ISU Track & Field and Cross Country Sign 13 to NLI’s 2016-17 Season

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State track and field and cross country programs signed 13 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent, as announced by Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee Thursday.

The new Redbirds are Meagan Biddle (Hoffman Estates High School/Hoffman Estates, Ill.), Phoebe Clowser (North Penn High School/Lansdale, Pa.), D'Jenne Egharevba (Naperville High School/Naperville, Ill.) Charde Golliday (Mt. Vernon High School/Mt. Vernon, Ill.), Vicky Gruszka (Notre Dame High School/Peoria, Ill.), Kellen Kravik (Bangor High School/Bangor Wis.), Syndey Laufenbreg (Clinton High School/Clinton, Iowa), Jaylan McConico (Bolingbrook High School/Bolingbrook, Ill.), Anne Moore (Fond Du Lac High School/Fond Du Lac, Wis.), Shaelyn Opichka (De Pere High School/De Pere, Wis.), Hattie Plumb (Bay Port High School/Green Bay, Wis.), Dakota Roman (Batavia High School/Batavia, Ill.) and Sam Weisz (Yorkville High School, Yorkville, Ill.).

"I think the recruits that we inked this week reflect a commitment to winning in track and field as well as in cross country. Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Jeff Bovee said. "We are bringing in three state champions in the field events, but all-in-all, we have signed five distance runners, two stand-out horizontal jumpers, two pole vaulters, two sprinters & hurdlers and two throwers.  We are thrilled by not just the quality of athletic talent this group bring to Illinois State but for the entire package that they bring to the table in regards to their academic talents, leadership, and character." 

Biddle, Clowser, Moore, Plumb and Roman will join the Redbirds as distance student-athletes. Biddle and Roman both competed at the 2015 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls' Cross Country Championships. Roman finished 30th while her team placed second overall. Roman placed 14th at the 2015 IHSA Track and Field championships in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 11:05.69 and finished sixth in the prelims with a 5:07.79 1,600-meter mark. Roman's personal-best three-mile is a time of 17:14.70.

Biddle placed fourth in the 1,600-meter run in the preliminary round of the 2015 IHSA Track and Field Championships and notched a eighth place finish in the finals. During the 2013-14 and 2014-15 outdoor season, Biddle has consistently earned top-10 finishes. In 2015, she notched three first-place finishes and two second-place finishes out of 15 appearances. Her personal-best 1,600-meter is a time of 4:59.98, which is ranked 13th in the state of Illinois. Biddle's personal-best 3,200-meter run is a time of 10:42.81, which is ranked fifth in the state of Illinois.

Clowser finished sixth at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Track and Field State Championships in the 1,600-meter with a time of 5:08.86. Her personal-best 1,600-meter is a time of 5:06.30 and her personal-best 5K is a time of 18:42.92.

Moore captured a personal-best performance at the Wisconsin interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Girls Track and Field State Championship in the 1,600-meter with a time of 5:05.95. In 2015, Moore finished first in three out of six meets in the 1,600-meter, plus earned two second-place finishes. Her personal-best 5K is a time of 18:52.33. In 2014-15, Moore finished with top-10 performances in every meet during the regular season, and notched top-25 performances at the Wisconsin State Cross Country Championship.

Plumb notched her personal-best 1,600-meter at the 2014 WIAA Girls Track and Field State Championship with a time of 5:10.35. She earned an impressive personal-best 800-meter with a time of 2:16.64 at the WIAA Track and Field State Championship.  

Golliday and Gruszka will represent the horizontal jumps class for the 2016-17 season. Golliday placed third at the 2015 IHSA Track and Field State Meet in the triple jump with a mark personal-best mark of 38-0. She recorded her personal-best indoor long jump at the Illinois Top Times meet with a mark of 18-0.50 and earned first place.

Gruszka is the 2014 IHSA state champion in the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 38-06.05. In 2015, she was runner-up in the triple jump and placed third in 2013. Gruszka is ranked 75th in the national elites rankings for triple jump. She is also ranked fifth in the state of Illinois.  Her personal-best long jump is a mark of 18-07, which is ranked seventh in the state of Illinois.

Kravik and Opichka will be added to the pole vault class for the 2016-17 season. Kravik was the state champion of the 2015 WIAA Boys Track and Field State Meet in pole vault with a personal-best mark of 14-06. His personal-best mark is a height is currently 15-00.

Opichka placed third at the WIAA Girls Track and Field State Meet in pole vault. Her personal-best mark is a height of 12-06, which she earned at the 2014 Fox River Classic Conference meet.

Laufenberg and Weisz will make up the freshmen throwing class. Laufenberg is an Iowa High School Athletic Association (IAHSAA) state champion in discus with a personal-best mark of 136-03. She placed fourth in the shot put at the IAHSAA state finals meet with a personal-best mark of 38-03.50.

Weisz's personal-best discus throw is a mark of 166-08, which earned him first place at the 3A Plainfield North Sectionals. He also placed first in the shot put at the 3A Plainfield North Sectionals with a personal-best mark of 54-01.50. Weisz is a state qualifier for both the shot put and discus throw.

Egharevaba will participate in sprints for the 2016-17 class. Egharevba finished fifth in the 100-meter at the 2015 IHSA Girls' State Track and Field Championship with her personal-best time of 12.09. She placed sixth at the IHSA State Championships in the 200-meter with a personal-best time of 25.22.

McConico will participate in hurdles for the 2016-17 season. During the 2015 outdoor season, McConico placed first in six out of nine meets in the 110-meter hurdles. He had similar results in the 300-meter hurdles, where he placed first in six out of seven meets. His personal-best in the 110-meter hurdles is 14.24 and his personal-best in the 300-meter hurdles is 39.09. McConico is currently ranked 24th in the nation in the 110-meter hurdles.

"This initial signing period has gone very well with the signing of ten women and three men," said Bovee. "In this 2nd recruiting cycle as a staff, our goal is to continue to build a well-balanced track and field program. We have a bit more recruiting to do this year and will continue to fill a few holes for the April signing period upcoming but we feel very good about the balance that we are creating in this program."

For more information on all incoming athletes please visit GoRedbirds.com to view a list of accomplishments. Below is a complete list of the incoming student-athletes for 2016-17 season.

GoRedbirds.com:  Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.