: 13.86 New Balance Nationals fifth place in 2017 in the 110m hurdles where he ran 13.86, a PR. AAU Junior Olympics participant in 2017. New York City Mayor’s Cup Champion in the 110H in 2016 and 2017. USATF New York Association Champion in 2016. Placed fourth in the 2017 USATF Hershey Youth Indoor National Championships 200m final in 2017. Claimed bronze in the 2015 USATF Region 1 Junior Olympic Championships decathlon, and silver in the 2016 PSAL Brooklyn Borough Championship in the pentathlon.
	Sophie Carrier Shaker Heights, Ohio – Shaker Heights High School Personal Bests: 3200m 10:31.23 \| 5k XC 17:58.0 Ohio State silver medalist in the 3,200m in 2017 running a PR 10:31.23. Placed in the top 15 at the Ohio State Cross Country Championships the past two seasons.
	Noah Green Dallas, Texas – Duncanville High School Personal Bests: 110mH: 13.51 \| 400mH: 52.52 2017 New Balance Nationals Champion in the 110m hurdles with a PR 13.51. Took bronze at the 2017 USATF Junior Championships in Sacramento. Green won Kansas state championships in the 110m and 300m hurdles at the Kansas state track and field championships en route to state titles each of the past two years. Transferred in Fall 2017 to Duncanville High School in Dallas from St. Thomas Aquinas High in Overland Park, Kansas and Blue Valley High in Stilwell, Kansas the year before. A 36.28 300m hurdler who has been reported as a consistent 48-second leg on 4x400m relays. USATF Junior Olympics Runner-up in the 110m hurdles in 2016. Bronze medalist at 2017 New Balance Indoor Nationals in the 60m hurdles.
	Kaitlyn Lacy Louisville, Kentucky – Male High School Personal Bests: Mile: 4:54.67 \| 3,200m: 10:44.79 Kentucky State Champion in the 3,200m in 2017, and bronze medalist in 2016. Kentucky Cross Country Champion in 2017 after silver medal finishes at the same meet the two years prior. Winner of the Kentucky dream mile in 2017. Kentucky silver medalist in the mile in 2016 and 2017 after placing fourth in 2015.
	Devine Parker Freeport, Grand Bahama Personal Bests: 100m: 11.45 \| 200m: 23.54 A top sprinter out of the Bahamas, who has represented her nation at high levels of the sport, including at the CARIFTA Championships and the World Relays. Won the Caribbean Gold Medal with the Bahamas Team at the CARIFTA Championships in Curacao, and placed sixth at World Relays
	Travis Riley Kingston, Jamaica \| Calabar High School \| Western Texas College Personal Bests: LJ: 25’9.25″/7.85m \| TJ: 50’4.5″/15.35m A 25-feet-plus long jumper and 50-feet-plus triple jumper who claimed bronze at the National Junior College Championships in the outdoor long jump, and silver in the NJCAA indoor long jump a year ago for Western Texas College. Placed second at the Digicel Grand Prix long jump while representing Calabar at the Jamaica National Stadium.
	Patrick Schaefer Louisville, Kentucky \| St. Xavier High School Personal Bests: 3,200m: 9:30.44 \| 5k (XC): 15:30.90 Kentucky Cross Country silver medalist in 2017 and bronze medalist in 2016. Nike Cross Nationals participant in 2016. Kentucky finalist in the 3,200m in outdoor track the past three years, finishing fifth in 2016.
	Jacob Smith Acworth, Georgia \| Allatoona High School Personal Bests: 100m: 10.51 \| 200m: 21.38 \| 400m: 47.00 Georgia Class 6A State Champion in the 200m, leading his team to the State Title. 2016-17 Marietta Daily Journal Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Georgia Silver Medalist in the 400m in 2017.
	Joshua Sobota Knoxville, Tennessee \| Bearden High School Personal Bests: Discus: 190’3″/57.98m \| Shot Put: 65’11″/20.09m 2016-17 Tennessee Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Won the shot put and discus Tennessee state meet in 2017. Claimed bronze at New Balance Outdoor Nationals in the shot put, and sixth in the discus. Won the 2016 USATF Youth Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and the 2015 AAU Junior Olympics in the discus and shot put. Placed eighth at 2017 New Balance Indoor Nationals in the shot put.
	Gabe Szalay Wadsworth, Ohio \| Wadsworth High School Personal Best: Mile: 4:11.35 Ohio finalist in the mile outdoors each of the past three years, placing 11th, ninth and seventh improving each of the last three years. New Balance Nationals competitor the past three seasons, with a silver as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore and eighth as a junior in 2017.
	Kelli Walsh Centerville, Ohio \| Centerville High School Personal Best: 5k (XC): 18:22.21 New Balance Outdoor Nationals competitor two of the past three years in the two-mile placing ninth in 2015 and 28th in 2017. Competed at New Balance Nationals indoors in 2016.

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Kentucky Track & Field Announces Initial Fall 2017 Signings

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