University of Tennessee Athletics
Track & Field Announces 2015 Signing Class
November 20, 2014 | Track & Field
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - First year director of track and field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan has announced her first recruiting class on Rocky Top. Fifteen future Volunteers comprise the class, which includes nine women and six men.
Over half of the incoming class is made up of in-state talent as eight newcomers hail from Tennessee. From there, the recruiting lines spread across the southeast with the remaining prospects coming from North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina.
The men's class of 2015 includes: Will Boling, Ari Cogdell, Wesley Edwards, Zach Long, Seth Whitener, and Mustaqeem Williams. The incoming women's class consists of: Maia McCoy, DeAndra Greer, Savannah Marlow, Abby McCulla, Peighton Meske, Jessica Rizor, Julia Rizor, LaChyna Roe, and Layla White.
"It's absolutely thrilling to have our first signing class at the University of Tennessee and begin this new era for our program," said Sullivan. "These kids are exceptional at what they do and we are very excited to bring them in. It's a balanced group with athletes from all the event areas and we have a lot of confidence in this first signing class to be relevant for us throughout their career here at Tennessee.
"It was also a great effort by our coaching staff in assembling this class. We had a great fall and a lot of fun recruiting these athletes and the outcome is fantastic."
| Tennessee Track & Field 2015 Recruiting Class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WOMEN | Event | Hometown/Last School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DeAndra Greer | Sprints | Stockbridge, Ga./Woodland HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Savannah Marlow | Throws | Rogersville, Tenn./Cherokee HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maia McCoy | Sprints | Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abby McCulla | XC/Distance | Nasvhille, Tenn./Hillsboro HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peighton Meske | XC/Distance | Knoxville, Tenn./Webb School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jessica Rizor | XC/Distance | Hendersonville, Tenn./Beech HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Julia Rizor | XC/Distance | Hendersonville, Tenn./Beech HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LaChyna Roe | Jumps | Richmond, Va./Henrico HStd> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Layla White | Middle Distance | Cary, N.C./Cary HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MEN | Event | Hometown/Last School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Will Boling | XC/Distance | Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood Academy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ari Cogdell | Sprints | Miami Gardens, Fla./American HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wesley Edwards | Jumps | Simpsonville, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zach Long | XC/Distance | Rutledge, Tenn./Grainger HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seth Whitener | Throws | Dallas, Ga./North Paulding HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mustaqeem Williams | Sprints/Jumps | Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park HS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Here's a look inside the 2015 signing class:
Maia McCoy | Memphis, Tenn. | Whitehaven HS McCoy is defending Class AAA state champion in both the 100m and 200m after winning both events at the 2014 TSSAA State Track and Field Championships last May. She is the nation's No. 6 returner in the 100m entering her senior season this spring.
Top Results
100m - 11.63 (US #12; TN #1)
200m - 23.94 (-0.8)
Layla White | Cary, N.C. | Cary HS White won a pair of North Carolina state titles last season, placing first in the 400m with a time of 55.41 while also anchoring Cary's state championship winning 4x800m relay team. She heads into the spring season as the No. 8 senior in the 400m. White was runner-up in the 200m at the State Championships. White also captured an 800m title at the Bill Carver Invitational during her junior campaign.
Top Results
200m - 24.15
400m - 54.35 (US #8; NC #1)
LaChyna Roe | Richmond, Va. | Henrico HS A decorated triple jumper, Roe also competes in high jump, long jump, and hurdles. She won the Virginia state championship in triple jump during both the indoor and outdoor seasons during her junior year. Roe is the sixth-ranked returner in triple jump in the nation this season. She was runner-up in the 300m hurdles in the same state meet.
Top Results
Triple Jump - 40-7 (US #6; VA #1)
DeAndra Greer | Stockbridge, Ga. | Woodland HS A sprinter, Greer finished third in the 100m at the 2014 Georgia State Track and Field Championships and competed in both the 100m and 200m at the USATF National Junior Olympics over the summer. She also competed in the USATF World Youth Trials in both events as a sophomore.
Top Results
100m - 11.79 (US#25; GA #2)
200m - 24.07 (GA #2)
Savannah Marlow | Rogersville, Tenn. | Cherokee HS Marlow earned the most outstanding female award in field events at the County Clash, winning both the shot put (37-4) and discus (119-3). Her discus throw set a new school record by two feet. Marlow finished fifth in the discus at the 2014 Tennessee State Championships with a distance of 111-08. Her twin sister Samantha signed to play college basketball at King University.
