University of Tennessee Athletics
36 Newcomers Set To Join Vol Track
August 12, 2015 | Track & Field
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. --Tennessee director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan and her coaching staff welcome 36 new student-athletes to the program this year.
The 2015-16 newcomers include 16 women and 20 men from across the country who will join an exciting group veterans that includes 10 returning All-Americans.
The women's class includes: Candice Butler (Throws), Kristen Denk (Pole Vault), Kali Davis-White (Sprints), Lenysse Dyer (Sprints), DeAndra Greer (Sprints), Savannah Marlow (Throws), Maia McCoy (Sprints), Abby McCulla (XC/Distance), Peighton Meske (XC/Distance), Maya Neal (Multis), Emma Reed (XC/Distance), Chyna Ries (Jumps), Jessica Rizor (XC/Distance), Julia Rizor (XC/Distance/Middle Distance), LaChyna Roe (Jumps/Hurdles) and Layla White (Sprints).
The men's class includes: Joe Bindner (XC/Distance/Middle Distance), Will Boling (XC/Distance), Lucas Campbell (Jumps), Ari Cogdell (Sprints), Anthony Del Vescovo (Pole Vault), London Evans (Discus), Nate Harper (Pole Vault), Darryl Harris (Jumps), Nick Hassler (Javelin), Eldred Henry (Throws), Zach Long (XC/Distance/Middle Distance), Jonathan Mays (Jumps), Nick Neral (Pole Vault), Dartanian Oakley (XC/Distance/Middle Distance), Trey Quealy (Middle Distance), Christian Reynolds (Jumps/Hurdles), Wesley Robinson (XC/Distance/Middle Distance), Brad Swiney (XC/Middle Distance), Seth Whitener (Throws) and Weldon Wright (Jumps).
"Hats off to my staff. We had just a tremendous recruiting year," Sullivan said. "It is thrilling to bring 36 new athletes into the program -- that's about double our squad size on both the men's and women's side. Just a few years ago, recruiting classes were very small. So for us to be pulling in this kind of volume and this kind of talent is really exciting. We have a great emphasis on great kids from the state of Tennessee and from across the country. We also have talent coming in in every single event group. We're thrilled and couldn't be more pleased with the recruiting efforts from last year."
The full cross country and track & field schedule for the 2015-16 academic year will be released in the coming days.
Below is a full breakdown of the 2015-16 Tennessee track & field/cross country newcomers.
2015 SIGNING CLASS
* indicates signing previously announced
WOMEN
Candice Butler - Sierra Vista, Ariz. / Buena HS / Central Arizona College
A transfer from Central Arizona College, Butler qualified for the NJCAA Division I National Track & Field Championships in both 2014 and 2015. Her collegiate-best throw of 169 feet, three inches (51.59) in the hammer ranked as the 10th-best effort in the NJCAA last season. Butler was also a qualifier to the 2015 NJCAA Indoor Championships, finishing in fourth in the weight throw at 54 feet, one inch (16.48).
TOP RESULTS
Shot Put - 41-0.5 (12.51)
Hammer - 169-3 (51.59)
Weight - 55-9.25 (17.00)
Kristen Denk - North Royalton, Ohio / North Royalton HS
Pole vaulter Denk cleared 13 feet in three of the final four meets of her prep career, including a vault of 13 feet, six inches (4.11) that set a new Ohio state record across all high school divisions and won the Division II OHSAA state title. Denk also won the New Balance Nationals indoor national championship behind a career-best vault of 13 feet, 8.5 inches (4.17).
TOP RESULTS
Pole Vault - 13-8.5 (4.17) (US #8, OH #1)
Kali Davis-White - Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. / Boyd Anderson HS / Florida State
Davis-White will join the Volunteers as a sophomore transfer from Florida State. During her freshman season at FSU, Davis-White battled back from an injury suffered during the indoor season to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary in the 200-meter dash. Out of high school, she was one of the most decorated sprinters in Florida high school history, winning multiple state titles and representing Team USA at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain.
