Columbia University Track and Field Recruiting Class of 2024

• Below you will find a partial listing of the Columbia University Track and Field Recruiting Class of 2024.

• Fast Track Recruiting has now placed over 10 track and field athletes at Columbia over the past four years.

• FTR Founder Willy Wood was the Head Coach of Columbia from 1994-2014.

WOMEN

Caroline Adams - 4:57.18 / 10:53.69

Kylie Castillo - 24.88 / 55.43

Lily Cregan- 140'2" - (HAMMER)

Rafaela Drake - 17' 2" / 38'10"

Sofia Fenton - 7:07.00 - 2000m Steeple Chase

Scarlett Martin - 4:58.56 / 10:51.91

FTR RECRUIT AVA MOSTYN - 12.39 / 25.89

Sean O'Brien - 12.11 / 25.34

Murray, Olivia - 5:05.41 / 11:01.02

Landon Rehg - 55.56 / 2:12.90

Josie Rempe - 12.24 / 24.79 / 44.70 (300H) / 18' 8"

Isabella Shertzer - 2:12.44

Ava Thomas - 5:04.63 / 10:43.86

MEN

Ralph Brown - 4:21.25 / 9:27.40

Rocco Carpinello - 22' 9" / 47'11"

Anthony Colucci - 172'2 (HAMMER) / 67'6" (WT)

Caden Cutchall - 49.59 / 1:56.22

Sid Karthodi - 10.80 / 22.17

Henry Koike-Sieira, - 9:05.21

Ryan SOn - 8:36.17 (3000m)

Nate West - 55' 2" (SP), 57'6" (WT)

Liam Wright 15'6"

How MIT Became An NCAA DIII Cross Country Powerhouse

By Tim Casey

Riley Macon often has trouble keeping track of all the inquiries. Each year, the MIT distance and cross country coach receives dozens of emails from high schoolers interested in joining the team and attending the school.

Who can blame them? MIT has a top-tier NCAA Division III program. More than that, it is a world-renowned university that's second in the U.S. News & World Report's most recent rankings of U.S. colleges.

It is considered the top college anywhere for people who want to pursue a career in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Macon understands he's in a fortunate position -- in that he doesn't really have to sell anyone on the merits of an MIT degree.

The hard part, though, is getting kids admitted.

Macon says MIT doesn't give much preferential treatment, if any, to athletes. He doesn't know who will be attending until the admissions department makes its decisions in mid-December for those who apply early action and mid-March for those who apply regular action.

Despite that uncertainty, MIT has been able to field competitive teams on a national level for the past 15 years. That success began under Halston Taylor, who was head coach from 2007 to 2020, and then continued with Macon, who is now in his third year.

This past fall the men placed 8th and the women 11th at the NCAA Division III Championships. All of the athletes on both rosters have made it through a grueling process just to attend the school. Most MIT students have a score of at least 780 (out of 800) on the SAT math section and/or scores of at least 35 (out of 36) on the ACT math and science sections. They almost always have straight As in high school, too, according to Macon.

"Even if you have all that, you could be perfect on everything and still not get admitted," Macon said. "What MIT is trying to do is they're not trying to admit one particular type of student or one particular person. They're trying to admit a class that's very diverse from each other or within itself. It's hard to tell exactly who's going to get in and who's not."

Macon admits it's sometimes difficult when talking to recruits or their parents who want to gauge their chances of getting admitted. Prospective athletes every year choose to pursue other schools where they know they can attend by early in their senior year of high school.

Still, the pros outweigh any potential cons.

"The upside from the coaching perspective, as much as I wish I could give anyone any sort of guarantee, it's we tend to have recruiting classes and bring in people on our team that are not risk averse," Macon said. "They took the risk of applying to MIT, where there's no guarantee. It's like, they're going to take chances for what they want. That, I think, is a huge benefit athletically. In a race, sort of betting on yourself is a very important attribute. It's hard to get in, it's hard to get recruits to take the chance, but for those that do, it's a great fit."

"We're blessed at MIT with the name recognition -- we can get some talented runners," Macon said. "In a lot of ways, the younger women on this team are really well equipped to handle the ins and outs of the season, manage the stresses that go on with good days and bad days. All they have to learn is managing the chaos of a national meet because it is just a chaotic meet. So much of performing well at that national meet is how can you manage that chaos emotionally. That's what's going to be the biggest goal for this meet."

Stanford Track and Field Recruiting Class of 2024 - To Date

Stanford strengthened its track and field and cross-country programs by signing five to letters of intent during the initial signing period.

