COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs track & field aims to take an even bigger leap forward within not only the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) but on a national scale as RMAC Coach of the Year
Ross Fellows and the defending conference champions announce 39 new Mountain Lions to the program.
"It is a great time to be a part of the Mountain Lion track and field program," stated Fellows. "Our staff has worked diligently to sign this class in a unique recruiting year, as we work to stay on top of the podium at the RMAC and national level. Student-athletes come here with intentions to win both on and off the track, and that makes me extremely proud. As we continue to raise the bar in recruiting, I know we will see the results on the track as well."
A 2021 graduate of Lincoln-Way East High School in Mokena, Ill., Alison Van Dyke will compete in pole vault for the Mountain Lions. As a junior, she set a personal record after recording a vault of 3.35m (11'). She won the Olivette Nazarene University Invite and the North Central College Invite, as well as setting a new meet record. An Illinois Prep Top Time qualifier, Van Dyke was a three-time varsity letterwinner and a three-year Scholar-Athlete. She helped the Griffins to back-to-back conference championships in 2018 and 2019.
Lauren Lanfear will join the Mountain Lions from Boise, Idaho where she competed for the Braves at Boise High School. A three-year letterwinner, Lanfear placed fourth in the 2018 state championship meet in the 300m hurdles and took seventh in the same event at the 2019 state championship meet. She and the Braves placed third overall as a team at the 2018 5A State Championship meet and runner-up at the state meet in 2019. She owns a personal best time of 46.12 seconds in the 300m hurdles and 27.1 seconds in the 200m hurdles.
High jumper Hailee O'Neill is a two-year letterwinner at Douglas County High School in Castle Rock, Colo. She won the league title in 2019 after finishing second in 2018. O'Neill finished in the top eight at the 2018 and 2019 state championship meets. She was named the 2019 Athlete of the Season and the Most Valuable Female Field Athlete after receiving the 2018 Newcomer Award. A two-time Scholar Athlete award winner, O'Neill recorded the best jump of her career as a sophomore, clearing the bar at 5'-5.
A 2021 graduate of Westmont College with a degree in Kinesiology, Sydney Marr holds the school record in shot put, discus and the hammer throw. She earned NAIA All-America honors three times during the indoor and outdoor seasons. An all-state and all-conference performer, Marr scored the most total points at the Golden State Athletic Conference meet. A scholar-athlete and the Santa Barbara Round Table Athlete of the Month three times, Marr and the Warriors won seven consecutive conference championships. A native of Colorado Springs, Colo., Marr competed at Pine Creek High School where she set the discus school record.
Sprinter Amber Davis (Aurora, Colo./Grandview High School) competed in the 60m, 200m, 300m and 400m races in her last indoor season (2020). She recorded a PR time of 8.32 seconds in the 60m dash at the Air Force High School Open. She set another PR time in the 200m dash on Jan. 26 at the USATF Colorado Indoor Track and & Field Championship, cross the finish line in 26.86. In her last indoor season, she also set career best times in the 300m (45.05) and the 400m (1:02.61). A two-sport student-athlete, Davis competed in soccer for five years.
Emaleigh Papierski competed in the long jump, 200m and 400m at Moffat County High School in Craig, Colo. An All-State performer in 2019-20, Papierski also garnered the Female Scholar Award in 2020, and earned all-conference and scholar-athlete honors twice as a two-sport student-athlete. She was part of the 2019 Bulldog relay team that won the 4x200m state and conference championship titles. The two-time All-State Academic First Team selection, she owns personal best times in the 400m (58.00), 200m (26.3) and the long jump (16'-8).
Caroline Walters attended North Carolina State University from 2019-2021 but did not compete for the Wolfpack. She graduated from Metrolina Christian Academy in 2018 where she competed in throws and sprints. A native of Waxhaw, N.C., Walters recorded a throw of 130'-8 in her final attempt at the 2019 state championship meet. She notched a PR throw of 121'-4.25 in the javelin at the 2018 New Balance Nationals. Walters lettered 10 times in cross country, basketball and track and field. She earned all-conference honors twice in cross country and four times in the discus and 100m hurdles. A four-time team MVP, she was named the 2016 Union County Women's Track and Field Athlete of the Year. In 2017 and 2018, Walters won the Union Country discus throw. She set a new NCISAA all-classes state record at the 2018 3A state championship meet with a discus throw of 130'-8. A four-year honor roll student, Walters helped the Warriors win four cross country conference championships and four track and field conference championships.