TOP RESULTS
100m - 11.45
200m - 23.05
Lenysse Dyer - Miami, Fla. / American HS
A sprinter, Dyer earned a silver medal in the 400-meter dash at the Florida 4A State Championships in May behind a time of 53.15 seconds. It was the tenth-fastest time in the country and ranked third in the state of Florida. At the same meet, Dyer placed fourth in the finals of 200-meter dash and recorded a career-best time of 23.82.
TOP RESULTS
100m - 12.06 (+2.2)
200m - 23.82 (FL #9)
400m - 53.15 (US #10, FL #3)
* DeAndra Greer - Stockbridge, Ga. / Woodland HS
Greer, a sprinter, originally signed with the Vols back in November. She is coming off a senior season in which she finished third at the Georgia State Meet in the 100-meter dash, equaling her finish at the same event in 2014. She finished no worse than third during any meet during the 2015 indoor or outdoor season, even recording the nation's third-fastest time in the 60-meter dash in late February.
TOP RESULTS
100 - 11.79
200 - 24.07
* Savannah Marlow - Rogersville, Tenn. / Cherokee HS
Throws specialist Marlow signed with Tennessee back in November just before going on to claim the 2015 indoor state championship in the weight throw. The Cherokee school record holder in the shot put, Marlow qualified for the Tennessee D-I AAA State Championships in the event, finishing 10th. She was the fifth-place finisher in the discus at the 2014 State Championships.
TOP RESULTS
HT - 138-11
WT - 32-2
SP - 38-6
DT - 119-3
* Maia McCoy - Memphis, Tenn. / Whitehaven HS
A November signee with the Vols, McCoy successfully defended her 2014 state championship in the 200-meter dash this past spring, turning in a 24.55 in the finals to post the No. 1 time in the state of Tennessee in 2015. McCoy was also runner-up in the 100-meter dash at the Championships one year after claiming the state title as a junior. Her 11.82 in the 100m at the Sugar Bowl Track Classic was the No. 2 time in the state.
TOP RESULTS
100m - 11.63 (TN #2)
200m - 23.94
* Abby McCulla - Nashville, Tenn. / Hillsboro
McCulla, a distance specialist, signed with the Vols in November, not long after finishing 13th at the Tennessee State Cross Country Championships. She set a new career-best on a 5k layout last fall at the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational. During the outdoor season, McCulla finished fifth in the 1600 meters at the DI AAA State Championships in a time of 5:05.56 - the sixth-fastest 1600 time recorded in the state of Tennessee.
TOP RESULTS
1600m - 5:03c
5k - 18:44.50
* Peighton Meske - Knoxville, Tenn. / Webb School
Meske is a three-time Division II-A cross country state champion at Webb and signed with the University of Tennessee in the fall of 2014. She served as the cross country team captain as a senior and her individual victory at the state championships helped lift Webb to the team state title. She added to her trophy haul this spring when she won the Division II state title in the 1600 meters.
TOP RESULTS
1600 - 5:09.44
3200 - 11:07.78
* Maya Neal - Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley HS
A two-sport star, Neal will compete for Tennessee's women's soccer squad in the fall before joining Vol Track in the winter and spring. Neal, who has earned the most all-state accolades in girls' track and field history at NVHS, will compete in the multi events for UT. She won gold in the heptathlon at the AAU Junior Olympics in 2012 and silver in 2013. She was a five-time individual state champion in Illinois.
TOP RESULTS
200m - 25.17
100mH - 14.58
LJ - 18-10.75
Emma Reed - Germantown, Tenn. / Houston HS
An in-state product, Reed helped lead Houston HS to a Region 8-AAA regional last fall, finishing third overall with a 5k time of 19:40.20. She would go on to record a top-40 finish at the state meet. On the track, Reed qualified for the Class AAA State Track Championships in both the 1600 meters and 3200 meters.
TOP RESULTS
5k - 18:56.10
3200m - 11:18.25
Chyna Ries - Denver, Colo. / East HS / Texas
As a freshman at the University of Texas, picked up four top-five finishes in the long jump over the course of the 2015 outdoor season. She was the fifth-place finisher in the same event at the Big 12 Indoor Championships before placing sixth at the outdoor edition. Ries was a three-time Colorado state champion in the long jump and a two-time high school All-American indoors and outdoors.