Those who signed National Letters of Intent itisally are: FTR ALUM Ashlyn Boothby (Scotts Valley, Calif./Scotts Valley HS), Josh Bell (Atascadero, Calif./Templeton HS), Paul Bergeron (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy), Byron Grevious (Southport, Conn./Phillips Exeter Academy), and Patrick Koon (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon HS).

FTR ALUM Ashlyn Boothby (Scotts Valley, Calif./Scotts Valley HS)

Personal bests: 1,600 – 4:39.45; 800 – 2:09.03; 3,200 – 10:26.12.

No. 2 in the 1,600 meters nationally in the class of '24. Placed second in 1,600 at the 2023 California state championships in 4:39.45. The time was a CIF-Central Coast Section record that surpassed a time held by current U.S. 1,500 record-holder Nikki Hiltz. Fourth in the 800 at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals in 2:09.03. Winner of three CCS Division IV and four Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League cross-country titles.

Josh Bell (Atascadero, Calif./Templeton HS)

Personal bests: 3,200 – 8:55.52; 1,600 – 4:11.25.

19th at 2022 Champ Sports (now FootLocker) National Cross Country Championships. 2023 California Division 3 Cross Country Championships runner-up. Sixth in 3,200 at 2023 California State Track and Field Championships. Six-time CIF-Central Section Division 3 champion – three in cross country, three in track. Second in 3,200 at 2023 CIF-Central Section Masters Meet. Seventh in 5,000 at 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals.

Paul Bergeron (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy)

Personal bests: Two-mile – 8:51.88; Mile – 4:10.62.

Ran the nation's third-fastest outdoor two-mile (8:51.88) in his class, in 2023. Two-time FootLocker (formerly Champ Sports) National Cross Country Championships qualifier. 2023 Massachusetts All-State cross-country champion for the Ghosts. 15th at 2022 Champ Sports National Cross Country Championships. Two-time third-place at FootLocker (formerly Champ Sports) Northeast Cross Country Regional. 11th-best high school outdoor two-mile time in the nation in 2023 (8:51.88). Two-time Massachusetts Division 1 cross-country champion.

Byron Grevious (Southport, Conn./Phillips Exeter Academy)

Personal bests: 5,000 – 14:04.44; Two-mile – 8:51.00.

2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals 5,000 champion. 2023 Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional cross-country champion. Ran the fastest outdoor 5,000 in his class in 2023, in a New England high school record of 14:04.44. Fifth-fastest 5,000 among all high schoolers indoors and outdoors in 2023. Sixth in two-mile at 2023 New Balance Indoor Nationals in 8:51.00. That time was second-fastest in his class indoors in 2023. 12th at 2022 Nike Cross Nationals. Six-time New England Preparatory School Track Association Division 1 champion Holds NEPSTA all-division records in the 1,500 and 3,000.

Patrick Koon (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon HS)

Personal bests: 3,200 – 8:44.95; 5,000 – 14:11.92.

2023 FootLocker South Region cross country champion. Undefeated in cross country in 2023 going into FootLocker National Championships. Fourth in 5,000 at 2023 New Balance Indoor Nationals. Two-time FootLocker National Cross-Country Championships qualifier. Three-time Florida 3A cross-country champion. Two-time Florida 3A 3,200 champ. Second-fastest 3,200 nationally in his class in 2023 (8:44.95). Florida's 2022 Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year. 2023 Florida 3A 1,600 runner-up

Ivy League Track & FIeld: Why Sophia Gorriaran Chose Harvard

Ivy League Track And Field Recruiting

Last year, then senior Sophia Gorriaran chose Harvrad. Gorriaran narrowed her final five choices down to two, picking between the Texas Longhorns and the Harvard Crimson.

"I have decided on Harvard University," she told MileSplit. "I thought ultimately the location, the coaches, the team itself, from the academic standpoint and just the whole environment there, I thought that would be the best option for me."

Harvard has an indoor facility, too -- the Gordon Indoor Track -- and plenty of history, with Gabby Thomas, a 2019 graduate, earning a bronze at 200 meters at the Tokyo Olympics.

But athletics were not Gorriaran's sole focus, either.

With plans to earn a degree from one of the country's most prestigious universities, Gorriaran, MileSplit's third-ranked recruit in the Class of 2023, has focuses beyond the track. Ultimately, she wanted the best of both worlds.