A native of Miami, Fla., Victoria Farinas ran sprints for the Falcons at John A. Ferguson High School. She holds the school record in the 100m and 200m events. She won the 100m district championship in 2021 and was the runner-up in the 200m. Farinas was named to the 2021 Superior Honor Roll and earned the Academy Completer award.
Transfer student-athlete Margaret Gardella attend Azusa Pacific University in 2019-20. She graduated from St. Lucy's Priory High School in 2019 where she set personal best times in the 100m (12.48) and the 200m (26.03). In the spring of 2020, Gardella finished sixth in the 4x100m relay at the Beach Opener, and seventh at the Ross Relays in the 100m dash.
A sprinter from Littleton, Colo., Alyssa Lopez competed in swimming and track for the Eagles at Heritage High School. She was named Academic All-State First Team in 2021 for track and field and earned the award three times for the swimming program. Lopez qualified for the state championship meet, finishing ninth in the 400m dash while anchoring the 800m sprint relay and the 4x400m medley relay teams. She won the 400m and the 800m sprint medley relay at the Continental League Championships and anchored the 4x400m relay team that wont the Liberty Bell Invitational. Lopez, who graduated in 2021 with High Honors, was part of the 2021 4A state championship team in swimming and diving. She was named to the Honor Roll all four years and is a four-year academic letterwinner.
Lizzie Waters joins the Mountain Lions from the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she competed the past two seasons. She is ranked in the top-10 at UW in the 400m hurdles (1:03.12) while finishing fifth in the event at the Big West Championships. From Englewood, Colo., Waters earned Academic All-Big West in 2021 and earned the 2020 UH Scholar-Athlete Award. She helped Valor High School win two consecutive 5A state championship titles.
A 2021 graduate of Fountain-Fort Carson High School, Marketa Draper graduated from FFCHS with a 3.94 GPA. A three-year letterwinner in track and field as a sprinter, Draper earned the CHSAA Participant Award and the Track and Field Baton Award. She helped the Trojans win the Colorado Springs Metro League 5A Track and Field Championship and qualified for state in 2018, 2019 and 2021. She was named to the honor roll six teams and the high honor roll twice.
Anna Fauske, who signed a National Letter of Intent with the Mountain Lions, hails from Sherwood, Wis. A soon-to-be graduate of Kaukauna High School, Fauske is a four-time individual cross country sectional champion and state qualifier. She is a three-time medalist at the state cross country championships and three-time medalist at the state track championships in the 1600m (PR: 4:56.56) and 3200m (PR: 10:54.14) events. She finished 14
th overall at the Nike Cross Nationals Heartland Regional and owns a personal best 5K time of 17:59.90. Fauske has earned all-state honors three times in cross country and is a three-time Fox Valley Association Conference Champion. She helped the Galloping Ghosts to the 2020 Fox Valley Association Conference championship, the 2020 sectional championship and the Division I state championship titles after an undefeated 10-win season. She is also a four-time Academic High Honors student.
A native of Boerne, Texas, Molly Breuer finished 18
th overall at the UIL Texas 5A state cross country meet this past fall with a time of 18:24 in the 5K race. She was part of the team that won the 5A state championship in 2019 and 2020. Selected to the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Legacy Team, Breuer also competes in track and field and swimming. A top-10 regional finisher at the 2017 and 2020 meets, Breuer helped the Champion High School team to the 2017, 2018 and 2019 UIL Region IV cross country championship titles. A member of the National Honor Society and an honor roll student, Breuer was named to the 2020 Texas High School Coaches Association Academic All-State team.
From Highland High School in Gilbert, Ariz., Emma Finchum is a four-time varsity letterwinner in cross country and a three-time letterwinner track and field. She owns personal best times in the 3200m (11:09.99), 1600m (5:14.90), and the 5K (18:56.98). In 2019 and 2020, Finchum and the Hawks won the sectional meets each year and were the Division I cross country state championship runners-up. She earned the Golden Scholar award three times and was named to the AIA All-Academic team three times.
