@MIZ_TrackField Adds Eight Newcomers to Finalize 2017 Class
8/16/2017 1:15:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track and Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field, Track & Field, Cross Country
Illinois State Champ Conrad, Transfers Johnson & McClendon highlight group of signees
COLUMBIA, Mo. – With the 2017-18 athletic year right around the corner, Mizzou Track & Field increased its roster by eight on Tuesday, with head coach Brett Halter announcing the addition of six freshmen to-be and two transfers with experience in NCAA meets. In the group of eight, Mizzou signed 2017 800m run Illinois State Champion Chris Conrad and added to the depth of its throws events group, with five of the new additions specializing in the javelin, discus, shot put or weight throw.
The signees join Mizzou's current 2017 signing class, which includes highly-touted recruits Austin Hindman, Arielle Mack, Stephen Mugeche, Jayson Ashford, Valeria Kostiuk, Landon Cuskelly, Jordan Speer and Jenna Lutzow. Hindmann, the Gatorade Runner of the Year, recently set the Missouri state record in the 3200m run by running an 8:43.40 at the Arcadia Invitational (April 8), which is currently the second fastest time in the nation. Mack currently ranks 12th in the nation in the triple jump with a mark of 12.38m (40-7.5), while Mugeche, an Arkansas transfer, won the 2014 Missouri State Championship in cross country. Ashford, who signed with Mizzou in April, won the 200m dash Missouri state title in 2016 and finished runner-up in the 100m dash and 200m dash in 2017. Junior college transfers Kostiuk and Cuskelly each posted top-five finishes in the high jump at recent NJCAA meets and will have two years of eligibility remaining at Mizzou, while Speer and Lutzow both join Mizzou with state titles, as Speer claimed four Kansas first-place finishes in throwing events and Lutzow captured the 2016 Illinois 2A State Championship in cross country. Overall, Mizzou added 26 new Tigers to the class of 2017, including 13 hailing from Missouri and 10 athletes who have combined to win 20 state titles.
"The summer signees have closed out an exciting recruiting class for our program and represents the tireless work of our assistant coaches and staff members," said Halter on the 2017 class. "Each of the signees are terrific athletes, but they are even better people who will strengthen our family. Each member of the class understands and values our mindset while striving to put their individual signature on our rich history as an institution and program."
Chris Conrad | Mid-Distance
Previous School: O'Fallon High School
Hometown: O'Fallon, Ill.
800m: 1:49.91 (Ranked 6th nationally)
Coming off an Illinois state title in the 800m run in May, Chris Conrad (O'Fallon, Ill.) will join the Mizzou Track & Field program as a mid-distance specialist. Conrad crossed the finish line at 1:49.91 to claim first place, a time that is currently ranked sixth in the nation among high school seniors. Prior to the championship run, The O'Fallon High School product finished runner-up in the 800m run at the IHSA State Track & Field Championship in 2016 and was a top-15 finisher at the Nike Cross National Midwest Regional in November 2016.
"Chris comes to Mizzou as one of the top 800m runners in Illinois high school history," said cross country head coach and mid-distance assistant coach Marc Burns. "He is a fantastic young man and we are really excited about his future with our program."
Cecilya Johnson | Throws
Previous School: Tulsa
High School: Lutheran South High School
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
Discus: 53.41m (175-2.75)
A two-time Missouri state champion, Cecilya (CeCe) Johnson (St. Louis, Mo.) began her college career at Tulsa where she qualified for the 2016 NCAA West Preliminary Round in the discus as a true freshman. Johnson notched two top-10 finishes in the discus at the American Outdoor Track & Field Championships while at Tulsa, finishing seventh in 2017 and second in 2016 with a personal record throw of 53.41m (175-2.75). Prior to college, Johnson won back-to-back Missouri state titles in the discus in 2014 and 2015 at Lutheran South High School. Johnson, who has three years of indoor and two years of outdoor remaining, will be eligible for competition immediately.
"We are glad to have CeCe return to her roots here in Missouri," said throws assistant coach Ross Richardson. "She is a very talented and is already proven after throwing very good collegiate marks in the hammer and discus. CeCe hit it off immediately with the other throwers on her visit and she is very excited to get here and get to work. The Division-I experience she brings to the team coupled with her talent can only help this throws group grow, get better and score points at the SEC and NCAA meets."