"I think the combination between the academic piece and athletic piece narrowed it down for me," she said. "The combination at both of those schools would have been the best fit for me personally and to like grow as a person and an athlete. I like the environment for both schools, even though they're both different."

At Harvard, there are obvious pipelines to success in various fields of academics. But on the track, Gorriaran also has intentions of one day turning professional and running at the Olympics. She has hopes of training and competing with the best in the world.

The holder of a world U18 and U20 record in the outdoor 600m and another in the U18 category for the indoor 800m, those races place Gorriaran in elite company. She's run a lifetime best of 2:00.58 indoors, which places her second all-time; it's also a junior class record. She was the youngest female to ever run at the Olympic Trials in 2021 -- managing to do so when she was just 15, a few days shy of her birthday.

Over the recruiting process, she said, Harvard met eye-to-eye with her and her family on details surrounding her potential development over the next few years. She credited the coaches at Harvard -- Jason Saretsky, Alex Gibby, Kathy Newburry, among others -- as being communicative and helpful over the recruiting process.

"I think they played a pretty big role in my decision," she said. "I think Harvard was willing to give me a lot of individualized attention and put what's best for me definitely in the equation.

"I think just the individualized attention, the willingness to work with me and hearing what I had to say, was a big part of it."

Another part of the 17-year-old's choice was having quality infrastructure around her. She will be roughly an hour from her home of Providence, Rhode Island, and a few minutes from her brother, Max, who attends Boston University.

This also couldn't be discounted: Gorriaran felt like she could build a sisterhood with the Crimson.

After seeing the bond her sister Natasha formed with her University of Pennsylvania lacrosse teammates, Sophia felt like that was a priority in her choice, too.

"I just loved how they were really tight and they were really nice to each other and friends, which I loved," she said. "The distance girls and the sprint girls and the jumps girls were tight. I loved that about Harvard."

"I've been running since I was 3.5 or four," she said. "It's always been something that I've always loved. I love the challenge and competing against people. Honestly, whatever sport it is, I just love competing."

University of Missouri Track and Field Recruiting Class of 2024

University of Missouri Track and Field and Cross Country signed 17 future student-athletes to its 2024 recruiting class, head coach Brett Halter announced on Wednesday.

The Tigers class features 21 individual state titles and two state records throughout Missouri, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Kansas, Texas, and New Zealand

"Our staff and team have done terrific work in recruiting like-minded student-athletes who are hungry to push Mizzou into championship contention in the coming years," Halter said. "The quality of the student-athletes who have signed is only exceeded by their respective character and leadership qualities. Each will make an immediate impact for the Tigers next season."

Men:

Joseph Bariola Hot Springs, Arkansas | Lakeside High School

• 1600m: 4:09.99, 3200m: 9:06.15, 5000m: 15:14.30

Ryan Eddington Downers Grove, IL | Downers Grove North High School

• 800m: 1:52.84, 1600m: 4:07.91, 3-Mile: 14:35.80

Louie Endres Hamilton, New Zealand | Hillcrest High School

• 2000mS: 5:55.35, 5000m XC: 14:54.68

Sam Golla Houston, Texas | Clear Lake High School

• 3200m: 9:09.94, 5000m XC: 15:02.80

River Hardman Russellville, Arkansas | Russellville High School

• 800m: 1:51.52 | 1600m: 4:14.38

Kannon Harlow Central (Park Hills) High School | Park Hills, Missouri

• Pole Vault: 15'1", Long Jump: 21'10", 100m: 11.09

Andrew Hauser Columbia, MO | Rock Bridge High School

• 1600m: 4:10.61, 3200m: 8:58.72, 5000m: 14:38.15

Jamie Mora Auckland, New Zealand | Auckland Grammar School

• 3000m: 8:25.01, 5000m: 14:37.70

Carter Spradling Clovis, California | Clovis East High School

• 1600m: 4:07.64, 3200m: 8:50.79, 3-Mile: 14:07.00

Women:

Natalie Barnard Wildwood, MO | Lafayette High School

• 1600m: 4:54.81, 3200m: 10:35.60, 5000m: 16:53.30

Abbey Brackenbury Blue Spring, MO | Blue Springs High School

• 1600m: 5:06.24, 3200m: 10:59.96, 5000m: 17:52.30

Charlotte Cullen Mead, Washington | Mead Senior High School

• 800m: 2:11.59, 1600m: 4:53.70, 5000m: 17:56.50

Anna Ferguson Columbia, MO | Battle High School

• Pole Vault: 11'9.25

Val Galligan Olathe, Kansas | Olathe Northwest High School

• Javelin: 153' 1"