Madilyn Moore will join the Mountain Lions program from Lake St. Louis, Mo. An all-conference performer all four years, Moore helped the Timberland Wolves to the 2018 GAC Central Conference cross country championship, and to the 2018 and 2019 GAC Central Conference track championship titles. She owns personal best times in the, 1600m (5:21) and 5K (19:22). Moore is an all-academic and Principals Honor Roll student four times.
Chris Hudnall (Gulfport, Miss.) transfers in from Indian Hills Community College where he was regional runner-up and national qualifier in the 60m hurdles. Earning an Associates degree in Arts & Sciences, Hudnall was also a member of the LGBTQ Club at IHCC. A 2019 graduate of Harrison Central High School, Hudnall was a four-time all-state nominee and helped the Rebels to three state champions as he notched the 60m hurdles all-around state record.
Joining the Mountain Lions as a sprints and jumps student-athlete is Peterson Bohannon (Yakima, Wash.). The 2018 La Salle High School graduate posted PRs of 22' in the long jump, 48.71s in the 400m, and 11.44s in the 100m. The three-time academic honor roll selection also added two state championships in the 400m and one state championship in the 200m. Coming over as a transfer from the University of Montana, Bohannon registered PRs of 10.94w in the 100m and 24' 0.75" (7.33m) in the long jump during his time as a Grizzly Bear.
From Anchorage, Alaska, Daryon Wilson is a 2021 graduate of Mitchell High School. A two-sport athlete in track & field and basketball, Wilson has made two state appearances with a qualifying time in the 4x200m in 2019 and a 2021 qualifying mark in the long jump. Wilson worked his way to an all-league second team selection and was voted Mitchell High School's Athlete of the Year.
Transferring from the University of Findlay, sprinter Michael Nichols comes to UCCS as a Great Midwest Athletic Conference Indoor Champion in 2020. Posting PRs in the 60m (6.97s), 100m (10.83s), 200m (22.19s), and the 4x100m (40.76s), Nichols went on to collect all-region in the 4x100m while also notching the seventh fastest 100m time in program history. In addition to being a track & field student-athlete at Findlay, Nichols was also involved in the Black Student Union. Before becoming an NCAA Division II student-athlete, Nichols graduated from Ottawa Hills High school in 2019 where he helped the Green Bears to a conference and district championship in 2019. His impressive speed led him to break the school record in both the 100m and the 200m and resulted in a two-time All-Ohio, all-region, all-district, all-conference, and conference MVP selections. Nichols also ran to back-to-back years of state qualifying times in both the 100m and 200m in 2018 and 2019, and added a third state qualifying time in the 4x100m in 2019. Off the track, Nichols stayed active at Ottawa Hills by being a member of the French Club and Gay Straight Alliance (GSA).
Asend Ashby (Denver, Colo.) is set to rep the black and gold as a 2021 home school graduate who competed at Thomas Jefferson High School. As a three-sport athlete with Spartans, Ashby competed in basketball, football, and track & field where he helped Thomas Jefferson claim their first 4A football state championship title in over 36 years. Ashby and the Spartans kept the championships rolling in by winning a regional football championship in 2021 and regional basketball championship in 2020. Through these team accolades, Ashby went on to earn most improved athlete in all three sports while also earning Player of the Game in three separate occasions for football. The 2021 all-conference second team selection showed his leadership and volunteer efforts by being selected as a Co-Captain for the basketball team in 2020 and being a volunteer/team member for the Red Cross Blood Drive.
A native of North Platte, Neb., Jahmani Sterling comes to UCCS as a two-time varsity letterwinner in both football and track & field. Sterling graduated from North Platte High School in 2021 where he and the Bulldogs ended a 32-year championship drought by winning the track & field conference championship in 2019. On the gridiron, Sterling helped the 2020 North Platte High School football team make their first playoff appearance in 18 years. Outside of athletics, Sterling was also involved in the FFA and was a member in the Poetry Club.
