Huskers Add Six to 2006-07 Track Signing Class

Lincoln ? Nebraska has added six athletes to its 2007 spring recruiting class, Head Coach Gary Pepin announced Thursday. The six additions bring NU’s total number of 2006-07 signees to 19 athletes, including nine women and 10 men.

“This overall class includes a wide assortment of athletes,” Pepin said. “Some certainly have potential, but they will have to work very hard to develop that future talent, while others, like Lehann Fourie, should be able to contribute right away once they step on campus.”

Two more home-grown products signed with the Huskers during the late period to bring this season’s total number of in-state signees to eight.

“We are really pleased that those prospects chose Nebraska,” Pepin added. “It is always good to be able to lock down the best athletes in your home state."

Leading the men’s late signees is Fremont, Neb., native Tyler Hitchler, who currently ranks third among all U.S. prep athletes in the discus with his personal-best mark of 201-6 recorded on March 28. The throw is the No. 2 all-time performance in Nebraska high school history. Hitchler, who will attempt to win his first career Nebraska state title this weekend at Omaha Burke Stadium, also has a chance to break the state meet record.

Omaha native Todd Gulizia also signed with the Huskers and will join fellow spring signee Mikel Thomas (Clovis, Calif.) and three earlier men’s distance signees in the fall of 2007 on both the track and the cross country course.

Gulizia won the Nebraska Class A state cross country title for MillardSouthHigh School last fall and has recorded top times of 4:18.0 and 9:21.50 on the track to top the state charts in both events this season. He will look to claim his first career state titles this weekend at the Nebraska Class A state meet following respective finishes of fourth and second as a junior in 2006.

Thomas, who has recorded times of 4:14.86 and 8:59.81 for the two events, won his own state cross country state title last fall at the California Div. II state meet. He placed fourth at the 2006 California state meet in the 3,200 and currently ranks fourth this season in the state with his season best of 9:08.34.

Nebraska added a second international athlete to its 2006-07 recruiting class with the signing of sprinter/hurdler Lehann Fourie (Pretoria, South Africa). Fourie, who boasts personal-best times of 10.84 (100 meters), 21.56 (200 meters) and 13.91 (110-meter hurdles), will become the third South Africa native on NU’s roster after joining current Huskers Peter van der Westhuizen and Erwin Schmidt. He competed for South Africa at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, China, and should make an instant impact for the Huskers upon his arrival.

Scott Jorgenson (Brookings, S.D.), the top-ranked long jumper in South Dakota during the 2007 prep season, also signed a letter of intent to join the Husker men’s team in the fall. Jorgenson owns a lifetime-best mark of 23-7 and earned silver-medal honors during the 2006 South Dakota Class AA state meet for BrookingsHigh School.

The Huskers’ lone female recruit of the spring period, Jennifer Webers, is one of the top distance runners in the state of Colorado. The Conifer, Colo., native placed second in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter events at the Kansas Relays in April and boasts respective personal-best times of 5:02.34 and 11:09.60 for the two events. Webers joins early signee Lara Crofford (Newville, Pa.) in Assistant Head Coach Jay Dirksen’s group of distance and cross country athletes.

Despite the 19 additions for next year’s team, the Nebraska staff still feels there is much work to be done in order to complete its 2007-08 squad.

“We are not finished by any means with our recruiting efforts for next year,” Pepin said. “There are still holes to fill on our team, and our staff will continue to work very hard into the fall to fill those spots.”

Spring Signeees
Women’s Signees
Jennifer Webers, Conifer, Colo. (Conifer HS); Distance ? Webers finished runner-up in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter run events as a junior at the 2006 Colorado Class 4A state meet and owns personal best times of 5:02.34 in the 1,600 meters and 11:09.60 in the 3,200 meters.

Men’s Signees
Lehann Fourie, Pretoria, South Africa; Sprints/Hurdles ? Fourie becomes the third South African athlete to join the Huskers in the last three seasons. He specializes in the high hurdles, having clocked a personal best of 13.91, although he also has clocked straight sprint times of 10.84 in the 100-meter dash and 21.56 in the 200. He competed in the hurdles at the 2006 World Championships in Beijing, China, just missing the finals with a clocking of 14.25.

Todd Gulizia, Omaha, Neb. (Millard South HS); Distance ? Gulizia won the 2006 Nebraska Class A state cross country championship and tops the 2007 state charts for both the 1,600- (4:18.0) and 3,200-meter run (9:21.50) events. He placed fourth and second, respectively, in the two events as a junior at the 2006 Nebraska Class A state meet.

Tyler Hitchler, Fremont, Neb. (Fremont HS); Throws ? Hitchler owns the No. 2 all-time discus throw in Nebraska prep history of 201-6 and currently ranks third among all national high school athletes with the performance. He earned the bronze medal as a junior at the 2006 Nebraska Class A state meet.

Scott Jorgensen, Brookings, S.D. (Brookings HS); Jumps ? Jorgensen ranks as the top long jumper in South Dakota during his senior season with a top distance of 23-7. He finished runner-up in the event as a junior at the 2006 South Dakota Class AA state meet.

Mikel Thomas, Clovis, Calif. (Clovis HS); Distance ? Thomas has emerged as one of the top distance athletes in the state of California as a senior after winning the Div. II state cross country championship during the fall. He currently ranks fourth in the state in the 3,200-meter run (9:08.34) and 14th for the 1,600 meters (4:14.86) this season, although his personal-best 3,200 mark of 8:59.81 would rate second overall. He placed fourth in the 3,200 meters as a junior at the 2006 California state meet.