TOP RESULTS
LJ - 20-3.5 (6.18)
* Jessica Rizor - Hendersonville, Tenn. / Beech HS
Running alongside her twin sister Julia, Jessica finished eighth at the Tennessee State Cross Country Championships last fall, only weeks before officially signing with the Vols. She competed at the Foot Locker South meet in late November, running a 5k of 18:19.00--the No. 10 time in the state of Tennessee. During the outdoor track season, she finished fourth in the 3200 at the DI AAA state championships.
TOP RESULTS
5k - 18:19.00
1600m - 5:00.71
3200 - 11:10.07
* Julia Rizor - Hendersonville, Tenn. / Beech HS
The Girls All-County Track & Field Athlete of the Year, Rizor was a six-time medalist for Beech HS after three trips to the Class AAA state meet. She won the state title in the 800 meters as a junior, running what was then the second-fastest time in the state at 2:15.24. Last fall, she earned a third-place finish at the Tennessee State Cross Country Championships. She will compete alongside twin sister Jessica at UT.
TOP RESULTS
5k - 18:04.65
800 - 2:15.24
1600 - 5:00.91
* LaChyna Roe - Richmond, Va. / Henrico HS
A decorated triple jumper, Roe also competes in the high jump, long jump, and hurdles. She owned the triple jump in the state of Virginia over the last two seasons, winning both the indoor and outdoor state titles in the event during both her junior and senior years. Roe also qualified for the state finals in the 100-meter hurdles (winning bronze) and the long jump.
TOP RESULTS
TJ - 40-7
100mh - 14.65
* Layla White - Cary, N.C. / Cary HS
White won a pair of North Carolina state titles as a junior before signing with Tennessee last fall. She placed first in the 400-meter dash and also anchored Cary's state championship-winning 4x800-meter relay team. This last spring, White finished runner-up at the 4A state championships, recording the second-fastest time in the state in the 400 at 54.61. During the indoor season, White earned a silver medal in the 400 at the New Balance Indoor Nationals.
TOP RESULTS
400m - 54.35
200m - 24.15
MEN
Joe Bindner - Knoxville, Tenn. / Knoxville Catholic HS
One of four area runners to be joining the Vols next season, Bindner is a Class A-AA State Champion in the 800 meters. His title-winning time of 1:54.50 in the event ranked as the 11th-fastest recorded in Tennessee last season. Bindner also earned a bronze at the state meet in the 1600 meters, turning in a time of 4:21.90. During the cross country season, he turned in the seventh-fastest 5k time in the state with a 15:25.00.
TOP RESULTS
800m - 1:54.50 (TN #11)
1600m - 4:21.90 (TN#9)
5k - 15:25.00 (TN #7)
* Will Boling - Nashville, Tenn. / Brentwood Academy
Boling, who signed with Tennessee in the fall, finished third at the 2014 Tennessee DII AA State Cross Country Championships in November. He ran a 5k time of 16:21.43 en route to the top-five finish. He also helped lead his team to a runner-up finish at the 2014 outdoor state championships when he finished fourth in the 3200m.
TOP RESULTS
3200m - 9:41.13
5k - 15:57.47
Lucas Campbell - Knoxville, Tenn. / Christian Academy
Campbell was a two-sport star at Christian Academy of Knoxville, earning District 4-AA MVP on the basketball court before taking up track and field as a senior. A high-flying athlete on the basketball court, Campbell took to the jumps naturally out on the track, becoming a bronze medalist in the long jump at the Class A-AA State Championships. He also recorded significant marks in the high jump.
TOP RESULTS
HJ - 6-6.0
LJ - 22-6.75 (TN #7)
* Ari Cogdell - Miami Gardens, Fla. / American HS
The Florida 4A state champion in the 400-meter dash, Ari Cogdell signed with the Vols back in November of 2014. He was also a member of one of the fastest 4x400-meter relay teams in the country as his American HS foursome ran a 3:12.86 in the event to rank fifth in the U.S. As a junior, Cogdell helped his high school team to a runner-up finish at the state championships.
