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IU Track and Field Announces First 12 Signees for 2012

IU Track and Field Announces First 12 Signees for 2012

Mar 13, 2012 by FloTrack Staff
IU Track and Field Announces First 12 Signees for 2012
IU Track and Field Announces First 12 Signees for 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2012
Track and Field contact - Kyle Johnson (krj@indiana.edu)
 
IU Track and Field Announces First 12 Signees for 2012

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana Track and Field Director and Head Coach Ron Helmer has announced the first 12 signees in his 2012-13 signing class. The group includes 11 student-athletes from the state of Indiana, including four with the top returning marks in their respective events, and one from Virginia. IUÂ’s coaching staff is still recruiting, but has already covered the state of Indiana, signing athletes from Indianapolis, Bloomington, Terre Haute, Gary, Merrillville and Evansville.
 
Helmer is very pleased with the start of the signing class. He said the coaching staff hopes that recent successes and the direction of the program will help convince other talented student-athletes to come to Bloomington.
 
“I am pleased to announce the first 12 signees for this recruiting class,” said Helmer. “This is the start of a special class, and we are going to continue to bring in quality athletes and people. We’ve accomplished a lot this year, with a Big Ten Indoor Championship and two NCAA top-10 teams, but there are still a lot of goals out there for us that we have to strive for. As we bring talented student-athletes into the fold like this group, our hope is that more will see the direction in which our program is headed and want to join in.”
 
MEN:
Terry Batemon
Indianapolis, Indiana
Warren Central High School, Indianapolis, Indiana
Pole Vault
3rd in the 2011 Indiana State Meet
Top returning pole vaulter in the state of Indiana
PR: Pole Vault - 15’9”
 
Coach Helmer:   Â“Terry is athletic and has outstanding speed, both of the components necessary to insure future development in the vault. Additionally he comes from a high school program (Warren Central) that stresses team so he understands the associated responsibilities. Terry is a very strong student who has the potential to become the “student/athlete” package we want to represent our program.”
 
Mark Chandler
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington South High School, Bloomington, Indiana
Distance
20th in the 2011 Indiana State Cross Country Meet
PR: 1600 - 4:19.47
 
Coach Helmer:  Â“Mark is a late-developing high school athlete who is showing signs that the best is yet to come. He ran a 1600 PR last week in a rare indoor appearance and appears poised to become a real force at the Indiana state high school level this spring. Mark is local, knows our program and is ready to embrace the challenge.”
 
Brent Coulter
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Landstown High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Distance
2nd in the 2012 Virginia State Indoor Meet 1600, 7th in the 2011 Virginia State Cross Country Meet
PRs: 1600 - 4:16.64, 3200 - 9:23.73
 
Coach Helmer:  Â“Brent comes from the talent rich area of Tidewater Virginia and is another athlete who is showing the potential for an outstanding senior outdoor season. He had his best ever cross country finish this year followed by PR performances pretty much every time he lined up indoors. He loves to work and has great enthusiasm for his opportunity at IU.”  ,
 
Jason Crist
Indianapolis, Indiana
Franklin Central High School, Indianapolis, Indiana
Distance
2nd in the 2010 Indiana State Meet 1600, 2nd at the 2010 Indiana State Cross Country Meet
Top returning 1600-meter runner in the state of Indiana
PRs: 1600 - 4:10.91, 3200 - 8:59.85
 
Coach Helmer:   Â“Jason has been very good for most of his high school career. After running 4:11 as a sophomore in the 1600 he was outstanding as a junior finishing second in the state cross country meet and running PR times in the 1600 and 3200 during the spring. Jason is another high-character kid with a great work ethic and the potential to become an outstanding Big Ten and Division I distance runner.”
 