Providing more depth in the hurdles and sprints is 2021 Vista Ridge High School graduate Khalif Ruffin Harrington. A native of Minneapolis, Minn., Ruffin Harrington is a two-time all-conference athlete who has posted PRs in the 200m (22.89s), 110m hurdles (14.98s), 300m hurdles (39.85s), and 400m (51.5s). His stellar speed led him to becoming a Georgia Games Champion as he and Vista Ridge also claimed their first conference championship in school history in 2018.
Also set to join the Mountain Lions is the brother of Jahmani and fellow 2021 North Platte High School graduate Kymani Sterling. A runner-up in the 400m at the 2019 state finals, Sterling competed in both track and football where he earned two varsity letters in each sport. After taking silver in the 400m at the 2019 state meet, Sterling and the Bulldogs earned their first conference championship in 32 years. He then played alongside his brother on the football field in 2020 where the team made their first football playoff appearance in 18 years. In addition to being a football and track & field athlete, Sterling was also a member of the choir and the Blue and Gold Singers.
A junior college transfer from Lane Community College, St. Helens, Ore. Native Sawyer Christopher makes his way to UCCS as a two-time state champion in the javelin. The 2018 Lincoln High School graduate registered two high school records on top of his state championship titles as he went on to experience similar success at LCC. With the Titans, Christopher placed first in the javelin at the NWAC Championships as he recorded the second-best throw in school history with a heave of 220' 8" (67.26m).
Eagle, Idaho native Jarell Lucas represents one of three men's thrower in the recruiting class as a 2021 graduate from Rocky Mountain High School. With PRs of 172' 11" in the discus and 52' 11" in the shot put, Lucas established himself as the No. 6 ranked throws athlete in the nation for the class of 2021 during the 2019 season. In the same year, Lucas threw his way to a fourth place finish in the discus and third place finish in the shot put during the Idaho 5A State Meet. He then added a first place finish in both the Pasco National Invitation Meet and Idaho SIC District Meet. Lucas' success resulted in two all-state honors, as well as two all-conference selections.
A sprinter from Los Angeles, Calif. Josh Thorn signs with the Mountain Lions as a state champion from Valor Christian High School. The 2019 state champion helped the Eagles obtain a JEFFCO League Championship in 2021 as he bested the field of competition by being crowned the 100m league champion and scoring the most individual points at league championships. Thorn earned a varsity letter all four years at Valor Christian where he posted PRs of 7.10s in the 60m, 11.05s in the 100m, and 22.37s in the 200m. After claiming a JEFFCO Leage Championship in 2021, Thorn competed at the state meet where he qualified in four different events including 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x200m relay. Not only did Thorn shine on the track but he also shined in the classroom by earning all-state academic honorable mention.
Hometown native Mitch Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) adds to the Mountain Lions' throws arsenal as a state champion in the discus. The 2021 TCA (The Classical Academy) graduate is a four-time varsity letterwinner who added to his gold medal finish at state by claiming his second podium finish with a bronze finish in the shotput. From the track to the classroom, Anderson excelled by becoming a member of the National Honor Society and earning honorable mention for academics.
Hailing from Cedar Hill, Texas, sprinter Terrence Ratcliff joins UCCS Track & Field after signing his National Letter of Intent. Ratcliff competed for Life High School Waxahachie where he lettered three times and qualified for districts in 2021. In the 300m hurdles and 110m hurdles, Ratcliff registered PRs of 10.95s and 15.47s respectively. Off the track Ratcliff stayed heavily involved in extra curriculars as he served as a member in the National Honor Society.
A product of Air Academy High School,
Drew Braden competed on the varsity squad for the Kadets the past two seasons, helping the team to a second-place finish at the 2020 state championship. He earned All-PPAC Honorable Mention and Academic All-State accolades while being named to the Merit Roll three times. He owns a personal best 5K time of 16:19 and a 1600m time of 4:26. Prior to competing at AAHS, Braden attended Cattaraugus-Little Valley High School in 2017-2018.
