By: by Krissy Wade
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Owls have added twelve new recruits to next year's Track and Field team, Head Coach Don McGarey announced on Monday, June 15.
The recruits include the following:
Jacob Bridges: 2009 Class AAAA Georgia State Champion in the Pole Vault. PR of 14' 9.25" in the pole vault. 2009 7AAAA Region Champion in the pole vault. Bridges is capable of scoring much needed points and pushing for conference titles in the pole vault in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
"Jake will come in and fill a huge hole our men's program has had for quite some time with no pole vaulters," Assistant Coach Jerel Langley said. "He has tremendous upside in the event. He has great speed for a vaulter and if he can hit the weight room hard he should push for regional marks in the pole vault and conference records."
Adam Reed: A transfer from Gardner-Webb University, Reed was the 2009 Big South Conference Indoor runner-up in the pole vault while improving in the outdoor season as the 2009 Big South Conference Pole Vault Champion. In addition, he was the Class AAA Georgia State Champion in the pole vault in 2007, and a 2009 NCAA East Regional Qualifier in the Pole Vault.
"Adam will bring great leadership and intensity to Kennesaw State. As we come out of the Division I transition period and are able to compete at Regionals and Nationals, his experiences will help guide members of the team who have never been able to attend these high level meets," Langley said. "He will also fill a hole in our men's team in the vault and we look for him to do the same things in 2010 that he did in 2009."
Aaron Chamblee: Chamblee comes to Kennesaw State from Mill Creek High School in Georgia. At Mill Creek, Aaron was the 2009 Class AAAAA State runner-up in the pole vault, taking second to his teammate from Mill Creek. He was also the Region 7AAAAA runner-up in the pole vault. He comes to KSU with a personal best of 14' 6" in the event.
"Aaron will add depth to our men's vault group, but quality depth as well," Langley said. "Aaron, Jake, and Adam should push each other to new heights and strong showings for KSU in the Atlantic Sun meets. Aaron has great speed down the runway and will be a solid contributor for our men's team in years to come."
Ethan Kasson: Kasson comes to Kennesaw State off of a State Championship team at Parkview High school in Georgia. Arguably one of the most decorated runners to enter the KSU program, Kasson was the 2009 Class AAAAA State Champion in the 400 meters as well as the anchor leg for the State Champion 4x400 Relay team. At the 2009 National Scholastic Indoor Championships, Kasson finished 7th, narrowly missing All-American honors. Kasson holds personal bests of 47.43 in the 400 meters and 21.74 in the 200 meters. He is currently ranked #23 in the 400 meters for HS boys according to Dyestat.com. " We are glad that Ethan is going to be an Owl," Assistant Coach Devin West said. "I look forward to working with him and bringing his talents to a National level. He was one of our first signees in this class and helped bring attention to our program here at Kennesaw State. We look forward to him bringing attention to our program on the track in the years to come."
Travis Benton: Benton will join teammates Kennisha Holden and Decoshia Boswell from Redan High School in Georgia. A stellar short sprinter with numerous accolades, Benton was hampered by injuries his senior season but still put together an impressive senior campaign. Benton boasts personal bests of 10.54 in the 100 meters, 21.54 in the 200 meters and 21' 10" in the long jump.
"We are extremely excited to add Travis to our men's roster," West said. "Travis will add quality depth to an already improving short sprints group. His previous times in high school are both faster than our current school records in the 100 and 200. He will add strength to our men's 4x100 relay that should push for regional and national marks next season."
Frank Minton: A sensational short sprinter from Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida, Minton will add firepower to a budding short sprints core at Kennesaw. Minton took 5th place in class 3A 100 meters in the state of Florida in 2009. Minton has personal bests of 10.60 in the 100 meters and 21.76 in the 200 meters.
"Frank is going to be a part of a stellar short sprints core next season," West said. "We look for him to contribute big points for us and also help our relay reach a regional and national level. We are also excited to get one of the best sprinters from the state of Florida."
Adika Smith: Smith will join high school teammate Tremaine Grant from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as a 2009-2010 Owl. Smith was the 2009 Region 3 4A 400 meter champion with a personal best time of 48.62. He also holds a personal best of 22.02 in the 200 meters.
"Adika could be a diamond in the rough," West said. "With only one year of track and field experience under his belt, he already shown great potential. We look for him to contribute in the 400 meters and the 4x400 next season."
Tremaine Grant: Grant comes to Kennesaw State as one of the top prep hurdlers in the nation. Currently ranked #18 in the US HS boys 300 hurdles, he holds personal bests of 37.28 in the 300 hurdles, 14.20 in the 110 hurdles, and 53.97 in the 400 hurdles. He took 4th in both the 300 hurdles and 110 hurldes in Florida Class 4A State Championships for 2009.
"Tremaine is a standout prep hurdler who has not tapped into his full capabilities yet. I look forward to him joining an already strong core of hurdlers here and Kennesaw and pushing for regional marks within his first year," West said.
Cameron Zeman: Another nationally ranked prep start, Zeman will join the Kennesaw State Owls as a high jumper next season. Ranked #32 in the nation according to MileSplit.com, the North Forsyth graduate took third in the 2009 AAAAA Georgia State Championships. He owns a personal best of 6' 10" in the high jump.
"Cameron is quite a catch for our program here at KSU," Langley said. "All the coaches feel that he has yet to reach his potential in the high jump and will push for national marks soon in his college career. He is a hard worker and will come in and push Jerome McKinzie, taking both of them to new heights. We look forward to having two potential national qualifiers in the high jump."
Kegan Thurman: Joining high school teammates Cameron Zeman and Teresa Smith, Thurman comes to the Owls from North Forsyth High School in Georgia. Thurman was a workhorse for North Forsyth, participating in numerous events for the Raiders. In the 2009 Region 7AAAAA meet, Thurman took third in the high jump, fifth in the pole vault, ran the open 100 and was apart of the fourth place 4x100 relay team.
"Kegan will fill a major need for our men's program as a decathlete," Langley said. "He has been a workhorse in high school and will do much of the same here at Kennesaw. He may surprise people in the pole vault as well, going 12'6" in only a few months. He could be a points contributor in numerous events"
Casey Reynolds: Third place in the Georgia AAA State Championships for the shot put, Reynolds will have the task of helping replace two of the most decorated throwers in KSU history, Aymerick Kolokilagi and Casey Strickland. A graduate from Pickens High School in Georgia, Reynolds was one of the top prep shot putters in the State of Georgia in 2009. He holds a personal best of 55' 2.5" in the shot put.
"Casey should step up and help fill the shoes of Aymerick and Casey Strickland right away," Assistant Coach Jason Carruthers said. "He has incredible quickness for his size and with some work in the weight room he should be a force in the Atlantic Sun in years to come"
Tyler Riberdy: A transfer from SUNY Fredonia, Riberdy will join the Owls as a jumper next season. A graduate from Shenendehowa High School in New York, Riberdy took 8th at the 2009 SUNYAC Championships in the triple jump.
"Tyler will add a dimension to our program that we have lacked, a solid horizontal jumper," Langley said. "We look to him to score points in the long and triple jump and possibly the pole vault as well."