Tyeson Mundy
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute North Vigo High School, Terre Haute, Indiana
Distance
25th in the 2010 Indiana State Cross Country Meet
PR: 3200 - 9:25.0
 
Coach Helmer:  Â“Tyeson was very, very good during most of the cross country season this fall and has shown the potential to develop into a very good distance runner. While he has a lot of work yet to do, we think the desire and motivation to succeed are there and in time he will make a significant contribution to our success both in cross country and on the track.”,
 
Carl Smith
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington South High School, Bloomington, Indiana
Distance
8th in the 2011 Indiana State Cross Country Meet
PR: 3200 - 9:12.39
 
Coach Helmer:  Â“Carl has become one of the stateÂ’s best distance runners. He ran a very good 3200-meter time last spring and had a great senior cross country season including an eighth-place finish at the state meet. We are very much looking forward to what the next few months bring as Carl finishes off his high school career. Carl will have little trouble transitioning to the longer collegiate distances and should find a way to contribute to our program fairly quickly. As with many of our recruits, Carl is an outstanding student who will get the job done at a high level in the class room as well.”,
 
Reggie Smith
Indianapolis, Indiana
Warren Central High School, Indianapolis, Indiana
Sprints and Hurdles
Top returning 300-meter hurdler in the state of Indiana
PR: 300 Hurdles - 38.93
 
Coach Helmer:  Â“Reggie has been described to us as a great worker who will find a way to succeed. He has developed as an intermediate hurdler and been a consistent relay carry on some outstanding Warren Central teams. He will fill both of those needs for us and we think sooner than later.”
 
Cornelius Strickland
Gary, Indiana
Bowman Academy, Gary, Indiana
Sprints
2nd in the 2011 Indiana State Meet 100 and 3rd in the Indiana State Meet 200
Top returning sprinter in the state of Indiana
PRs: 100 - 10.54, 200 - 21.71, 55 - 6.35
 
Coach Helmer:  Â“We are very happy to add a Gary athlete to our roster and particularly happy to add one with the talent and potential to be a great sprinter here at IU. Cornelius is being compared to some of the great sprinters who have come out of the state of Indiana and we think legitimately so. He has size and range and will be a welcome addition to our outstanding group of sprinters.”
 
 
WOMEN:
Maggie Bell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Bishop Chatard High School, Indianapolis, Indiana
Sprints/M. Distance
2nd in the 2011 Indiana State Meet 400
#2 returning 400 meter runner in the state of Indiana
PRs: 400 - 55.69
 
Coach Helmer:  Â“Maggie is a great competitor who will fight her way to much success here at IU.  She has great range and while the 400 has brought her the most high school success she is excited about the chance to develop into a national-level 800-meter runner.  She has all the tools including the will and desire to do so.  She is exactly the athlete we need to add to our roster at this point in time as she will find a way to help us in a variety of ways and places.”,
 
Sydney Clute
Greenwood, Indiana
Center Grove High School, Greenwood, Indiana
Pole Vault
3rd in the 2010 Indiana State Meet Pole Vault and 1st in the 2011 Indiana Indoor State Meet
Top returning Pole Vaulter in the state of Indiana
PR: Pole Vault - 12’ 9”
 
Coach Helmer:  Â“Sydney has become one of the best vaulters in the nation this indoor season as she continues to improve almost weekly. She is another athlete who is known for her great work ethic and in time will become another in a line of outstanding IU pole vaulters developed by Coach Wiseman. She has the chance to be really, really good.”
 
Nakel McClinton
Merrillville, Indiana
Merrillville High School, Merrillville, Indiana
Throws
2nd in the 2011 Indiana State Meet Discus
PRs: Discus - 137’ 0”, Shot Put - 43’ 1 ½”
 
Coach Helmer:  Â“Coach Jones has the ability to find good high school throwers with the potential to be outstanding collegiate throwers. Finding them is the first step followed by lots of work and development and we believe Nakel is right in his wheel house. She has a great physique, is very smart and in time will be a Big Ten-level thrower if not better in one or more of the throws events.”  
 
Taylor Wiley
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville Central High School, Evansville, Indiana
Middle Distance
2nd in the 2010 Indiana State Meet 800 and 3rd in the 2011 Indiaa State Meet 800
#2 returning 800-meter runner in the state of Indiana
PRs: 800 - 2:12.93, 400 - 57.54
 
Coach Helmer:  Â“Taylor has been the dominant 800-meter runner in her part of the state for several years and a force at the state level as well. Once in a year-round systematic program that regularly produces outstanding 800-meter runners such as ours we think she will flourish.  She is truly committed to success and doing the things necessary to allow her to be the best she can be.”
 
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