Monday, July 26, 2010

Recruiting Class Brings 26 Newcomers to Cal Track & Field

Courtesy Cal


July 26, 2010


BERKELEY - California director of Track & Field Tony Sandoval and his staff will welcome another strong recruiting class for 2010-11 that includes seven student-athletes who ranked among the top 20 in the country in their respective events last season. The group of 14 women and 12 men also features 10 who were finalists at the state championships this past year.

Highlighting the list of women to join the roster is heptathlete Ashley Smith from Millikan High School in Long Beach. The runner-up at the USATF Junior Championships with a score of 5,270, she represented the United States at the IAAF World Junior Championships in July. Her best individual event is the 200 meters, where she posted the No. 4 time in the country in 2010 with a 23.55 clocking.

Ashley Cooke (Corona / Colony HS) ran the sixth-fastest 300-meter hurdle time in the United States last year when she was clocked in 41.38. She placed fifth at the California state meet in 42.01. In the sprints, Charnell Price from St. Mary's Academy in Los Angeles was a state finalist in both the 100 (5th, 11.74) and 200 (7th, 24.30). Her PRs of 11.65 in the 100 and 23.75 in the 200 put her in the top 20 in the country in both events.

On the men's side, high jumper Harrison Steed (Coto de Caza / Junipero Serra HS) owns a best clearance of 7-2.50, a height he achieved this past January that was also No. 4 in the high school rankings this past season. Third at the California state meet in the spring, he captured the title as a sophomore in 2008 when he jumped 7-0.

Monte Corley out of Union City's James Logan High School set the top times in the state in both the 300- and 400-meter hurdles as a senior. His mark of 36.58 in the 300 hurdles was also the No. 2 prep time in the United States in 2010. In the 110-meter hurdles, Merritt College transfer Ray Stewart was a two-time California junior college champion and was a semifinalist at the 2010 USATF Championships with a time of 13.74 seconds.





A complete rundown on each of Cal's new recruits follows.

California's 2010-11 Track & Field/Cross Country Recruiting Class

Men
Idarre Coles
Visalia, Calif. / Redwood HS
Expected to compete as a decathlete for the Bears ... a state meet qualifier in both the high jump and triple jump as a senior ... owns best marks of 10.85w in the 100 meters, 22.94 in the 200, 6-9 in the high jump, 21-5.25 in the long jump and 47-0.5 in the triple jump ... high jump PR, which came during a runner-up finish at the Arcadia Invitational, tied for seventh best in California in 2010 ... seventh at the indoor state meet in the long jump (21-4.50) ... the Tulare County outdoor champ in the long jump and triple jump.

Monte Corley
Union City, Calif. / James Logan HS
Ranked No. 1 in California for his PRs in both the 300- and 400-meter hurdles in 2010 ... captured the 300 hurdles at the Meet of Champions in 36.58, the second-fastest time in the country last year ... also won the 400 hurdles title at the Stanford Invitational (54.12) ... has a best of 13.94 in the 110 hurdles.

Daniel Davis
Danville, Calif. / San Ramon Valley HS
Ran a best of 49.07 in the 400 meters as a high school senior ... placed 11th at the state meet with a time of 49.20 ... also helped his school's 4x400 relay take ninth at the meet when he ran the leadoff leg.

Scott Esparza
Pleasanton, Calif. / Amador Valley HS
Placed 21st at the state meet in the shot put, throwing 48-4.75 ... best effort of his senior year was 56-6.50 at the Arcadia Invitational ... also has a PR of 164-6 in the discus, a 15-foot improvement from his junior year.

Taylor Kientzel-Means
Santa Cruz, Calif. / Santa Cruz HS
A jumps and sprints specialist ... took seventh at the state meet in the triple jump with an effort of 47-11.50w ... PR is 48-2.00 ... also won the CCS title in the triple jump (47-8.00) ... qualified for the state meet in the long jump and placed 19th (22-1.75) ... best mark in the event is 22-10.50 ... other PRs include 11.81 in the 100 meters and 6-4 in the high jump.

Jordan Locklear
Oakland, Calif. / American Indian Public School
Ran unattached in 2010 and recorded personal bests of 1:53.68 in the 800 meters at the Stanford Invitational and 3:54.28 in the 1500 at the Sac State Open.

Nick Ridge
Sacramento, Calif. / Jesuit HS
Took second in the state meet in the high jump with a clearance of 6-9 as a senior ... owns a PR of 7-1, which he attained at the Golden West meet in June 2010 and was the best mark in California last season ... won nine high jump competitions his senior year ... greatly improved from his junior season when his best in the event was 6-6.5.

