Track and Field Announces Early Signees

NORMAN — Oklahoma head track and field coach Jim VanHootegem announced Thursday the signing of 15 student athletes to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period.

Nine women and six men will join the Sooners in fall 2018. The talented class features accomplished athletes from across the country and the globe who have exhibited success at the state, national and international levels.

"This is an exciting class for OU Track and Field," VanHootegem said. "We were really able to achieve our initial plan in how we were approaching recruiting this year. On the women's side, we were looking to bring in a lot of variety in terms of event areas, and we were looking for people who fit the culture of our program. On the men's side, we were specifically looking for NCAA-level contributors plus added depth on the relays and cross country. We were also right on target with that. So, we achieved our goals and will continue recruiting with that approach as we work into the spring signing period."

FALL SIGNEES - WOMEN

DEJA ALEXIS

Alexis

Temecula, Calif. | Great Oak HS

Long Jump/Triple Jump

CIF Southern Section Masters triple jump qualifier (12th place)
PERSONAL BESTS:
- Triple jump: 37'7.5"

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Deja:
“Deja is no stranger to competition. She comes from a powerhouse program and is used to the extremely high levels of competition in the Southern California track scene. However, we feel that she is a bit of a 'find.' She is extremely young for a senior in high school and has just recently adding the jumping events having been more of a sprinter/relay person. She is a very intelligent and worldly person. Therefore, I think she will do very well in focusing in daily training. This ability will lead to her constantly gaining momentum towards her goals.”

KENNEDY BLACKMON

Blackmon

Plano, Texas | Plano HS

200 meter/400 meter

Champion in the 400 meter at the 2017 USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships
2017 UIL 6A State Track and Field Championships 200 meter qualifier (eighth place)
2017 USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships 200 meter qualifier (fourth place)
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 200 meters: 23.84
- 400 meters: 53.96

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Kennedy:
“Kennedy is one of nation's more exciting young athletes in the long sprints. She had a fine season last year, then just kept on improving throughout the summer club season. That culminated with a national championship at the USATF Junior Olympic finals. She has the speed to step up to being an elite one-lapper (400 meters) in collegiate track and field during her time at OU. An interesting thing we learned about her is that she was extremely competitive in powerlifting competitions. Her pound-for-pound strength is quite remarkable. We have won a Big 12 title in the 4x400 relay and 4x100 relay in the last two seasons and she can play a big factor in those relays moving up to be perennial national finalists.”

ELISE BOISVERT

Boisvert

San Diego, Calif. | University City HS

Distance

2016 CIF State Cross Country Championships Qualifier (16th place)
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 3200 meter: 10:57.80

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Elise:
“We are thrilled that Elise chose to be a Sooner. We have high expectations for the future of our women's distance program and Elise can play a big role in that. She has demonstrated not only a high ability, but also a strong passion for running. She really gets that it is fun to get after things and push herself in training. That type of energy is contagious, and we want her to bring that to our program. She also has a lot of good experience in running in the always-competitive San Diego Section as well as state meet experience. She is a more-than-welcome addition to our squad.”

FAITH ETTE

Ette

Mansfield, Texas | Lake Ridge HS

Throws

Champion in the shot put at the 2017 UIL Track and Field State Championships
PERSONAL BESTS:
- Shot put: 44'11”
- Discus: 112'7”

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Faith:
“Of course, we are excited about having a Texas state champion come on board, but we were even more excited about her intelligence and attitude. She strikes us a person who can decide what she wants, then do the little things each day that it takes to get there. Finally, she felt very good about the Sooners very quickly on her visit. We are interested in recruiting accomplished athletes, but ultimately they have to want to be Sooners. She was able to look us in the eye and say that this is the place for her, and that goes a long way.”

HALEY HERBERG

Herberg

Capistrano Valley, Calif. | Capistrano Valley HS

Distance

2017 CIF State Track and Field Championships 1600-meter qualifier (10th place)
2016 CIF State Cross Country Championships qualifier (21st place)
2017 South Coast League Finals Champion
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 1600 meter: 4:49.22
- 3200 meter: 10:38.45
- 5K (cross country): 17:18.70

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Haley:
“Haley is a legacy person with her parents having run at OU. That sparked a mutual interest, but in talking with Haley we got a great sense that OU was a great fit for her as an individual. She is one of the nation's top distance runners. We are just looking forward to her coming to OU and enjoying the daily process of getting better. If she can do that, then we feel good that she can play a pivotal role in raising the level of our women's distance program. She has a great understanding of the struggle to achieve greatness, and we can't wait for her to arrive.”

