HAMMOND - Fresh off a second place finish at the 2008 Southland Conference Outdoor Championships, the best men's finish at the league meet in school history, Southeastern Louisiana University track and field head coach Sean Brady and his staff wasted no time in reloading. The Lions and Lady Lions will welcome 20 student-athletes (ten men and ten women) to Hammond for the 2008-09 campaign, making it one of the largest and, potentially, most talented recruiting classes in the program's history.
"We addressed some needs this year and signed a large class," Brady said. "This class will add the needed depth to our teams. This is paramount to have a shot at winning a conference championship. Over all I am excited about this years class especially on the women's side. Several of these freshman women will make immediate impact on our team. This men’s class is solid and will take some time to develop. However, there are some athletes that we believe can help us immediately. Coach Brian Mondschein did a great job recruiting athletes to fill the void from our graduating senior throwers and Coach Michael Bartolina signed two of the top polevaulters in the state. I want to thank them for their help and hard work."
The women's side gets a much-needed boost with ten new additions. Velma George, a Louisiana High School Athletics Association 2A Outdoor championship qualifier from Jackson High School and Katherine Cade, who finished second in the 5A Cross Country, second in the Indoor two-mile and sixth in the outdoor two-mile at Mandeville High School are expected to make immediate contributions to the cross country and indoor and outdoor distance running rosters.
Christian Bowers, a transfer javelin thrower from UL-Monroe; Renada Living, a state champion in the outdoor discus and indoor shot put at Lafayette High School; and Amber Thomas, an outdoor shot put state champion and a third-place finisher in the indoor shot put at New Iberia High School, will be counted on to score points in multiple events and help offset the loss of NCAA Regional qualifier Collenna Collins who graduated after the 2008 season.
The Lady Lions add two capable sprinters adding much needed depth to the short sprints and relay events. Alexandria Arlington, an accomplished sprinter who helped lead Edna Karr High School to a first place finish in the 4x100 m relay, is joined by Ericka Peyton, who helped Dutchtown High School to a second-place finish in the same event.
Lacey Sanchez, who finished second in the state in the outdoor pole vault and third in the indoor event while at St. Michaels High School, and Michelle Ogashi, who finished second in the state in the triple jump at New Iberia, will be counted on to join NCAA Regional Qualifier Roseann Bell in scoring points in the jumps events.
Kristen Eubanks, a state champion in the 300 m hurdles at Oak Grove High School, will join the Lady Lions as a multi-event athlete, adding more depth in the heptathlon and pole vault.
On the men's side, the Lions are looking to capitalize on their runner-up showing at the SLC Championships by adding quality depth across the board, starting with the addition of six student athletes to a sprint group that loses just one letterman heading into 2009.
Brandon Camp and Anthony Duckett, teammates at Texas 4A Regional Qualifier Lamar Consolidated in Rosenburg, Texas, are joined by: Donald Cousins, a sprinter and relay runner from Slidell High School; Paul Madere, a state champion in the 110 m outdoor hurdles and 55 m indoor hurdles from Dutchtown High School; Denzell Bell, who competed on three relay squads, including a state title winner in the 4x100 m Realy, at OP Walker High School; and Rocky Caruth, a native of Trinidad and Tobago who helped Central Arizona Community College to a junior college national championship all figure to factor heavily in the Lions' sprint and relay groups.
However, even with the emphasis on the sprint group, the Lions are not falling asleep on the field events. Kovey Simmons, a state champion in the indoor and outdoor pole vault who already owns a personal best height of 15 ft. 6 in., is a threat to score points in the pole vault. Meanwhile, Corey Santangelo joins the Lions from Central Private where he competed in the 200 m dash, 110 m hurdles, 2x200 m relay and 4x100 m relay. His versatility makes him a threat in the decathlon.
Rounding out the Lions' signing class is Casey Revere, who finished seventh in the state and owns a career best 188 ft. throw in the javelin at Mandeville High School. Revere joins early signer Adonson Shallow, who signed with the Lions in January following a stellar career at Central Arizona College, in giving the Lions two reliable scoring threats in the throws categories to help offset the loss of two-time NCAA National Qualifier Teremine White and Dwight Womack.
"In some cases we signed athletes with very raw skills. However, these developmental athlete many times turn out to be our biggest point scorers," Brady said. "It is difficult at this point to say how good this group will be, but they have the potential to be very good and many of them can compete right away. Once again, our coaches did a great job putting together a group of kids that we know will work hard to make themselves better on the track and in the classroom."