Javert Solorzano
Northridge, Calif. / Granada Hills Charter HS
Took eighth at the state meet in the 1600 meters (4:24.40), while he was 22nd in the 3200 (9:28.72) ... PR in the 1600 is 4:14.68 which came in a runner-up finish at the L.A. City championships ... ran the mile in 4:23.57 at the Arcadia Invitational ... as a junior, also took second the 1600 at the L.A. City meet (4:20.97) ... in cross country, was eighth at the CIF state meet his senior year, covering the 5000-meter course in 15:24 ... second at the L.A. City championships.

Harrison Steed
Coto de Caza, Calif. / Junipero Serra HS
Captured the CIF state championship in the high jump as a sophomore with a clearance of 7-0 ... placed fourth in the state meet his senior season with a leap of 6-9, while he was third at the CIF state championships as a junior (6-9) ... top mark as a senior was 6-10, which rated third in California in 2010, and he jumped 6-11 as a junior ... owns an PR of 7-2.50 set in Cerritos last Jan. 23, a mark that rated as the No. 4 among high schoolers in the country last year.

Ray Stewart
Oakland, Calif. / James Logan HS / Merritt College
A two-time California JC champion in the 110-meter high hurdles ... captured the 2010 race in 13.95w and the 2009 race in 13.83 ... also won the Big 8 Conference championship as a freshman (14.23) and sophomore (14.02w) ... a semifinalist at the 2010 USATF Championships with a mark of 13.74 ... as a freshman at Merritt, had season bests of 13.72 in the 110 hurdles at the Mt. SAC and Jim Bush invitationals ... also timed in 10.78 in the 100 ... in high school, helped James Logan HS place fifth at the state meet in the 4x100 relay in 2006 ... a state championships qualifier in the 110 hurdles.

Women
Chioma Amaechi
San Francisco, Calif. / Lincoln HS
Second in the state meet in the shot put with a mark of 47-1.75 ... had a best of 47-9.25 in winning the Arcadia Invitational, a mark that stood as No. 2 in the California prep ranks, as well as 12th in the country, for 2010 ... captured the Meet of Champions (44-7.00) ... also qualified for the state championships in the discus, with a best of 134-10, but did not reach the final.

Brooke Arthur
Santa Ana, Calif. / Mater Dei HS
Placed fifth at the 2010 state championships with a clearance of 12-3.00 in the pole vault, matching her career best ... also vaulted 12-3.00 on her way to victory at the CIF Southern Section meet ... first cleared 12 feet as a sophomore in 2008 (12-0) ... fourth at the state indoor meet her senior year (11-6) and vaulted 11-10 indoors later in the season.

Heather Cerney
Danville, Calif. / Carondelet HS
Expected to contribute in cross country ... placed 14th at the 2009 CIF state cross country meet her senior year, finishing the 5000-meter course in 18:12 ... also fourth at the North Coast Section meet ... on the track, ran a 4:59.81 in the 1600 meters to place second at the Mt. SAC Invitational and covered the 3200 meters in 10:44.74 at the Sacramento Meet of Champions.

Ashley Cooke
Corona, Calif. / Colony HS
Finished fifth in the 300-meter hurdles at the California state meet her senior year with a time of 42.01 ... personal best was 41.38, which ranked third best in the state and No. 6 among U.S. high school runners last season ... won the 300 hurdles at the Arcadia Invitational and the Meet of Champions ... placed third in the 400 hurdles at the Stanford Invitational in 1:03.14 ... also had a best of 14.32 in the 100 hurdles ... ran anchor on the Colony HS 4x400 relay that was fifth at the state meet her senior year in 3:46.93.

Juliana Green
Davis. Calif. / Davis Senior HS
Another runner who will also compete in cross country ... set bests of 2:24.27 in the 800 meters and 5:11.09 in the 1600 meters as a senior ... PRs in both events came during her junior year (2:20.65 and 5:03.77) ... during the cross country season, placed second at the Yolo Invitational ... also competed at the CIF state meet ... best time over a 5000-meter course was 19:02 at Stanford.

Elisa Karhu
San Diego, Calif. / Rancho Bernardo HS
A distance runner who, in her first year of training, recorded bests of 5:18.50 at 1600 meters and 11:18.83 at 3200 meters as a senior ... will also run cross country at Cal ... won the 3200 at the Bronco Invitational her senior season (11:18.91) ... placed 20th at the CIF state cross country championships when she was timed in 18:25 over 5000 meters.

Sarah Keddington
Newport Beach, Calif. / Corona Del Mar HS
Participated in the 2010 CIF state cross country meet where she placed 72nd (19:22) ... a veteran runner on a three state cross country championship teams at Corona Del Mar HS ... during the track season, ran a best of 5:00.30 in the 1600 meters at the Trabuco Hills Invitational and 2:14.60 in the 800 meters at the Orange County Championships ... also a member of her school's 4x400 relay.

