McNeese State track and field coach Brendon Gilroy has announced the signing of nine athletes in the early signing period for the 2008-2009 season.
Among these signees are eight female and one male athlete and eight distance runners and one javelin thrower.
"It's an outstanding group of athletes," Gilroy said, "and one that will certainly help our women's program."
The signees are from Louisiana, Texas, England and Ireland and among them are a Northern Ireland javelin record holder, the Irish Senior half mile indoor champion and the daughter of a Cowboy distance running record holder.
The new recruits are D'Anna Lambert of DeRidder High, Jarrett LeBlanc of Hathaway High, Candice McCormick of Sealy (TX) High, Christi Citizen of Humble (TX) High, graduate students Alvy Carragher, Emma Clayton, Laura Kerr and Lyndsey Monteith all of Ireland and Aisling Casey of Sligo Grammar of Ireland.
Kerr holds the Northern Ireland women's javelin record of 162 feet while Monteith not only won the Irish senior indoor championship in the 800 meters but is the Northern Ireland champion and the Irish university indoor and outdoor champion.
Casey is the daughter of former McNeese standout Michael Casey who still holds the school record for the two miles indoors.
2008-2009 Track and Field Signees
Athlete Event Former School Hometown
Alvy Carragher Distance Univ. of Limmerick Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland
Aisling Casey Distance Sligo Grammar Sligo, Ireland
Christi Citizen Distance Humble HS Humble, TX
Emma Clayton Distance Leeds University Scunthorpe, England
Laura Kerr Javelin Univ. of Jordansdown Lisburn, County Antrim, N. Ireland
D'Anna Lambert Distance DeRidder HS DeRidder, LA
Jarrett LeBlanc Distance Hathaway HS Jennings, LA
Candice McCormick Distance Sealy HS Sealy, TX
Lyndsey Monteith Distance Univ. of Jordansdown Lisburn, County Antrim, N. Ireland
ALVY CARRAGHER, distance races, Univ. of Limmerick, Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland...transfer from University of Limmerick...won the Irish university 1500 meters in national record time of 5:28...personal bests of 10:32 in the 3000 meters, 4:56 in the 1500 meters, 2:24 in 800 meters...5:28 in 1500 meters
AISLING CASEY, distance races, Sligo Grammar, Sligo, Ireland....was born in Lake Charles but has lived in Sligo since she was three ...regional cross country champion...third in national B cross country championship in 2006...1500 meter regional champion in 2007...has won the senior cup as the outstanding sports person at school for three straight years...also member of school's gaelic football team...daughter of former McNeese standout and record holder Michael Casey....
CHRISTI CITIZEN, distance races, Humble HS, Humble, TX...regional qualifier in cross country...best of 4:48 in 1500 meters, 5:11 in 1600 meters, 2:18 in 800 meters, 18:16 in the 5K and 11:28 in the two mile
EMMA CLAYTON, distance races, Leeds University, Scunthorpe, England...finished 33rd in the 2008 national cross country championship race...British Fell running champion in 2007...second for Ireland and third overall in the 2006 British and Irish Fell running championships...finished 11th in the World mouontain running trophy championships in Turkey...best of 36:55 in the 10K, 10:21 in 3000 meters indoors and 4:48 in 1500 meters indoors
LAURA KERR, javelin, Univ. of Jordansdown, Lisburn, County Antrium, N. Ireland...current Northern Ireland javelin record holder with personal best of 162 feet...representedIreland three times at Senior European Cups in 2006 and 2007...won a silver medal at British U23 championships in 2005..also throws the shot and the weight...and is a current holder of Irish women's weightlifting records
D'ANNA LAMBERT, distance races, DeRidder HS, DeRidder, LA....second in the 3200 meters at state championship meet in 2007...third in 2006 and also third in the 1600 meters...runnerup in state cross country meet in 2005...two time AAU all-American....best of 2:20 in the 800 meters, 12:02 in the 3200, 5:25 in 16500, 1:00 in the 400 meters and 7:58 in the 2000 meter steeplechase
JARRETT LEBLANC, distance races, Hathaway HS, Jennings, LA....two time cross country all-state....runnerup in 2007 state cross country meet...three time district and regional champion in the 1600 and 3200 meters....best of 26:55 in the 8K, 15:32 in the three mile, 2:05 in the 800 meters, 4:39 in the 1600 meters and 10:00 in the 3200 meters...all-American in AAU running...Division II indoor state champion in the 3200 meters
CANDICE MCCORMICK, distance races, Sealy HS, Sealy, TX...state qualifier in cross country and school record holder in the two mile at 11:49....regional qualifier three years in a row
LYNDSEY MONTEITH, middle distance races, University of Jordansdown, Lisburn, County Antrium, N. Ireland....Irish senior indoor champion in 2006 and Northern Ireland champion in the 800 meters ...Irish university indoor and outdoor champion in 2005-6 school year...fourth in British university indoors in 2006...best of 2:10.65 in the 800 meters and 57.12 in the 400 meters.