REAGAN KAPPEL

Kappel

Katy, Texas | Katy Cinco Ranch HS

Distance

2016 UIL 6A State Championships Qualifier (38th place)
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 1500 meter: 4:36.27
- 3200 meter: 10:55.82
- 5K (cross country): 17:53.00

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Regan:
“Reagan showed a lot of promise in her early career. That talent doesn't go away. She is excited to be a Sooner, and we feel like she will fit into her training group and be a contributor to our cross country program, plus be able to step up to the longer distances – 5K and 10K – on the track and thrive there.”

MADISON LANGLEY-WALKER

Langley-Walker

Glenside, Pa. | Upper Dublin HS

Combined Events

Triple jump champion, bronze medalist in the long jump and bronze medalist in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2017 PTFCA Indoor State Championships
300-meter hurdles champion, runner-up in the long jump and triple jump and bronze medalist in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2017 PIAA Track and Field State Championships
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 100-meter hurdles: 13.98
- 300-meter hurdles: 42.54
- Long jump: 19'5”
- Triple jump: 40'4.5”

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Madison:
“Maddie had a great visit to Sooner Nation. She fits our culture wonderfully. She loves track and field and she loves to compete. A great story that crystalizes this came in the Pennsylvania state meet. She was leading the triple jump when she went to run the 100-meter hurdles. Someone overtook her while she was running and she promptly headed back to the triple jump, changed shoes and retook the lead for the state title. She will be great in practice because of her desire and competitiveness. We think she is a very promising combined event athlete and are thrilled to have her.”

ALLANAH LEE

Lee

Castro Valley, Calif. | Castro Valley HS

Triple Jump

Bronze medalist at the 2017 CIF State Track and Field Championships
USATF Junior National Order Championships triple jump qualifier (10th place)
PERSONAL BESTS:
- Triple jump: 41'11” (12.78 meters)

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Allanah:
“From the first moment I saw Allanah I was hoping she would be interested in wearing the Crimson and Cream. I just loved watching her jump. I also liked her desire and ability to step up on the big stage. She was ready to go in the California state finals and we want people like that. Allanah can be a little bit quiet, but she is never shy about wanting to be great.”

SYMONE WASHINGTON

Washington

Round Rock, Texas | Stony Point HS

Long Jump/Triple Jump

2017 UIL State Track and Field Championships long jump qualifier (eighth place)
2017 UIL State Track and Field Championships triple jump qualifier (sixth place)
Runner-up in the triple jump at the 2017 TTFCA Meet of Championships
2017 USATF Junior National Outdoor Track and Field Championships Qualifier (eighth place)
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 100 meter: 11.87
- 200 meter: 24.92
- Long jump: 19'1”
- Triple jump: 40'7”

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Symone:
“Like Allanah, Symone is someone who impressed me from the very first jump. First, I love her spirit and aggressiveness in competition. Physically, she has wonderful limb speed. As she matures and continues to train, her power levels will boost, and I predict things will really come together for her. She accomplished a great double in making the finals at the New Balance National Championships and the USATF Junior Nationals Championships. She will be a force in both the long jump and triple jump and will also compete in sprints and relays. I'm very excited about our young women's jumpers, and Symone is a big part of that.”

FALL SIGNEES - MEN

JOSH BOATENG

Boateng

St. George's, Grenada | Central Arizona Community College

Throws

2017 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships shot put qualifier (seventh place)
2017 NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships discus qualifier (ninth place)
PERSONAL BESTS:
- Shot put: 54'6.75” (16.63 meters)
- Discus: 186'6” (56.84 meters)

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Josh:
“There were a lot of 'high-fives' when Josh committed to OU. We got to see him compete a few times last year, but the more time we spent with him we knew he was special beyond what we could see in the ring. He has a realness, warmth and spirit that's hard to match. I look forward to him coming into our program and seeing his personality have an effect on everyone in our program. I am especially excited about him becoming the third of the 'Bash Brothers' along with Brad Daboub and Cooper Campbell. They will be a lot of fun together. Josh is ready to come in and be a big contributor to our team goals. His signing with us is a big day for Oklahoma Track and Field.”