Nicole Larson
Upland, Calif. / Upland HS
Cleared 12-1.00 in the pole vault at the Arcadia Invitational, placing fourth ... eighth at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet (11-3.00) ... finished ninth at the 2010 state indoor meet with a best of 11-0.

Taylor Lawson
El Sobrante, Calif. / St. Mary's HS
A three-sport athlete at St. Mary's HS, competing in cross country, basketball and track & field ... named the Cal-Hi Sports 2010 Division IV Athlete of the Year ... placed second at the Division IV NCS cross country meet and was the No. 1 runner on state qualifying teams three times ... finished 17th at the state Division IV meet as a senior ... in track, recorded her best 300-meter hurdles at NCS Meet of Champions (43.79). ... helped her school's 4x100 relay finish sixth at the state meet, while the 4x400 was 12th at the state championships ... has a career best of 56.77 in the 400 ... will run the 800 at Cal ... started at point guard on the St. Mary's basketball team that finished as the state runner-up in 2010 ... received the Sportsmanship Award for the championship game.

Sunny Margerum
Los Altos Hills, Calif. / Gunn HS
A long jumper, sprinter and hurdler in high school ... slowed by an injury her senior season ... still posted bests of 15.19 in the 100-meter hurdles, 18-0.00 in the long jump and 45.82 in the 300 hurdles ... as a junior, established a PR of 18-1.25 in the long jump, which gave her a victory at the CCS meet ... also covered the 100 hurdles in 15.03, the 100 meters in 12.62 and the 300 hurdles in 44.58 ... granddaughter of Cal Hall of Famer Monte Upshaw ... parents Kenny (football) and Joy (track & field) Margerum previously served as assistant coaches for the Bears.

Tiarra Pittman
Portland, Ore. / Lincoln HS
Captured the 300-meter hurdles at the Oregon state meet her junior year in 2009 with a time of 43.51 ... also anchored her school's 4x100 relay to a title (48.01), as well as the 4x400 relay to a fifth-place finish (4:00.24) ... only competed in the 300 hurdles once her senior year in 2010 (47.99) ... sixth in the 100 meters at the state meet her sophomore season (12.78) and had a best of 12.29 ... also seventh in the 300 hurdles that year (46.91) ... won two additional championships in the 4x100 relay as a freshman and sophomore.

Charnell Price
Los Angeles, Calif. / St. Mary's Academy
A 2010 state finalist in the 100 and 200 meters, as well as the 4x100 and 4x400 relays for St. Mary's Academy ... took fifth in the 100 (11.74) after running a PR 11.65 in the prelims (#18 among U.S. preps) and seventh in the 200 (24.30) ... owns a best of 23.75 in the event, which was 12th-fastest in the country last season ... the 4x100 relay took eighth, while the 4x400 relay was third with Price as the anchor ... as a junior, was 12th at the state meet in the 100 (11.97) and fourth in the 4x100 relay ... also ran cross country as a senior.

Brianna Schofield
Carlsbad, Calif. / Carlsbad HS / UC San Diego
A transfer from UC San Diego who will be a junior for the Bears this year ... placed seventh at the NCAA Division II meet in the 1500 as a sophomore in 2009 with a time of 4:34.20 ... set a school record in the event in qualifying (4:29.67) ... took sixth at NCAA her freshman year (4:33.87) ... owns a best of 2:14.73 in the 800 ... member of the coaches association all-academic team ... an All-American in cross country her freshman season in 2008 after placing 22nd at NCAA's ... in high school, earned team MVP, all-league, all-CIF and all-state honors ... also participated in surfing and soccer.

Ashley Smith
Long Beach, Calif. / Millikan HS
A multi-talented athlete who will compete in the heptathlon for the Bears ... won her first heptathlon at the Arcadia Invitational with a score of 5,202 points in 2009 ... runner up at the 2010 USTAF junior meet with a score of 5,270, the No. 2 prep mark in the U.S. ... represented the United States in the heptathlon at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada, in July ... a state qualifier in three events as a senior ... finished as the California runner-up in the high jump (5-8.00) and was sixth in the 200 meters (24.24) ... also placed 16th in the 100-meter hurdles (14.67w) ... owns PRs of 11.83 in the 100, 23.55 in the 200 (#3 state mark in 2010), 13.79w in the 100 hurdles (#8 state mark in 2010), 19-0.25 in the long jump and 5-9 in the high jump ... her 200 time was also the fourth-fastest wind-legal mark in the country in '10 ... third in the high jump at the CIF state championships as a freshman and junior.

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