University of Richmond Athletics
Richmond Track & Field Announces Recruiting Class
06/09/2006 | Women's Track & Field
June 9, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The University of Richmond's track and field program announced today that 23 athletes (12 women and 11 men) committed to join the program this fall. Coaches Steve Taylor and Lori Taylor are happy with the list of incoming student-athletes as Richmond continues to attract top prospects to both the track & field and cross country programs.
Amy Van Alstine ran 10:12.87 in the 3,000 meters at the Penn Relays.  |
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"As always, our goal each year is to attract the top prospects to our program and University," said Lori Taylor, who serves as the director of the track & field program. "Our programs emphasis is to qualify athletes to the NCAA Championships in cross country and all of the track & field disciplines including the distance events, sprints, jumps, and throws. Some of these incoming athletes have the tools needed to reach the top ranks among the NCAA.
"Our goal in recruiting this season was to add depth across the board", Taylor continued. "I believe we've made progress in that area."
Andrew Benford won West Virginia State Cross Country Championships in 2004 and 2005. |
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"We are excited about the group of athletes joining our program this fall," said Steve Taylor, Richmond's head men's coach and recruiting coordinator for the men's and women's teams. "We attracted athletes from all over the country and I believe that shows the University of Richmond is well known and respected academically and athletically throughout the nation. Our campus has been ranked among the nations `Most Beautiful' for the past ten years, we have excellent facilities, our University has one of the top seven graduation rates for student-athletes in the nation, we travel to the most prestigious meets in the country, and we offer one of the premier educations in the nation. Many of these men and women will help our program immediately.
Alyssa Mankin won Tennessee state titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters. |
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The Spiders had a big year setting 14 program records during the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons and they had five athletes qualify for the 2006 NCAA East Region Championships in 2006, the most ever for the Richmond women's team. Sprinter Jessica Young (200, 400 meters), 100-meter hurdler Jasmine Major, throwers Beth Crocus (javelin, hammer) and Lindsey Smith (javelin) and distance runner Nicole Kurtain (3,000 steeplechase) all qualified for postseason competition. Crocus, Smith, Young and Major all return for the 2006-07 seasons.
In yet another series of firsts, Crocus became the first Spider to win a Penn Relay title, taking first in the 2006 college division javelin, while Jessica Young became the first female sprinter in school history to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 400 (54.18). She was also the first female sprinter to qualify for the NCAA Regional Championships in the outdoor 200 (23.92) and 400 (53.52).
Emily Miller is a javelin specialist from Indiana, Pa. |
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Under the Taylor's guidance the Spiders have made a tremendous assault on the program record books. The men's and women's teams set 17 school records in 2002, followed with another 19 records in 2003 (10 indoor and nine outdoor), 12 more records in 2004, 13 records in 2005 and yet another 14 program records in 2006 . In 2003 Ruth Chege set the 5,000 (16:27.71) and the 10,000 (35:22.27) marks, while Julee Wilson and Ashley Bell swept records from the 55 to the 200. In 2005, sophomore Amanda Russell met the NCAA provisional mark in the 10,000 running 35:07.09 to break Chege's record.
Ben Havko is a distance specialist with a personal best of 4:27.5. |
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Within the Atlantic 10 Conference, Richmond has earned five Atlantic 10 Athletes of the Year and three Rookies of the Year honors since 2002. Jasmine Major was the 2006 conference Indoor Rookie of the Year.
The Spider's also continue to achieve in the classroom as well as the field of competition. The men's and women's cross country and track & field teams earned NCAA All-Academic honors in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. While the men's and women's cross country teams earned the honor with distinction for maintaining a cumulative GPA over 3.25 in 2003. The men's cross country team ranked fifth nationally in 2003 and third nationally in track & field in 2004 with a GPA of 3.26.
Megan Ney was crowned the 2006 VHSL AAA Northern Region Champion in the high jump. |
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"I believe these success stories are just the beginning foundation for our program" said Taylor. "Our recent graduates have a lot of pride in what they accomplished and put a lot of work into this program. They set the tone and bar for the men and women that follow. They know the importance of pushing to the next level and doing it in a way that it is built to last. As a staff we stress the importance of leaving things better than when you found them and taking no short cuts. We are proud of this fact and proud that our Alumni continue to support us at a level that allows us to aim even higher and recruit the very best prospective track & field student-athletes. That vision has allowed us to recruit this incoming class of student-athletes. These incoming men and women, along with our returning student-athletes, will be responsible for our program going to the top. We are excited about the University of Richmond and the future of our program."
Highlighting the incoming class for the women's team will be (alphabetically):
Alexandria Brown (Hampton, Va./Hampton Roads Academy) is a sprint specialist.
Jasmine Cottle (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills HS) has been a large component of the Penn Hills High School success for the past four years. She holds personal bests of 25.20 in the 200 and 56.80 in the 400 dash and has been a contributing member of the Indians 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. Click here for more on Jasmine.
Kristen Crawford (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee HS) established herself as one of the top throwers in Virginia earlier this spring by winning the shot put at the Southern Track Classic in Richmond with a throw of 42-feet-7. She placed second at the 2005 and 2006 VHSL State AA Championships in the same event. Crawford was also a starter for the girls' basketball team. Click here for more on Kristen.
Kristen Crawford won the shot put at the Southern Track Classic. |
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Heather Gibson (Orange County, Calif./Lutheran HS) is a hurdle specialist from Orange County, Calif. She has a personal best of 14.91 in the 100 hurdles.