Jack Donze ran for the Mustangs of Ralston Valley High School where he lettered three times in cross country and three times in track and field. Donze was named 5A All-State Honorable Mention in 2020, All-Jeffco 5A First Team in 2020, and All-Jeffco Second Team in 2018 and 2019. He helped the Mustangs finish sixth overall at the 2020 state cross country meet, making it the highest finish at the state meet in program history. An Honor Roll student, Donze has earned six academic awards and named Outstanding Academic Athlete three times.
A recent graduate of Red Mountain High School,
Joseph Hamilton was named All-City Second Team three times and qualified for the state meet three times, including a program best fourth place finish at the 2020 state meet. He was awarded the "Iron Man" award for never missing a practice or a race in high school. On the track, Hamilton qualified for four events as a sophomore and again as a senior. He was part of the 2021 Division I 6A state championship 4x800m relay team. In the classroom, he was an academic letterwinner all four years and earned a 4.389 weighted GPA, graduating 28
th overall in his class.
Cody Klingelhoffer joins the men's cross country program from Tumwater High School in Washington. He guided the T-Birds to four cross country league championships, one track and field league title and a district championship in track and field. He earned all-conference all four years in cross country and one all-conference award in track and field. Klingelhoffer owns personal best times in the 1600m (4:28), 800m (2:02) and 400m (54.61).
A 2021 graduate of Kaneland High School,
Parker Malone ran a 16:12 three-mile race as a junior. He garnered All-Conference honors in 2019 and 2020, All-Area in 2020, All-Area Honorable Mention in 2019, and Academic All-Conference in 2019 and 2020. As a junior in 2019, Malone and the Knights won the 2A state championship title.
A four-time Honor Roll student at Rampart High School and a member of the Dean's List three times,
Will Parsons was part of the Rams program that won three PPAC 5A championships in 2017, 2018 and 2020, while finishing third at the state meet in 2017.
Nick Pascarella earned four cross country letters for the Fighting Quakers at Quaker Valley High School and was a two-time letterwinner in track and field. A team captain for both programs his senior season, Pascarella qualified for the cross country conference meet three times. He holds a personal best time of 16:21 in the 5K, 4:28 in the 1600m and 2:03 in the 800m. He helped QVHS to second place finishes in 2018 and 2020 at the sectional meet.
Scott Prieve finished his senior season at William J. Palmer High School with a first-place finish at the CSML South 4A meet, a first place finish at the 4A Region 2 meet, and an eighth place finish at the 4A state championship meet, crossing the finish line in 15:51. A four-year letterwinner in cross country and track and field, Prieve was named the team's MVP in 2020 as well as All-CSML South First Team, 2020 CHSAA 4A All-State First Team, and Gazette Preps Cross Country All-Star first place. He and the Terrors finished ninth at the 2020 4A state meet and seventh at the same meet in 2019. An Academic All-State First Team selection, Prieve maintained a 4.00 GPA throughout high school.
Joshua Spinner graduated from West Liberty Salem in 2021. A four-time varsity student-athlete for cross country and track and field, he attended Mechanicsburg High School as a freshman and sophomore. Spinner earned all-conference accolades four times and was twice named a scholar-athlete and the team's MVP. He was part of four conference championships during his prep career and four state appearances, while also being part of the 4x800 relay team in 2021 that set a new conference record. Spinner holds personal best times of 16:40 in the 5K, 4:39 in the 1600m, and 2:03 in the 800m. He was named to the honor roll four times and ranked seventh overall in his graduating class.
From Highland High School in Gilbert, Ariz.,
Jagger Zlotoff was part of the Hawks AIA Division I state championship team in 2019 and the third-place team in 2020. A four-year letterwinner, he finished 17
th overall as an individual at the state meet in 2019. As a senior on the track and field team, he finished fourth in the 1600m run at the state championship meet, as well as eighth in the 3200m run and ninth in the 800m run. Zlotoff, who was named a Golden Scholar four times, owns personal best times of 16:15 in the 5K, 16:31 in the 3-mile, 9:46 in the 3200m and 4:23 in the 1600m.
To keep up with everything UCCS Track & Field and UCCS Athletics, stay tuned to gomountainlions.com and follow the Mountain Lions on social media.
SOCIAL
Twitter – @UCCSTRACK / @GoMountainLions
Instagram – @uccstrackandfield / @gomountainlions
Facebook – GoMountainLions
