THIBODAUX - Head Coach Scott Williamson announced the addition of ten new additions in the latest recruiting class for the Nicholls State University Women's Track and Field Team on Friday.  The Colonel track coach hailed the signees as a group that will be able to immediately contribute to a squad that recorded the best season in the program's history last season.

"With this year's recruiting class, we really wanted to focus on bringing in athletes we felt could come in and be major contributors to our program," Williamson said.  "We are never going to have a team of 40-50 girls, but we make up for that in quality, and I believe we did that with this recruiting class.  We also wanted to fill some specific needs. We want to continue to have a successful cross country program, and with the addition of these girls, I feel we will definitely keep that tradition going strong.  We have also had a lot of success with our sprinter/hurdler group, and with the addition of these girls I think that group will continue to be strong and be a contender in the Southland Conference."

The Colonels' latest recruiting class builds on the most successful season in the program's history as Nicholls claimed three conference champions, five all-conference performers, four NCAA postseason qualifiers and more than 20 school records during the 2010-11 campaign.

Nicholls Track and Field 2011-12 Recruiting Class Photo Gallery

Nicholls Track and Field 2011-12 Recruiting Class Bios

Saija Bikanova
Height: 5-8
Events: Multis
Hometown: Madonas, Latvia
Previous School: Murjani Sport Gymnasium

Coach Williamson Says:  "I'm very excited about Saija coming in.  She has so many abilities and can help us in so many different areas.  She will train for the pentathlon and heptathlon, but will also run hurdles and long jump and triple jump for us as well.  She comes from a very athletic family, with her older sister Ilya earning All-America honors in the high jump at UCONN last season.  Saija gives us depth in the jumping events, and will be a contender for a conference championship in the multi events."

Tessni Carruthers
Height: 5-5
Events: Distance, Cross Country
Hometown: Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
Previous School: Vernon High School
Personal Bests: 3000 m - 10:21.00; 1500 m - 4:42.00

Highlights:  Placed in the top five in the 3,000 m at the British Columbia Provincial Championships as a junior in 2010, good for a fifth place finish.

Coach Williamson Says:  "Tessni is another great distance runner from British Columbia.  She had a great junior year where she placed in the top-five in the BC Provincials.  We look for Tessni to come in and be a major contributor to our cross country team as well as keep the tradition of our strong middle distance runners going."

Taylor Dugruise
Height: 5-5
Events: Distance, Cross Country
Hometown: Thibodaux, La.
Previous School: E.D. White High School
Personal Bests: 3 Miles - 19:43

Highlights: Won district MVP and all-state honors in cross country in each of her final three high school seasons ... Captained the track and cross country teams her senior year ... Named all-state in cross country after finishing fourth at the state championship meet  ... Finished fifth in the two mile and finished sixth in the mile at the 2011 state championship track meet ... As a junior, placed eighth at the state cross country championships ... Placed third at the state cross country meet her sophomore year ... Finished 11th at the state cross country meet as a freshman.

Personal:  The elder of Scott and Laurie Dugruise's two daughters ... Has one younger sister, Abbie (15).

Coach Williamson Says:  "Taylor is a local athlete from E.D. White that has had a tremendous amount of success running cross country, and was part of E.D. White's State Championship teams.  We look for Taylor to come in and provide depth for cross country and try to be among out top five runners."

Ashley "Jayla" Johnson
Height: 5-3
Events: Sprints/Relays/Mid-Distance/Cross Country
Hometown: Nassau, Bahamas
Previous School: St. Augustine's College
Personal Bests: 800 m - 2:15

Highlights: A two-time member of the Bahamas Carifta Team, in 2009 and again in 2011 ... Placed fifth in the 800 m and helped the 4x400 m relay team to a bronze medal finish at the Bahamas Carifta 2011 meet.

Personal: One of Matther and Yvonne Johnson's six children.

Coach Williamson Says:  "We are very excited to bring Ashley into our program.  She will help in many different areas.  She will run cross country for us and will be able to run on our relays for track.  She wil specialize in the 800 m where she was a Carifta Games participant for the Bahamas."

Alex Martin
Height: 5-4
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Previous School: Cypress High School
Personal Bests: 400 m - 57.98

Highlights:  A three-time regional qualifier and a two-time regional Most Valuable Runner selection at Cypress High School ... Qualified for the Texas Region 3-5A meet in 2008 in the 400 m and 4x400 m relay ... Qualified for the Texas Region 3-5A meetin in 2011 in the 4x200 m relay and the 4x400 m relay ... Won Most Valuable Runner in 2010 and 2011 ... Served as team captain for Cypress High School in 2011.

Personal:  One of Alvin Martin and Nanette Collins' three children ... Related to former LSU track athlete Joshua McManus who competed for the Tigers from 2005-07.

Coach Williamson Says:  "We look for Alex to come in and help build up our 400 m group.  It's an area we want to get better in, and we also want our 4x400 m relay to get better.  We think that Alex will be able to come in and be a contributor in both those areas."