Jordan McClendon | Throws
Previous School: LSU/Tulane
High School: John Burroughs School
Hometown: Black Jack, Mo.
Weight Throw: 21.11m (69-3.25)
Hammer Throw: 57.02m (187-1)
Jordan McClendon (Black Jack, Mo.) will join the Tigers as an in-conference transfer after spending her first two collegiate seasons at Tulane and LSU. As a freshman at Tulane in 2016, McClendon set the indoor weight throw school record at the American Indoor Track & Field Championships, registering a mark of 18.92m (62-1). As a sophomore with LSU in 2017, McClendon qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the weight throw, where she finished 15th with a throw of 19.82m (65-0.5). McClendon qualified for the NCAA Indoor meet after posting a weight throw personal record of 21.11m (69-3.25) in a first-place finish at the LSU Twilight. Prior to college, McClendon was a three-time Missouri 3A State Champion at John Burroughs School, winning state titles in the shot put in 2012 (as a freshman) and 2014, as well as a discus state title in 2015. She also finished runner-up at the state meet in the discus in 2014 and the shot put in 2015. McClendon will have to sit out the 2017-18 athletic year due to transfer restrictions, then will have two year of eligibility remaining beginning with the 2018 fall semester.
"Jordan is our second new addition in the throws group to return to her home state of Missouri," Richardson said. "Jordan will bring SEC and NCAA experience with her when she arrives on campus. Having qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the weight throw early in her career has given her a glimpse into what she can do as an athlete at the Division-I level. We look forward to helping her achieve the big goals she has set for herself."
Jazmyn Shumaker | Sprints
Previous School: Cedar Hill High School
Hometown: Cedar Hill, Texas
200m: 24.31
100m: 11.64
Coming from the Lone Star State, Jazmyn Shumaker (Cedar Hill, Texas) will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact in sprints events after four female sprinters graduated from Mizzou this past spring. The Cedar Hill High School product clocked a top-50 time in the nation among seniors in the 200m dash at the New Balance Nationals in June, running a 24.31. At the Region 1-6A meet in April, Shumaker ran a wind-aided 11.64 in the 100m dash preliminary round, then followed that performance with a wind-legal personal record of 11.88 in the finals to place third.
"I am thrilled to add Jazmyn to our sprints group," said associated head coach Natasha Brown. "She is an impressive addition who will have a tremendous impact on our program.
Jason Edwards // Osage High School // Osage Beach, Mo. // Multi-Events
Megan Haley // Schuyler Country High School // Queen City, Mo. // Javelin
Cameron Meyer // California High School // California, Mo. // Throws
Blair Widmer // Father Tolton High School // Columbia, Mo. // Javelin
All hailing from the Show Me State, Jason Edwards (Osage Beach, Mo.), Cameron Meyer (California, Mo.), Blair Widmer (Columbia, Mo.) and Megan Haley (Queen City, Mo.) will all join the program and add depth to the multi-events and throws event groups.
"Jason is a well-rounded athlete who has had great success in the javelin and high jump and is very technically sound in the pole vault," said jumps and multi-events assistant coach Iliyan Chamov. "He has shown great potential to be a decathlete and will fit in perfectly in the SEC. I was excited to see his progress in high school and am even more excited to work with him in college."
"I had the opportunity to see Megan compete at the small school state championship this May and was very impressed with what she was doing in the javelin," said Halter. "Megan is new to the event. She has a diverse athletic background which will serve her well over the next few years. I am looking forward to watching her progression in the event."
"Cameron was a very good multi-sport athlete in high school and we are excited to see her be able to focus only on her throwing at the collegiate level," said Richardson. "A good student in the classroom and a big Missouri fan, she fits the profile of the kind of in-state athletes we like to have on the team."
"Blair spent a few weeks this spring working with our former school record holder, Darin File, and made significant improvements in a short period of time," said Halter. "Like Megan, Blair is new to the event. She has a tremendous work ethic and desire to see what she can do in the event. I am excited to see how the next few years unfold for her."
For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MIZ_TrackField).
Players Mentioned