TOP RESULTS
200m - 21.81
400m - 46.60 (FL #3)
Anthony Del Vescovo - Biloxi, Miss. / St. Patrick HS
One of the nation's elite pole vaulters, Del Vescovo has been ranked as the top vaulter in the state of Mississippi during each of the last two seasons. He finished runner-up at the Millrose Games in New York with a career-best vault of 16 feet, 4.75 inches. That effort followed a performance at the Reno Pole Vault Summit that saw him clear 16 feet, two inches en route to a sixth-place finish.
TOP RESULTS
Pole Vault - 16-4.75
London Evans - Eads, Tenn. / Briarcrest Christian HS
Evans joins the Vols off a senior season that saw him finish runner-up in the discus at the Division II State Championships. He recorded a throw of 164 feet (49.98) at the state meet - the fifth-best throw in the state of Tennessee in 2015. He also finished runner-up at state in the discus as a junior behind a career-best effort of 165 feet, two inches (50.34).
TOP RESULTS
Discus - 165-2
Nate Harper - Davis, Calif. / Davis Senior HS
Harper finished no worse than third during any of his outdoor meets during the 2015 season. He picked up three pole vault wins along the way, including a victory at the Delta League Meet where he cleared 15 feet to win the individual title. One of the top vaulters out of the state of California, Harper notched a personal-best mark of 16 feet at the Halden Invitational - the third-best mark in the state in 2015.
TOP RESULTS
Pole Vault - 16-0 (CA #3)
Darryl Harris - Nashville, Tenn. / Pearl Cohn Magnet HS
A member of Pearl Cohn's Class A-AA state championship team, Harris was a two-time individual state champion in 2015. At the A-AA State Championships, Harris raced to a state title in the 400-meter dash--running a time of a 49.01--while also picking up another individual championship in the long jump. His winning long jump mark of 23 feet, 1.25 inches (7.04) ranked as the fifth-best effort produced in the state of Tennessee that season.
TOP RESULTS
LJ - 23-1.25 (TN #5)
Nick Hassler - Whitehall, Penn. / Whitehall HS
A two-sport athlete at Whitehall High School, Hassler competed on the school's basketball team during the winter before transitioning to javelin in the spring. He earned honorable mention All-Area accolades for basketball in 2015.
TOP RESULTS
Javelin - 179-11
Eldred Henry - Tortola, BVI / Central Arizona College
Henry, a native of the British Virgin Islands and a transfer form Central Arizona College, will join the Volunteers in January 2016. Henry is the reigning NJCAA national champion in the shot put and is a back-to-back national champion in the discus throw. He also won the NJCAA indoor national title in the shot put, giving him a total of four national championships during his junior college career.
TOP RESULTS
SP - 65-7.5 (20.00)
DT - 203-1 (61.90)
HT - 155-9 (47.48)
Zach Long - Rutledge, Tenn. / Grainger HS
Long earned a pair of medals at the DI A-AA State Championships this spring, winning the state title in the 1600 meters while also finishing second in the 800 meters. During the cross country season, he became the first state champion to hail from Grainger County after he capped a season in which he won seven of eight cross country races with a state championship in November.
TOP RESULTS
800m - 1:53.10
1600m - 4:13.33 (TN #2)
5k - 14:58.00 (TN #2)
Jonathan Mays - Douglasville, Ga. / New Manchester HS
Mays arrives on Rocky Top following a stellar senior season last spring. He placed first at the Region 5A championship in both the high jump and long jump competitions, recording marks of 6 feet, eight inches and 22 feet, 11.5 inches, respectively. His career-best effort of 6 feet, 10 inches ranked as the No. 1 high jump mark in the state of Georgia, and the 25th-best in the nation, last season.
