K-State Track Inks Seven During Fall Signing Period
Dec 14, 2016 | Track & Field
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State track and field team received National Letters of Intent from seven signees during the 2016 fall signing period, Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto has announced.
“As both of our teams are relatively young, we are not in a position where we could add significant numbers, but we attempted to add quality athletes,” Rovelto said about the fall signing class. “We also wanted to address holes in events and we believe that we did that with this group.”
The signing class is comprised of four distance runners, a sprinter, a jumper and a thrower. Making up the class is: Javier Lowe (Jumps); Dylan Brenneman (Distance); Malik Jones (Sprints); Jess St. John (Throws); Victoria Robinson (Distance); Kassidy Johnson (Distance) and Cara Melgares (Distance).
Four of the signees will join the Wildcats from Kansas high schools, while Lowe comes from a high school in Jamaica. St. John and Jones will both join the team after stints in community college.
Javier Lowe | Jumps | Calabar High School | Kingston, Jamaica
Lowe joins the Wildcats after an outstanding career in Jamaica. Most recently, he competed at the 2016 IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, in triple jump. At the meet, Lowe represented his home country as he recorded a 10th place finish with a leap of 15.38m/50-05.50 (-0.5).
Personal Bests
Triple Jump: 16.10m/52-10
Dylan Brenneman | Distance | Spring Hill High School | Spring Hill, Kan.
Dylan Brenneman | Distance | Spring Hill High School | Spring Hill, Kan.
Brenneman has signed with K-State after putting up impressive marks during the 2016 season. At the 2016 KSHSAA 4A Championship meet, he won the 3200 meter run, posting a time of 9:25.19, a new state record in the event and a personal best time. He went on to finish in third place in both the 800 meter run (1:58.41) and the 1600 meter run (4:26.08) at the same meet.
Personal Bests
400 Meter Dash: 1:04.09
800 Meter Run: 1:56.77
1600 Meter Run: 4:14.86
3200 Meter Run: 9:25.19
Malik Jones | Sprints | Coffeyville Community College
Jones comes to K-State after competing for the Coffeyville Community College track and field program. While a member of the Red Ravens, Jones twice earned NJCAA Indoor All-American honors in the 200 meters and the 4x400 meter relay. He finished sixth in the 200 meters with a time of 21.89, while he ran the anchor on the Ravens’ 4x400 meter relay squad that finished third nationally with a time of 3:16.39. He also placed 17th in the 400 meters at the national meet with a time of 50.33. At the NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he recorded an 11th-place finish in the 400-meter dash with a mark of 48.44. He also helped the Ravens’ relay teams to Top 10 finishes at nationals, helping the 4x100 meter relay team to a fourth-place finish with a time of 40.77 and anchoring the 4x400 meter relay team to a sixth-place finish with a time of 3:14.05.
Indoor Personal Bests
200 Meter Dash: 21.88
400 Meter Dash: 48.72
Outdoor Personal Bests
200 Meter Dash: 21.47
400 Meter Dash: 47.06
Jess St. John | Throws | Central Arizona Community College
The second of the community college transfers in the class, St. John will look to make an impact on the Wildcat throws group. Most recently, she competed at the NACAC U23 Championships, where she finished in fifth place with a throw of 15.50m/50-10.25. She was crowned the 2016 NJCAA Outdoor National Champion in shot put, posting a personal best throw of 16.27m/53-04.50. She also placed ninth in the discus at the outdoor meet with a toss of 42.47 m/139-04. In addition, she finished fourth in the shot put at the NJCAA Indoor Championships, finishing fourth with a mark of 14.76 m/48-05.25.
Indoor Personal Best
Shot Put: 15.73m/51-07.25
Outdoor Personal Best
Shot Put: 16.27m/653-04.50
Victoria Robinson | Distance | Lansing High School | Lansing, Kan.
Robinson is the second of four distance runners in the class. At the 2016 KSHSAA 5A Championship, she recorded a runner-up finish in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:17.45. She also posted a fourth-place finish in the 1600 meter run, crossing the finish line in 5:18.22.
Personal Bests
400 Meter Dash: 59.06
800 Meter Run: 2:16.97
1600 Meter Run: 5:16.24
3200 Meter Run: 12:00.41
Kassidy Johnson | Distance | Maize South High School | Wichita, Kan.
Johnson signs with the Wildcats after an impressive 2016 track season for the Mavericks. She dominated the 2016 KSHSAA 5A Championship, winning state titles in the 400 meter dash (57.73), the 800 meter run (2:17.44) and the 1600 meter run (5:10.91).
Indoor Personal Bests
400 Meter Dash: 1:01.24
800 Meter Run: 2:23.85
Outdoor Personal Bests
200 Meter Dash: 28.57
400 Meter Dash: 57.73
800 Meter Run: 2:14.01
1600 Meter Run: 5:10.91
Cara Melgares | Distance | Manhattan, Kan. | Manhattan, Kan.
Melgares will not have to head very far to join the Wildcat track and field team. The Manhattan High product posted strong results in the 2016 KSHSAA 6A Championship meet, finishing in fourth place in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:05.04 and in seventh place in the 3200 meter run with a final time of 11:18.59.
Indoor Personal Bests
800 Meter Run: 2:31.67
Mile Run: 5:21.13
Outdoor Personal Bests
800 Meter Run: 2:23.37
1600 Meter Run: 5:05.04
3200 Meter Run: 11:13.45
For the latest on K-State track and field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
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