Lily Ginsberg Mt. Prospect, Illinois | Mt. Prospect High School

• 800m: 2:11.65, 1600m: 4:57.73, 5000m: 17:40.80

Brooke Sawatsky Naperville, Illinois | Naperville Central High School

• Triple Jump: 38-0.75, Long Jump: 17-10.5

Hannah Stuart Canyon, Texas | Canyon High School

• 1600m: 4:54.28, 3200m: 10:30.12

Rutgers University Track & FIeld Recruiting Class of 2023

College Track and Field Recruiting

Rutgers track and field unveiled its 2023 recruiting class as the newest group of Scarlet Knights brings with it game-changing talent and continued high-level depth. The program is coming off record-setting performances at the Big Ten Championships and a streak of NCAA Championship qualifiers.

"I am very excited to announce our incoming class of 2023-2024," said Bobby Farrell, director of track & field and cross country. "This is easily one of the most talented recruiting classes in school history.

"The sprint/hurdle recruiting class boasts some of the fastest sprinters in New Jersey history. We have high expectations for the future of that group. The jumps program has been fortified with multiple state champions and some key additions in areas of need. The throws unit continued to build Big Ten talent depth across all the events and the distance squad has signed its most competitive class with multiple state champions and top ranked New Jersey athletes."

The men's side added 22 newcomers, while the women's program added 21 Scarlet Knights to its roster. Rutgers track and field is coming off an indoor season that included a school record five Big Ten Champions and a total of eight medalists at the conference meet. The squad also sent three to the 2023 Indoor Track and Field Championships with each representative earning second team All-America honors. RU capped off the outdoor season with an individual Big Ten championship, tied a school record with 19 NCAA East Preliminary Round qualifiers and advanced two Scarlet Knights to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

"Over the last two years since forming this coaching staff, we have welcomed over 86 new athletes into the program," Farrell added. "Now our returning upperclassmen, who comprise multiple Big Ten champions and All-Americans will lead these first and second-year Scarlet Knights into a new era of Rutgers cross country and track and field.

MEN'S SQUAD

SPRINTS

Chiemelie Anosike (East Brunswick High School) PRs: 110mH - 14.32, 400mH - 54.36

Jahmere Beasley (Sterlin High School/Rowan) PRs: 200m - 20.91; 400m - 47.86; 100m - 10.63 Division III All-American

Lathan Brown (Deptford High School) PRs: 400mH - 52.65; 400m - 48.76; 800m - 1:56.42

Wesley Noble (Bishop Loughlin High School) PRs: 400m - 47.14; 600m - 1:18.35 USA #3 (600m) Four-time New York State Champion

Bryce Tucker (Pennsauken High School) PRs: 400mH - 50.96; 110mH - 13.87; 400m - 47.50 US #1 (400mH), NJ #1 (400mH) Three-time New Jersey MOC Champion 400m Hurdles U20 Pan American Champion – 400IH

Shamali Whittle (Nottingham High School/Georgia) PRs: 200m - 20.55; 100m - 10.48; 400m - 47.85, 110mH - 13.86 New Jersey State Record Holder (200m), National Champion, NJ MOC Champion

JUMPS

Donovan Anderson – (Bergenfield High School/ESU) PRs: Long Jump - 7.63m/25' 0.5"; Triple Jump - 15.15m/49"8.5" Two-time All American

Noah Kriesman (C(herry Hill East High School/Rider) PRs: Pole Vault - 15' 7"

Brian O'Sullivan (Hillsborough High School) PRs: Pole Vault - 16' 6" New Jersey State Champion

THROWS

Carlos Bermudez (Ridgewood High School) PR: Discus - 186' 9" NJ #3 (Discus)

Dylan Powell (Hackensack High School/Saint Peter's) PRs: Hammer Throw - 55.21m/181' 2"; Weight Throw - 16.35m/53' 7.75

DISTANCE

Marty Brophy (Princeton High School) PRs: 1600m - 4:18.18; 5K XC - 15:50.60

Damani Brown (Rahway High School) PRs: 1600m - 4:20.40; 800m - 1:54.55; 5K XC - 15:57.32

Hisham Ettayebi (Clifton High School) PRs: 1600m - 4:20.90; 3200m - 9:25.60; 5K XC - 16:16

Micah Lawson (Rahway High School) PRs: Mile - 4:11.58; 3200m - 9:11.97; 800m - 1:53.31 2022 New Jersey Cross Country Gatorade Player of the Year New Jersey MOC Triple Crown Winner 2022-23 (XC, Indoor 1600, Outdoor 1600)