QUOI ELLIS

Ellis

San Diego, Calif. | Mt. Carmel HS

Sprints

Bronze medalist in the 200-meter dash at the 2017 CIF State Track and Field Championships
2017 CIF State Track and Field Championships 100-meter qualifier
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 100 meter: 10.60
- 200 meter: 21.20

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Quoi:
“Quoi is a very exciting prospect. I was impressed with seeing how he competed in the California state finals in the 200-meter dash, and I saw a lot more of that as I went back and reviewed his season. A great example was in the Arcadia 100 finals. He is a hungry competitor, but is also very excited to be a part of our training group. He fit very well with our guys, and I think he will be a guy who is excited to be at practice every day. I am eager to work with him as I think there is a great upside with Quoi.”

LUKE GEORGE

George

Issaquah, Wash. | Issaquah HS

Middle Distance

2017 WIAA State Cross Country Championships Qualifier (ninth place)
Runner-up in the 800 meter at the 2017 USATF National Junior Olympics Track and Field Championships
Runner-up in the 1500 meter at the 2017 USATF National Junior Olympics Track and Field Championships
Runner-up at the 2017 3A/4A KingCo League Championships
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 800 meter: 1:54.31
- 1500 meter: 3:59.29

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Luke:
“Luke fit so well with our group that it felt like he was already part of the team. We joked that we weren't ready to let him go home. He has done a great job in building his speed in the shorter distances and we think he will really be able to transfer that as a collegiate runner. In addition to his high school running accomplishments, Luke also had a fine summer on the club running circuit. We are excited about him and can't wait for him to come back to campus and join us.”

PRESTON POPE

Pope

Steveson Ranch, Calif. | West Ranch HS

Distance

Champion at the 2017 Foothill League Finals
2016 CIF State Cross Country Championships Qualifier (14th place)
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 3200 meter: 9:13.75
- 5K (cross country): 15:39.60

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Preston:
“There was some good excitement around the office when Preston committed. He has a basketball background and brings a point guard mentality to his running. He is a great team leader. We like team guys and Preston is a team guy. He will play a big role in our young cross country team and can have a great future on the track as well. We are looking forward to Preston bringing his 'Mamba Mentality' to OU track.”

KRISTO SIMULASK

Simulask

Paralepa, Estonia

Decathlon

2017 U20 European Championships Decathlon Qualifier (26th)
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 100-meter hurdles: 14.90
- High jump: 2.09 meters
- Long jump: 7.24 meters
- Decathlon: 7,520 points

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Kristo:
“We are making a commitment to the combined events at Oklahoma, so Kristo is a key addition. Just his willingness to move from Estonia demonstrates his dedication to pursuing both his educational and athletic goals. I see him as a guy with a calm exterior, but with a fire burning on the inside. He is as balanced of a decathlete as you will find, which is rare for an incoming athlete. We are excited about his potential contribution at both the Big 12 and NCAA levels. Our goals for our team at the NCAA level match well with Kristo's. I also think that he will bring a mature approach to training and studies which will be a positive example for all of our team.”

ZACK WILLIAMS

Williams

The Woodlands, Texas | The Woodlands College Park

Distance

2016 UIL State Cross Country Championships Qualifier (136th place)
2016 Nike Cross Country Nationals Qualifier (171st place)
PERSONAL BESTS:
- 3200 meter: 9:39.58
- 5K (cross country): 16:01.53

OU Head Coach Jim VanHootegem on Zack:
“Zack showed a lot of promise and determination this fall. He started the season strongly and was able to come back from illness and show the competitor he is. We are excited for him to continue to that progress this upcoming track season. Another thing that we like about Zach is his all-around athletic background. We like people who have a 'base' of running, stopping, cutting, jumping, etc. Zach is one of those guys. He will be a key guy for our men's group for the length of his time at OU.”

Track and Field Announces Early Signees