Monique Hawkins (The Colony, Texas/The Colony HS) joins the Spiders as one of the top sprinters in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area. She posted personal bests in the 100 (11.78) and 200 (24.74) dashes at the 2006 Tri-City Classic hosted by the Lancaster Lightening Track Club in Lancaster, Texas on June 5. Hawkins also placed first in the 100 (11.87) and first in the 200 (25.11) at the 7th Annual DeSoto Roadrunners Classic in DeSoto, Texas. She has sprinted to a mark of 57.16 in the 400 dash and is a 2005 and 2006 Nike Indoor National Qualifier in the 60 dash. Click here for more on Monique.
Kerry Kelly (Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven HS) is a hurdle specialist with marks of 14.90 in the 100 hurdles and 45.06 for the 300 hurdles. Click here for more on Kerry.
Alyssa Mankin (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) won TSSAA D-II state titles in the 800 (2:17.45), 1,600 (5:09.20) and 3,200 (11:20.91) recently at the Tennessee State Championships. Her mark in the 800 was a personal best. Earlier this spring she won the 1600 (5:05.15) and placed second in the 800 (2:18.98) at the prestigious Great Eight Invitational held in Nashville, Tenn. In the fall she won the 2005 TSSAA DII Cross Country Championship title by nearly 30 seconds after finishing in the runner-up spot in 2004. Click here for more on Alyssa.
Emily Miller (Indiana, Pa./Indiana Area HS) is a javelin specialist.
Megan Ney (McClain, Va./McClain HS) was crowned the 2006 VHSL AAA Northern Region Champion in the high jump, placed third in the long jump and seventh in the triple jump.
Stephanie Swisher is a transfer from Tulane. |
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Stephanie Swisher (Richmond, Va./Collegiate HS) is a Tulane University transfer who specializes in the high jump.
Amy Van Alstine (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park) claimed the 2004 New Jersey Group I Cross Country title and retuned to place second in 2005. After winning her second straight Bergen County D Division crown she was named the North Jersey Runner of the Year by The Star-Ledger. On the track she holds strong marks and placed well in the 3,000 race at the Penn Relays with a time of 10:12.87. This past weekend she defended her Group I Sectional title in the 3,200M, winning by 43 seconds. Click here for more on Amy.
Katie Yusko (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville HS) is a hurdle specialist.
For the men, the incoming class features state champions and transfer students (alphabetically):
Ryan Buhl is a distance specialist from Northbrook, Ill. |
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Andrew Benford (Ravenswood, W.V./Ravenswood HS) recently capped a stellar prep career with the coveted High Point Trophy for the AA classification at the West Virginia State Track & Field Championships. Benford defended his state titles in the 3,200 (9:30.47) and 1,600 (4:29.52), placed second in the 800 and ran on the championship 4x400 relay team scoring 28 points for his team. He has personal best marks of 9:30.47 (3,200), 4:26.20 (1,600) and 1:59.97 (800). He won the 2005 and 2004 A-AA WVSSAS State Cross Country titles and placed second in 2003 to his brother. While a member of the Red Devils team they won four consecutive state cross country championship titles. He was also a starter for the boys' basketball team that won the 2006 WVSSAC State Basketball Championship. Click here for more on Andrew.
James Blair (Charleston, W.V./Charleston Catholic HS) is a George Washington University transfer specializing in the distance events. Blair earned 2002 WVSSAC All-State honors in cross country placing ninth in the AA championships.
Michael Coleman placed third in the 800 at the VHSL Class A Outdoor Championships. |
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Ryan Buhl (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North HS) is a distance specialist.
Mike Coleman (Madison, Va./Madison County HS) is a middle distance specialist who placed third in the 800 at the 2004 VHSL Class A Outdoor Championships. He returned for the 2006 championships to place eighth in the 400.
Ben Havko (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) is a distance specialist with a personal best of 4:27.5 ran at the 2006 Erie McDowell Invitational. He qualified for the 2006 PIAA Championships in the 800 run.
Jay Hoban (Westfield, N.J./Westfield HS) is a distance specialist from New Jersey.
Matt Llano (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck HS) helped lead his team to the 2005 Maryland 4A State Cross Country Championship and placed fourth overall. He placed second in the 2005 4A East Region Cross Country Championships. During the indoor season, Llano placed second in the 1,600 at the 2006 Maryland 4A Track & Field Championships. He was crowned Anne Arundel County indoor track champion in the 800 and 1,600 races. Llano has a personal best of 4:25 in the 1,600. Click here for more info on Matt.
Jon Wilson ran 9:36.92 at the 2006 Loucks Games in the 3,200 meters. |
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Alex Nourse (Easton, Pa./Easton Area HS) placed third in the 200 at the 2006 Allentown Outdoor Invitational. Set personal bests of 10.91 in the 100 and 22.06 in the 200 his senior year.
Sawyer Weir (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven HS) is a javelin specialist.
Jon Wilson (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth HS) ran 9:36.92 at the 2006 Loucks Games in the 3,200. He placed fifth at the 2005 Maine Class B Cross Country Championships, helping his team to second place. He placed second in the 3,200 and 1,600 at the 2006 Western Maine Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships setting a personal best in the indoor 1,600 (4:25.72). Wilson placed second in the 3,200 at the 2006 Maine Class B Outdoor Championships. Click here for more info on Jon.