Fall Signeees
Women’s Signees
Rachel Butler, Mechanicsville, Va. (Lee-Davis HS); Multi-Events ? Butler won the 2006 Virginia AAA girl’s state triple jump championship in addition to finishing third in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. She also earned fourth place in the pentathlon at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in New York City. Butler is coached by Neil Mathews and entered the spring with personal-best marks of 40-0 1/2 in the triple jump; 5-4 in the high jump; 43.41 in the 300 hurdles; and 3,380 in the pentathlon.

Lara Crofford, Newville, Pa. (Big Springs HS); Distance ? Crofford earned silver-medal honors as a junior at the 2005 Pennsylvania Class 3A state cross country meet and in the 3,200-meter run at the 2006 Class 3A state track meet. She finished runner-up at the Pennsylvania state cross country meet for the second consecutive year in 2006. Crofford is coached by Robert Jumper and owns a 3,200-meter personal best of 10:38.07.

Arna Erega, Rijeka, Croatia (First Croation Grammer School of Rijeka); Sprints/Hurdles ? Erega reached the semifinals of the women’s 100-meter hurdles at the 2006 World Junior Championships held in Beijing, China. She owns the Croation national junior record in the hurdles of 13.68, a mark that would rank eighth on Nebraska’s all-time list. Erega also has clocked in at 8.51 for the 60-meter hurdles.

 

Jade Hodson, Hastings, Neb. (Adams Central HS); Throws ? Hodson has won the last two Nebraska Class B girl’s state championships in the shot put. She also placed fifth in 2004 as a freshman. Hodson is coached by Shari Conner and entered her senior season with a career best in the shot put of 43-8.

 

Karyn LaCour, Humble, Texas (Humble HS); Sprints/Hurdles ? LaCour is the defending Texas 5A (largest class) state champion in the 100-meter hurdles. Coached by Ken Janak and Vanita LaCour, she owns a personal best in the hurdles of 13.83, while she has also recorded a mark of 18-10 in the long jump. LaCour has the potential to compete in a variety of events at NU, including the long jump. She ranks 12th nationally in 2007 with a season best of 13.94.

 

Ashley Miller, Tipton, Iowa (Tipton HS); Middle Distance ? Miller is an 11-time Iowa Class 2A girl’s state champion in the 400-meter dash (2005), 800 meters (2004, 2005, 2006), 1,500 meters (2006), 4x400-meter relay (2004, 2005), 4x800-meter relay (2005, 2006) and distance medley relay (2005, 2006). On the cross country course, Miller earned Class 2A state titles in 2004 and 2006 while helping lead TiptonHigh School to four consecutive state team titles from 2003 to 2006. She also claimed two consecutive Drake Relays high school girl’s 800-meter crowns in 2004 and 2005 before adding her third victory last month with a personal-best time of 2:10.10, which ranks ninth nationally. Coached by Jenny King in cross country and Dave Fetterman on the track, Miller entered her senior season with other personal bests of 57.63 for the 400 and 4:47.06 over 1,500 meters.

Audrey Svane, Tioga, Texas (PilotPointHS); High Jump ? Svane is the defending Texas 3A champion in the girl’s high jump. She is coached by Andrew Cook and owns a personal best in the event of 5-9, tying her for seventh nationally for 2007.

Natalie Willer, Elkhorn, Neb. (Elkhorn HS); Pole Vault ? Willer won the Nebraska Class A girl's state pole vault championship with a height of 11-8 last spring for ElkhornHigh School. She previously qualified for the Class B state meet as a sophomore in 2005 and as a freshman in 2004. Coached by Linda Gdowski, Willer leads all Nebraska prep athletes in 2007 with her personal-best vault of 12-10, which ranks as the all-time Class A state record and ties her for eighth nationally.

Men’s Signees
David Adams, York, Neb. (York HS); Distance ? Adams has won the last two Nebraska Class B boy’s state cross country titles, including the All-Class gold medal as a junior in 2005. He added a second All-Class gold on the track last year in the 1,600-meter run after also winning the Class B title as a junior, and added Class B state titles in the 3,200 meters in both 2005 and 2006. Coached by Tom Brink and former Husker Eric Rasmussen, Adams owns personal bests of 1:59.40 for the 800, 4:23.50 in the 1,600 and 9:25.1 for the 3,200.

Matt Conahan, Omaha, Neb. (Millard North HS); Distance ? Conahan swept the 800- and 1,600-meter run events as a junior at the Nebraska Class A state meet, including grabbing the All-Class gold medal for the 800, following a Class A state championship season in cross country. He previously won the intermediate boy’s 2,000-meter steeplechase title at the 2005 USA Youth Championships. Coached by Mike Neeman, Conahan owns personal bests of 1:53.81 in the 800, 4:23.69 in the 1,600 and 9:48.99 in the 3,200.

Brad Doering, Yuba City, Calif. (Yuba City HS); Distance ? Doering earned 18th place in the 1,600-meter run as a junior at the 2005 California Division I state meet, and he added a qualification for the 2006 state cross country meet during the last fall. Coached by Mike Buzbee, Doering owns personal-best times of 4:18.19 in the 1,600 and 9:23.25 in the 3,200.

Paul Hamilton, Sidney, Neb. (Sidney HS); High Jump ? Hamilton has claimed the past two Nebraska Class B boy's state high jump titles for SidneyHigh School. He won the 2006 crown with a then-personal-best height of 6-11, while leaping 6-8 to win as a sophomore in 2005. Hamilton, who is coached by John Ganser, has reached 7-0 as a senior in 2007 to rank second in the state and tied for fifth nationally.

 

Sam Siegel, Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest HS); Throws ? Siegel concluded his junior year by finishing fifth in the shot put and sixth in the discus at the Nebraska Class A state meet. He also qualified for the state meet in the shot put as a sophomore in 2005. Siegel is coached by Ryan Mahoney and owns the Southwest school records of 55-9 in the shot put and 165-0 in the discus.