Prep talent sign NLI's with Washington State University

release courtesy Washington State University Athletic Communications

PULLMAN, Wash. - Four outstanding men prep distance runners from the state of Washington , and two accomplished women hurdlers have signed National Letters of Intent to compete for Washington State University in the 2007-08 season, Head Coach Rick Sloan announced Wednesday.

Signing NLIs and joining the Cougars men's team are Sean Coyle, a from Spokane Valley, Wash., David Hickerson and Peter Miller from Spokane, Wash., and Jeremy Swenson, from Shoreline, Wash. Veronica Elseroad-Wall, a hurdler from Casper, Wyoming, and Jalisa Williams, a heptathete from Pasadena, Calif., have signed NLIs and will join the WSU women's team.

Coyle, a graduate of Central Valley High, was the Greater Spokane League distance runner of the year for 2007. He finished 10th in the state 4A cross country 2006 championship as his Bears team took third place. He was named to 2006 Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association all-state team after running 12th-best time in state. This spring he won the 1600m at the regional meet with a time of 4:15.17, and finished second in the state 4A 3200m race with a time of 9:10.84.

Hickerson was a four-year member of the Ferris High cross country team that won four consecutive state 4A cross country championships. He finished fifth at the 2006 state cross country meet. On the track he took third in both the 800m and 1600m races at the 2007 state 4A meet with PR times of 1:54.93 and 4:13.36. Hickerson was named first team All-Greater Spokane League for the 800m and 1600m. He was named to 2006 Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association all-state team after running seventh-best time in state.

Miller graduated from Shadle Park High and was named first team All-Greater Spokane League for 3200m. He finished 10th at state 4A track championships in the 3200m after a 20th place finish at the state cross country meet last fall. Miller was named to the 2006 Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association all-state team after running 26th-best time in state. Miller's PR times include 9:14.47 for the 3200m, and 4:18.5 for 1600m.

"Coyle, Hickerson and Miller are all part of the Spokane revolution," WSU Cross Country Head Coach Jason Drake said. "They were the three most consistent distance runners all spring out of the Spokane area and we are very excited to have some local kids coming to WSU and keep them on this side of the state."

Swenson, a graduate of Bishop Blanchet, finished fourth in the state 3A cross country championships as his team placed fifth. In previous state cross country championships, Swenson finished 10th in 2005, and competed at in 2004 when Blanchet won the state 3A title. He was named to the 2006 Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association all-state team after running 25th-best time in state. On the track, Swenson took eighth place in the 1600m and 14th in 3200m at 2007 state 3A track championship and placed seventh in the 3200m in 2006. His PR for 3200m is 9:19.35.

Elseroad-Wall is a graduate of Casper's Kelly Walsh High. At the 2007 Wyoming state 4A track championships, she won the 400m title and repeated as the 300m hurdles champion in addition to taking third places in both the 100m and 200m dashes. The Trojans finished second by 1/2 point in the team 2007 standings. Elseroad-Wall also captured the 200m and 400m state indoor titles in 2007. Her PR times include 12.53 seconds for 100m, 25.69 for 200m, 57.59 for 400m, and 43.76 for 300m hurdles.

Williams, from Muir High in Pasadena, Calif., won the 100m hurdles at the CIF Southern Section Division 3 meet with time of 14.34 seconds. Williams went on to run a PR time of 14.10 seconds in the 100m hurdles prelims at the state championships meet and finished eighth in the final. She has also run a 300m hurdles time of 42.90 seconds.

"We're pleased to announce the signing of a new group of future student-athletes for Washington State University," Sloan said. "Veronica Elseroad-Wall comes to us from Wyoming and is an outstanding intermediate hurdler who we have seen hurdle on videotape and she will develop to be a very good intermediate hurdler, serve on our 4x400m relay and run the 400m for us as well. Jalisa Williams comes to us from Pasadena, California, where she had a notable finish in the hurdles at the state championships and brings other good marks across the board. She comes to WSU as a heptathlete and there are a few areas where she'll need development but that is why she's coming here. We're looking forward to having Jalisa and Angela Jensen joining our program as two new heptathletes and think both are going to develop and be outstanding for the Cougars."

Also committing to join the Cougars track and field team are the following talented incoming freshmen: Amanda Stewart, a high jumper from Decatur High in Federal Way, Wash., took sixth place at 2007, fourth in 2006, has a PR of 5-7; Ashlee Wall, a distance runner from Walla Walla, Wash., a WSU Regents Scholarship winner who finished 10th in state 4A 3200m with time of 10:59.11; and Trevor Sodorff, a pole vaulter from Woodinville, Wash., placed fourth in 2007, has a PR of 15-feet.

A pair of football recruits are also slated to compete for the Cougars during the track season. Jeshua Anderson, a wide receiver from Taft High in Woodland Hills, Calif., is the national prep record-holder in the 300m hurdles with a time of 35.28 seconds. He set the low hurdles mark in winning the event at the CIF State Track & Field Championships in Sacramento and also finished fourth in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.82. Steven Ayers is an offensive lineman from Sehome High in Bellingham, Wash., who won the 2007 state 3A shot put with a PR toss of 64-7 1/2 and also added the discus title where he has a PR of 190-1.

"The WSU football program has signed two outstanding track and field athletes as well as very good football players," Sloan said. "Jeshua Anderson, the greatest intermediate hurdler in prep history after breaking the national record this year with a time of 35.28 seconds in the 300m hurdles and we expect him to make the transition quite easily to 400m hurdles and really be an outstanding competitor there. He is also a great high hurdler at 13.82 seconds so Jeshua will help us in both areas at the Pac-10 and at the national level as a freshman. Steven Ayers is from Sehome High in Bellingham and has developed this year into an outstanding thrower with solid marks in the shot and the discus. With his size, strength and athleticism, Steven will transition to the bigger implements in college and do an outstanding job for us as well. Good track and field athletes coming in but football also contributing with outstanding athletes. These student-athletes, along with those we signed earlier in the year, creates what is shaping up to be an outstanding recruiting class for Washington State University."

Following are the eight track and field recruits from earlier signing periods this year with updates on their spring accomplishments:

Women
Amanda Andrews, a distance runner from Gig Harbor, Wash., finished fourth in 3200m at state 4A meet with time of 10:51.56
Maria Creech, cleared 5-8 in high jump from Durango, Colo.
Alexa Huestis, cleared 12-0 in pole vault from Chehalis, Wash., finished second at state 2A meet at 11-9
Angela Jensen, heptathlete from Tacoma, Wash., with PRs of 12.24 (100m), 14.09 (100mH), and 44.17 (300mH), won the 100m hurdles (14.30) and 200m hurdles (44.93) at state 2A meet
Ebba Jungmark, cleared 6-3 1/2 (1.92m) in high jump from Sweden
Marissa Tschida, thrown 158-5 in javelin from Missoula, Mont., fifth-best nationally; will be competing at the US Juniors National meet in Indianapolis later this month.

Men
Trevor Habberstad, a decathlete from Canyon Country, Calif., with PRs of 13.93 (110mH), 10.8 (100m), 22.1 (200m), 49.3 (400m), 37.61 (300mH), 6-0 (high jump) 12-6 (pole vault) and 21-10 (long jump), won the CIF Southern Section Division 1 high hurdles with a time of 13.93, and won the intermediate hurdles with a time of 37.74
Ayodeji "Deji"Adebayo, a 10.55, 21.48 sprinter from Spokane, Wash., and Community Colleges of Spokane.