Indiana University Cross Country/Track and Field Welcomes 2018 Signing Class

Indiana University Cross Country/Track and Field Welcomes 2018 Signing Class

8/31/2018 12:30:00 PM | Cross Country, Track and Field

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University cross country and track and field welcomes 32 athletes, 14 women and 18 men, to the 2018 signing class.

Coach Helmer on the incoming class:
"We are really excited about this year's class because we were able to add state champions in the hurdles, pole vault, jumps, middle and long distances that should contribute immediately for our nationally ranked track teams. More importantly, we were thorough as we added needed depth to our cross country teams while providing the flexibility in the future to recruit elite athletes in each event area and maintain the balanced track team that's been a trademark of the Indiana program."

Women's Signing Class

Jenna Barker
Seton Catholic High School, Richmond, Indiana
800 – 2:13.73
1600 – 5:03.20
3200 – 10:59.85
5^th at the 2018 IHSAA State Track Meet in the 800
"Jenna has been very consistent in all three seasons at a state level, and she has the speed to develop into a very good middle distance runner in our conference. Once she adjusts to a collegiate training program, we think she can make our team better very quickly."

Ana Barrott
Northville High School, Northville, Michigan
1600 – 4:56.68
3200 – 10:37.43
9 x State Qualifier
"Ana has the talent to be a three season athlete within our program. Our first priority will be getting her off to a healthy start, and soon after, we expect that she will add needed depth at the longer distances and in cross country."

Maddie Dalton
Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana
1600 – 4:59.63
5k XC – 17:44.00
6^th at the 2018 IHSAA State Track Meet in the 1600
4 x All-State in Cross Country
"All the way back to middle school, Maddie ran some great marks on the track before becoming one of the most consistent cross country runners in the state of Indiana. Over the next four years, we expect that speed and strength to come together so that she can ultimately become a very versatile athlete in our conference."

Kara Deady
Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana
Pole Vault – 12'6"
2017 IHSAA State Runner-Up
2018 HSR Indoor State Champion
4^th at the 2018 IHSAA State Championship
"While Kara happens to be the daughter of IU Olympian Mark Deady, we're really excited to add the state's best pole vaulter. Coach Wiseman has done an excellent job building our women's vault program, and Kara should have an opportunity to score in our conference very quickly."

Trisana Fairweather
Graduate Transfer – Claflin University
Portland, Jamaica
60 -7.46
100 – 11.51
200 – 23.21
2016 NCAA Division II National Champion at 200m
"Trisana has missed some time due to injury but with eligibility remaining and the opportunity to attend Indiana for graduate school, she is very excited to try and retain the form that allowed her to go from a former walk on to a Division II National Champion. We are very excited to add someone with her experience and work ethic to our sprint group, and we are excited to help her go out on top."

Nichole Flowers
LaPorte High School, LaPorte, Indiana
Long Jump – 18'7.5"
"Nichole qualified for the state meet and placed as a sophomore, and we think that with hard work and development, she can ultimately find a way to make a final in our conference."

Haley Goines
Center Grove High School, Greenwood, Indiana
100mh – 14.36
High Jump – 5'4"
Long Jump – 18'6"
"Haley has a very versatile skill set that allowed her to qualify for the state championship in three events as well as a 4x100 relay. She will be a great addition to our multi group where a strong work ethic will allow her to be a scorer in our conference."

Bailey Hertenstein
Newsome High School, Lithia, Florida
800 – 2:10.66
1600 – 4:53.24
3200 – 10:30.89
5k XC – 17:26.61
7 x State Champion
2 x Foot Locker Finalist
"While Bailey has produced some outstanding marks, we absolutely love the way she competes on a weekly basis. Running at her PR's and nearly winning the 800, 1600, and 3200 as a junior at her state meet, and then getting close again as a senior, she's got a set of tools that is really difficult to find. We are excited to insert Bailey into our women's training group and to watch her become a force in our conference and the NCAA."

Abi Little
Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana
1600 – 4:58.66
5k XC – 18:03.60
3 x All-State in Cross Country
2 x 4x800 Relay State Champion
"For her entire high school career, Abi has lined up 2-3 times on a weekly basis at a really high level. Like Kelsey and Haley Harris, her willingness to line up and give a great effort every single time out will be the key to her success. We're excited to watch her grow as she adapts to a college training program."

Hope Purcell
Lancaster High School, Lancaster, OH
100mh – 13.97
300mh – 43.09
Long Jump – 19'5"
High Jump – 5'9"
4 x High Jump State Runner-Up
3 x Long Jump State Champion
"During her senior state meet, Hope scored 31 points in four individual events which single handedly placed 2^nd as a team at the Division 1 state meet. With her state championship pedigree and versatile athleticism, Hope will be a huge addition to our program, and coach Erb thinks believes she can be a contender immediately in our conference in the multi events."

De'Aira Robertson
Lawrence Central High School, Indianapolis, Indiana
100mh – 14.07
300mh – 43.81
3^rd in the 100mh at the 2018 State Meet
2^nd in the 300mh at the 2018 State Meet
"De'Aira had a breakout senior year and became one of the best hurdlers in the state of Indiana. We are very excited about adding another local talent to one of our strongest event areas and believe that she will ultimately be competitive in the Big Ten at both the long and short hurdles."