Quadri Newson
Height: 5-5
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Keller, Texas
Previous School: Central High School
Personal Bests: 100 m - 11.77, 200 m - 24.66

Central High School:  A three-time district champion, four-time regional qualifier and four-time junior Olympic qualifier ... Won the 2008 200 m district championship, the 2009 400 m district championship and the 2011 200 m district championship ... Served as team captain in each of her final two seasons.

Personal:  One of Warren and Annettra Newson's four children ... Father, Warren, played major league baseball for seven seasons and was a part of two American League West Division Championship teams: the 1993 Chicago White Sox and 1998 Texas Rangers.

Coach Williamson Says:  "We are looking for Quadri to come in and provide depth forus in the 100 m and 200 m as well as try to make our relay teams.  Quadri was a finalist in the 100 m at the Texas Relays, which should help provide her with some experience as she transitions to college."

Kryshell Roll
Height: 5-5
Events: Hurdles
Hometown: Nassau, Bahamas
Previous School: St. Augustine's College
Personal Bests: 100 m  hurdles - 14.30; 400 m hurdles: 1:02.00

Highlights:  A member of the Honor's List for six years ... A National Student Athlete Award selection ... Won the Bahamian National High School Championship in both the 100 M Hurdles and 400 M Hurdles her senior year in 2011 ... Won the 100 M Hurdles championship and the 400 M Hurdles silver medal at the Bahamas Association of Idependent Secondary Schools meet ... Led St. Augustine's 4x400 m relay team to a national high school record time in 2011.

Personal:  The younger of Garth and Janice Rolle's two children ... Has an older sister, Krysten ... Related to Sheniqua Ferguson, a former track athlete at Auburn, a gold medalist in the 200 m at the 2008 World Junior Championships, and a member of Bahamas' silver medalist 4x100 m relay team at the 2009 IAAF World Championships.

Coach Williamson Says:  "We're very excited about the addition of Kryshell.  She gives us an immediate conference contender for the 100 m hurdles and 400 m hurdles.  She was a Carifta Games participant in both hurdles races for the Bahamas.  We are excited as she will join junior transfer Jalyssa Mullins who redshirted this past outdoor season, that will give us some quality hurdlers which we did not have last season."

Breanna Strait
Height: 5-5
Events: Sprints/Relays
Hometown: Sugarland, Texas
Previous School: George Bush High School
Personal Bests: 200 m - 24.5, 400 m - 57.6

Coach Williamson Says:  "We are very excited to add another sprinter to our squad for the upcoming year.  Breanna is a very good sprinter who has had a very successful summer running AAU track.  I think she will continue to improve in a collegiate training environment where she is surrounded by other good sprinters.  Breanna will specialize in the 200 m and 400 m.  She will add depth to our sprint squads and compete for a spot on our relays.

Ingvild Vedde
Height: 5-5
Events: Distance, Cross Country
Hometown: Nesbyen, Norway
Previous School: Gol Vidaregaande Skule
Personal Bests: 3000 m - 10:03.00; 1500 m - 4:38.00

Highlights:  Won the 1500 m championship at the 2011 Norwegian National Junior Indoor Championships ... Finished third in the 1500 m at the 2011 Norwegian National Senior Indoor Championships ... Led the Buskerd County Team's distance relay squad to a bronze medal finish at the 2010 Norwegian Cross Country National Championships ... Won the bronze medal in the 3,000 m at the 2010 Norwegian National Youth Championships ... Awarded the Buskerud FIK Kretspris in 2010, given annually to the top 18-year old girl in the Buskerud County Track and Field Association ... Won the Friidrettens Venners Kretspris in 2010, awarded annually by a national track and field organization to the best 18-year old female performer in the county ... Owns three club records for Nesbyen IL in the 800 m (2:21.13), the 1500 m (4:43.21) and the 3,000 m (10:03.97).

Personal:  One of Stein Arne Vedde and Anne Marie Vedde's three children ... Has one sister, Solbjerg (18) and one brother, Torgrim (15) ... Father, Stein, is the President of Hallingdall District Court.

Coach Williamson Says:  "Ingvild is probably one of the most talented distance recruits we have ever signed at Nicholls.  She's represented Norway at several competitions, which will give her a lot of experience as she adjusts to a college setting.  We expect Ingvild to come in and compete for conference championships on the track as well as contribute to our cross country team."

Victoria Williams
Height: 5-8
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.
Previous School: Port Allen High School
Personal Bests: 200 m - 25.90

Highlights:  Helped the PAHS 4x200 m relay team to a runner-up finish and the 4x100 m relay team to a first place finish at the state championship meet as a freshman in 2008 ... Racked up 36 points in four events (100 m, 200 m, 400 m, long jump) at the district meet as a junior in 2010, making her the highest scoring female at the meet ... Won the 400 m regional championship as a junior in 2010 ... Placed fourth in the 400 m as a senior at the 2011 indoor state championships.

Coach Williamson Says:  "We look for Victoria to come in and give us depth in the sprinting events as well as provide us depth in the relays.  I really think that once Victoria gets in a college training environment, she will continue to excel tremendously."