Sean Matthews (Wayne Valley High School) PRs: 1600m - 4:22.57; 3200m - 9:22.85

Gabriel Rodriguez (Union High School) PRs: 800m - 1:50.82; 400m - 48.77 New Jersey MOC 800m Champion 2023

Johnny Scalia (Westfield High School) PRs: 800m - 1:54.50 State Sectional Champion 800m Outdoor 2023

Chris Shay (Middletown South High School) PRs: 3200m - 9:21.03; 1600m - 4:25.72; 5K XC - 15:37.28 State Sectional Champion Cross Country 2022

Brandon Sinclair (Metuchen High School) PRs: 800m - 1:55.07 Group 2 Champion 800m Outdoor 2022

Ryan Smith (Rancocas Valley High School) PRs: 1600m - 4:19.25; 3200m - 9:26.71; 5K XC - 16:02.57

Mark Viggiano (Ocean High School) PRs: 800m - 1:51.52; 1600m - 4:20.33 Two-time Group 2 Champion 800m Five-time State Sectional Champion

WOMEN'S SQUAD

SPRINTS

Cynthia Boakye (Elizabeth High School) PRs: 200m - 23.98; 400m - 54.71; 100m - 11.78 New Jersey MOC Champion (200m) NJ #1 (200m), NJ #2 (100m), NJ #2 (400m)

Anabella Chin (Rancocas Valley High School/Saint Joseph's) PRs: 400mH - 1:01.13, 100mH - 14.29 Saint Joseph's 100mH record holder

Nyjae Shipley (Rahway High School) PRs: 100mH - 14.27

Arianna Smith (Pennsville High School/ Princeton) PRs: 400mH - 57.84; 100mH - 13.73; 400m - 54.74 Princeton 400mH record holder NCAA Qualifier, Ivy League Scorer

JUMPS

Ayotunde Folawewo (Toms River High School) PRs: Triple Jump - 39' 0.5"; 55mH - 8.46, 100mH - 14.97 State Group Champion Triple Jump

Emma Keating (Pompton Lakes High School) PRs: 13' 0" Three-time NJ State Champion

Jenovia Logan (Sterling High School) PRs: High Jump - 5' 6"; Triple Jump - 37' 11.5"; Long Jump - 17' 10" State Group Champion High Jump 2022 State Sectional Champion Triple Jump 2023

Emily Rogers (Freehold Township High School) PRs: 11' 6"

Kiyanni Simas (Milford High School) PRs: Long Jump - 19' 1"; 55m - 7.19; 100m - 12.20 Three-time MA State Champion Two-time All-American

Alexis Willis (Stuart W. Cramer) PRs: Long Jump - 19' 1"; Triple Jump - 39' 4" Five-time State Champions (3 Triple Jump 2 LJ) 2x All American 6th Place Finished Outdoor Nationals

THROWS

Ciara Demarest (Williamstown High School) PRs: Shot - 44'8"; Discus - 134' 11" NJ #2

Anna Barber (Elmwood High School) PRs: Weight Throw, 49' 4"; Hammer - 152' 1"; Discus - 130' 7" Two-time Ohio State Champion

Talia Lemyre (Seneca High School)

DISTANCE

Rylee Ferretti (New Dorp High School) PRs: 5000m - 17:00.32; 3000m - 9:57.23 5K NB Indoor All-American 2023

Ava Wilmot (Colts Neck High School) PRs: 3200m - 10:55.92; 1600m - 5:00.62; 2K Steeplechase - 7:07.65 2K Steeplechase All-American 2022

Megan Donleive (Shore Regional High School) PRs: 1600m - 5:02.13; 5K XC - 18:19.78 Four-time Group 1 Champion 10-time State Sectional Champion

Jenai Berry (Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School) PRs: 800m - 2:11.23; 400m - 56.88 Three-time State Sectional Champion

Paige Boyce (North Hunterdon High School) PRs: 1600m - 4:59.60; 800m - 2:17.44; 5K XC - 18:51.95 Group 3 Champion - 1600m Indoor 2023

Lillie Widmer (Delsea High School) PRs: 3200m - 10:39.88; 1600m - 5:04.75 Four-time State Sectional Champion

Lorena David (Bridgewater High School) PRs: 3200m - 11:13.89; 5K XC - 19:17.14

Robin Roth (Princeton High School) PRs: 3200m - 11:17.07