Sarah Schmitt
Naperville North High School, Naperville, Illinois
1600 – 4:51.82
3200 – 10:25.95
5k XC – 17:30.60
8^th at the 2017 Nike Cross Country National Championship
8^th at the 2017 Foot Locker National Championship
"While Sarah was outstanding as a junior, she really raised her game as a senior becoming one of the best cross country runners in the country. Sarah will immediately make our women's cross country program better, and we're excited to add a seasoned three sport athlete that can be an anchor for the future of our program."

Lauren Seaver
Normal University High School, Normal, Illinois
Pole Vault – 12'6"
3^rd at the 2017 IHSA State Championship
"Lauren has jumped over 12' a number of times and competed very well at the state level. We expect that her passion for the event will be a great add to a very young and talented event group, and through hard work and continued development, Lauren can become a player within the Big Ten."

Nakita Turner-Lee
Jesuit High Schook, Indianapolis, Indiana
60mh – 8.78
100mh – 13.86
State Runner-Up in the 100mh at the 2018 State Meet
HSR Indoor State Champion
"Nakita played a significant role for a Brebeuf program that nearly won a state championship this past spring. Each week she seemed to get better and better while becoming a threat for not just a state championship, but also a state record. Graduating as one of the fastest ever from the state of Indiana, she along with Zykeria and De'Aira have an opportunity to form a special group of hurdlers as we expect the hurdlers to become one of our hardest working groups on the team."

Men's Signing Class

Nathaniel Davis

Sweet Home High School, Amherst, NY
100 – 10.69
200 – 21.34
400 – 48.39
LJ – 23'8.25"
TJ – 46'0"
"Nathaniel brings a lot of versatility to our jumps group that is becoming a cornerstone of our program. Similar to Treyton Harris, Nate has the speed to become a great Big Ten sprinter while adding another option as a relay carry, but his ability to grow on the track will ultimately raise the ceiling for what he can do on the runway."

Jake Gebhardt
Sterling High School, Sterling, Illinois
Mile – 4:10.09
3200 – 9:18.11
3 Mile XC – 14:23.00
2 x State Runner – Up
"Jake had a breakout junior track season, and followed it up with an outstanding cross country season where he was a state runner-up and nearly a national qualifier for both Foot Locker and NXN. The increase in volume and intensity will be an adjustment, but he has a ton of potential and versatility to become a great cross country runner that can also break four minutes in the mile."

Keelan Grant
Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana
Mile – 4:21.93
3200 – 9:12.27
5k XC – 15:32.60
14^th at the 2017 State Cross Country Meet
"Keelan has developed from a 20 min 5k runner into one of the best in the state during his four years at Carmel, and he just completed a breakout track season. Keelan is excited about being challenged in our conference, and we expect that as he continues to adjust to a collegiate training program, he could find success in a variety of events across all three seasons."

Kenneth Hagen
Graduate Transfer – University of Virginia
Blacksburg High School, Blacksburg Virginia
800 – 1:50.87
1500 – 3:46.90
8k XC – 24:46.7
2016 DMR NCAA All-American
"Kenneth was drawn to our really strong SPEA graduate programs, and while he'll only have one year on our team, he can leave a huge mark on our program with the experiences he has from running at both a cross country and an indoor track national championship. Knowing that he ran 1:48 on a relay in high school, we think he'll fit into our strong middle distance group and finish his career on a high note."

Dustin Horter
Lakota East High School, Liberty Township, Ohio
800 – 1:50.73
Mile – 4:04.68
3200 – 8:48.62
2018 Indoor National Champion in the Mile
2018 Brooks PR Invitational Mile Champion
4 x All-American
6 x State Champion
"Dustin is incredibly talented, but he's also a relentless worker and very well coached, all of which will allow him to become a force in our conference and at a national level. There's been a long history of Ohio athletes becoming great athletes at Indiana, including current All-American Sophomore Kyle Mau, and more historically Olympian Bob Kennedy, and Dustin has an opportunity to be the next great athlete from the state."

Arjun Jha
Thomas Worthington High School, Worthington, Ohio
4x8 relay – 1:50.8
1600 – 4:09.09
5k XC – 14:56.00
2017 State Runner-Up in the 1600
"Arjun has only scratched the surface of his talent as he has the speed and strength to be an elite middle distance runner at the national level, and as a freshman he has an opportunity to score in our conference and provide options for a nationally competitive DMR. A big summer and fall of training will ultimately determine how quickly he can become the difference maker that we believe he will be."

Daniel Michalski
Graduate Transfer - Cedarville University
Xenia High School, Xenia, OH
800 – 1:53.12
Mile – 4:04.66
3k Steeple – 8:44.49
2017 NCAA Division 2 National Champion in the 3000m Steeplechase
"With one season of indoor and outdoor eligibility remaining, Daniel will be a major contributor in both seasons at a conference and national level. The steeplechase has been arguably our strongest event over the last seven years, and we're excited to help Daniel end his collegiate career on a very high note."