Top Results
Hammer - 138-11
Weight - 32-2
Shot put - 38-6
Discus - 119-3
Julia Rizor | Hendersonville, Tenn. | Beech HS Rizor enters the spring season of her senior season following a third-place finish at the Tennessee State Cross Country Championship with a 5K time of 18:47.94. She is the reigning state champion in the 800m where her time of 2:15.24 was the second-fastest in the state of Tennessee. Her twin sister, Jessica, will be joining her at UT.
Top Results
800m - 2:15.24 (TN #2)
1600m - 5:00.91 (TN #3)
5K XC - 18:04.65 (TN #5)
Jessica Rizor | Hendersonville, Tenn. | Beech HS Running alongside her twin sister Julia, Jessica finished eighth at the Tennessee State Cross Country Championship on Nov. 1. During last spring's outdoor season, she finished third in the 1600m at the Tennessee 3A Section 3 Finals and grabbed a win in the 3200m at the Racer Relays High School Invitational with a time of 11:13.25.
Top Results
800m - 2:20.02
1600m - 5:00.71 (TN #1)
5K XC - 18:19.05
Abby McCulla | Nashville, Tenn. | Hillsboro HS McCulla finished 13th at the Tennessee State Cross Country Championships on Nov. 1, turning in a time of 19:16.79. She set a new career-best on a 5K layout earlier this fall at the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational. Last spring she lowered her career-best time in the 1600m to 5:03 at the Music City Distance Carnival.
Top Results
1600m - 5:03c
5K XC - 18:44
Peighton Meske | Knoxville, Tenn. | Webb School Meske is a three-time Division II-A cross country state champion at Webb. She served as team captain during the 2014 fall season and her individual victory at the state championships helped lift Webb to the team state title. Her senior season was her best season to date as she lowered her personal-best 5K time three times en route to the state title.
Top Results
1600m - 5:09.44
3200m - 11:07.78 (TN #4)
5K XC - 18:17.13
Mustaqeem Williams | Woodbridge, Va. | Forest Park HS One of UT's most decorated recruits, Williams brings with him to Knoxville 14 state championships, 14 all-state, all district, and all-region awards, five state of Virginia MVPs, and two Junior Olympic championships. He is the state record holder in both the 100m (10.31) and 200m (20.64). Williams will enroll at Tennessee in January 2015.
Top Results
100m - 10.31(US #4; VA #1)
200m - 20.64 (-1.8)(US #2; VA #1)
Long Jump - 24-9 (US #2; VA #1)
Triple Jump - 49-7.5
Wesley Edwards | Simpsonville, S.C. | Hillcrest HS (Spartanburg Methodist) A transfer from Spartanburg Methodist College, Edwards finished fourth in the men's high jump at the 2014 NJCAA National Championships at 2.15m. It was the second time in his career he has jumped higher than seven feet as Edwards won the high jump at the Weems Baskin Invitational, hosted by the University of South Carolina, last year with an identical mark of 2.15m. Like Williams, Edwards will enroll at UT in January.
Top Results
High Jump - 2.15
Seth Whitener | Dallas, Ga. | North Paulding HS A high school All-American, Whitener finished second in the shot put at the Georgia 5A Track and Field State Championships in 2013. Two months later, he claimed the top spot in the hammer throw at the USATF National Junior Olympics at 181-11.
Top Results
Hammer - 195-11
Weight - 71-11
Ari Cogdell | Miami Gardens, Fla. | American HS Cogdell helped lead his high school team to a runner-up finish at the 4A state championships last year, finishing fourth in the 400m and anchoring the school's winning 4X400m relay team. His 46.67 time at the 4A Region 4 Championships is the fastest returning time in the state of Florida and sixth-fastest in the nation. At the Golden Sun South Classic, Cogdell anchored a 4x400 team that gave his school the second-best time in the country at 3:12.12.
Top Results
200m - 21.81
400m - 46.67 (US #4; FL #1)
Zach Long | Rutledge, Tenn. | Grainger HS Long is the first state champion to hail from Grainger County after he capped a season in which he won seven of eight cross country races with a state championship on Nov. 1. He also finished runner-up in the 1600m at the Outdoor Track and Field State Championships back in the spring.
Top Results
1600m - 4:19.28 (TN #4)
3200m - 9:23
5K XC - 15:21.86 (TN #2)
Will Boling | Nashville, Tenn. | Brentwood Academy Boling finished in third at the 2014 Tennessee DII AA State Cross Country Championships on Nov. 1 with a 5K time of 16:21.43. He also helped lead his team to a runner-up finish at the 2014 outdoor state title when he finished fourth in the 3200m.
Top Results
3200m - 9:41.13
5K XC - 15:57.47