TOP RESULTS
HJ - 6-10 (US #25, GA #1)
LJ - 22-11.5
Nick Neral - Sykesville, Md. / Century HS
Neral has been the top pole vaulter in the state of Maryland over the past two seasons, owning the top mark in both his junior and senior years. He won the state championship at both the Maryland 2A Indoor and Outdoor State championships while also qualifying for the New Balance Indoor National meet in March. His career-best mark of 15 feet, eight inches--recorded last April--stood as one of the top marks in the nation.
TOP RESULTS
Pole Vault - 15-8 (MD #2)
Dartanian Oakley - Knoxville, Tenn. / Hardin Valley Academy
Distance ace Oakley placed first at the KIL Championships in early October of last fall, traversing the 5k course in a time of 15:40.79. He rode that momentum to a first-place finish at the 3A Region 2 championships before finishing in eighth-place overall at the D1 3A State Championships. On the track, Oakley thrived in the 1500 meters and 2000 meter steeplechase, recording the country's 10th-best time in the latter event (6:09.46).
TOP RESULTS
5k - 15:40.79
1500 - 4:05.55 (TN #2)
2k Steeple - 6:09.46 (TN #1)
Trey Quealy - North Huntingdon, Penn. / Norwin HS
Quealy ran both cross country and track and field at Norwin High School, serving as the team captain of the boys' cross country team in the fall. On the track, Quealy specialized in the middle distances, namely the 400 and 800-meter dash. His best time of the season came in early May when he won the WPIAL 3A Central Sectional Qualifier in the 800 with a time of 1:55.91.
TOP RESULTS
800 - 1:55.91
Christian Reynolds - Nashville, Tenn. / Martin Luther King, Jr. HS
A four-year letterwinner with the track and field team, Reynolds helped the program achieve an A-AA state title during his sophomore season in 2013. He arrives at Tennessee holding career best marks of 41 feet, 5.25 inches in the triple jump; six feet in the high jump; and a time of 16.87 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles.
TOP RESULTS
TJ - 41-5.25
HJ - 6-0
110mH - 16.87
Wesley Robinson - Oak Ridge, Tenn. / Oak Ridge HS
Robinson competed across all three seasons--cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field--for Oak Ridge HS last season. He notched a career-best 5k time of 15:46.40 at the Great American Cross Country Festival and went on to place 12th at the D1 3A State Championships. In the outdoor season, Robinson recorded the 10th-fastest time in the state when he ran a 4:21.20 in the mile.
TOP RESULTS
Mile - 4:21.20 (TN #10)
5k - 15:46.40
Brad Swiney - Bristol, Va. / John S. Battle HS
The Virginia 2A state champion in the 1600 meters (4:21.05), Swiney arrives on Rocky Top following an impressive senior stint at John S. Battle High School. Prior to winning his state title, Swiney punched his ticket to the prestigious Penn Relays behind a school-record 9:19.02 at the adidas Raleigh Relays. He would ultimately place eighth at the Penn Relays, running the 3000 meters in 8:48.83--the No. 4 time in the state of Virginia last season.
TOP RESULTS
3000 - 8:48.83 (VA #4)
5k - 15:34.19
Seth Whitener - Dallas, Ga. / North Paulding HS
One of the elite throws specialists in the country, Whitener recorded the country's No. 5 mark in the hammer throw last season when he won the Georgia State Hammer Championships with a toss of 218 feet, eight inches. During the spring season, Whitener qualified for the 6A State Championships in the shot put after winning the Region 4 title and finishing runner-up at the sectional meet. He also posted the No. 1 weight throw mark in the state during the indoor season, posting a 73-2 at the Simplot Games.
TOP RESULTS
SP - 55-1
HT - 218-8
WT - 76-11
DT - 161-0
Weldon Wright - Knoxville, Tenn. / Hardin Valley Academy
Wright made his mark on the local track and field scene when he pulled off an impressive double at the Tennessee Class 3A championships. He used career-best marks in both the long jump and triple jump to win the state title in both events. His winning long jump of 23 feet, seven inches was the No. 2 mark in the state while his triple jump of 47 feet, 5.5 inches claimed the top spot.
TOP RESULTS
LJ - 23-7
TJ - 47-5.5