Ben Miller
Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana
3200 – 9:10.74
5k XC – 15:22.00
3^rd in the 3200 at the 2017 and 2018 Outdoor State Meet
"Ben was a middle school standout heading into the Carmel program, and he has handled the expectations very well in both cross country and track. We were very impressed with his junior track season, and we know he'll bring a great work ethic and passion for the sport that will allow him to become a versatile three season athlete for our program."

Hunter Moore
Sophomore Transfer - Eastern Michigan University
Olentangy Orange High School, Olentangy, Ohio
1600 – 4:16.67
3200 – 8:58.47
5k XC – 14:58.00
8k XC – 25:17.5
"Hunter had a break out season as a senior in high school and gained valuable varsity experience last season in cross country while at Eastern Michigan. There's no question that Hunter will bring an incredible work ethic to our program, and we expect that he can make an immediate contribution in cross country and at the 5k and 10k distances on the track."

Colin Murphy
Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana
3200 – 9:24.41
5k XC – 15:19.70
8^th at the 2016 Indiana State Cross Country Meet
2 x All-State Cross Country
"Colin gets better as the distances get longer, and an injury during his junior season has prevented his track times from reflecting his cross country accomplishments. We know that developing into an elite 5k/10k runner can take some time, but Colin is up to the challenge and will be one of our hardest working athletes from the minute he steps foot on campus."

Tony Newbern
Avon High School, Avon, IN
Southern Illinois University – Carbondale
800 – 1:53.88
"Tony showed flashes as a senior in high school that he might possess Big Ten level talent. Since, he has struggled to find consistency, but he's got a shot to take a big step forward in a very short period of time as he continues to have a great summer of training. We're excited to challenge Tony to see if he can compete in our conference."

Dillon Richard
Avon High School, Avon, IN
Pole Vault – 15'6"
3^rd at the 2018 IHSAA State Track Meet
"Dillon is a big, strong athlete that just happens to pole vault. He had a breakout senior year and made a significant contribution to the state champion Orioles, and he has every opportunity to become a Big Ten scorer fairly quickly if he embraces high level work and competes every day within our very young and talented vault group."

Jalen Royal
Northrop High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana
400 – 48.79
800 – 1:52.82
4^th in the 800 at the 2017 and 2018 Indiana State Meet
"Rarely do the athletes in the state of Indiana that can contend for a state championship in the 400 choose to move up, but Jalen is the exception and has the speed and enthusiasm for the event to become a great 800m runner. He's a worker that was encouraged to run cross country, play basketball, and run both indoor and outdoor track, so he's got all of the tools to make an immediate impact in our conference in the 400, 600 and 800."

Matt Schadler
Reitz Memorial High School, Chandler, Indiana
1600 – 4:07.73
3200 – 9:03.58
5k XC – 15:08.80
2017 Foot Locker National Finalist
2018 State Champion in the 1600
6^th at the 2018 USATF Junior National Championships
"Matt had a breakout season as a junior and then took another leap as a senior. We're really excited about his consistency and toughness, as exemplified by his 26^th place finish at Foot Locker after breaking his collarbone early in the race, and he's got all of the tools to be a versatile three season athlete. Collegiate training will be an adjustment, but with a good summer, he is talented enough that he may contribute as a freshman."

Skylar Stidam
Christian Academy of Indiana, Floyd Knobs, Indiana
3200 – 9:09.69
5k XC - 15:23.80
3^rd at the 2016 and 2017 State Cross Country Meet
2018 State Champion in the 3200
"Skylar has been one of the most successful individuals in the state at the longer distances. Even as a senior after missing time for injury, he stepped up under pressure and had his best race of the season. Skylar will quickly add depth to our cross country team, and a healthy string of training as a young athlete will be crucial to becoming a dominant distance runner in our conference."

Shaton Vaughn
Northrop High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana
110 Hurdles – 14.16
300 Hurdles – 37.45
2017 and 2018 State Champion in the 300m Hurdles
2017 State Runner-Up in the 110m Hurdles
"Shaton was a sprinter who switched to the hurdles last spring, and clearly it was a good move as he has now won two straight state championships in the 300m hurdles. Shaton has the strength and speed to compete at a high level in both the short and long hurdles in our conference, and we're excited to watch him start to find his true potential in both events."

Chase Washington
Bloomington South HS, Bloomington, IN
60h – 8.19
110mh – 14.28
7^th at the 2018 State Meet
"Chase improved significantly from junior to senior year in the short hurdles. As we continue to build a very competitive group of hurdlers, Chase will benefit from being surrounded by great athletes every day in practice, and he has an opportunity to eventually compete in our conference through consistency and hard work."

Matthew Yoder
Westview High School, Topeka, Indiana
800 relay – 1:53.3
Mile – 4:21.98
3200 – 9:16.79
12^th at the 2017 State Cross Country Meet
6^th in the 3200 at the 2018 State Meet
"Matt is a workhorse that was dominant for the majority of his senior cross country season before finishing all-state at the state meet. Matt took another step forward during the outdoor season, and he will add a great work ethic and passion for running that will be incredibly valuable in our program. Over time, he should be a major contributor for our cross country team and at the longer distances."

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