Aug. 4, 2011
DAVIS, Calif. - Fifteen outstanding student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent with UC Davis track and field and/or cross country programs and will join the programs this fall, it was announced by Byron Talley, interim director of track and field and cross country.
Joining the men's track and field team are Andrew Bartsch from Collinsville High School in Maryville, Ill., Lawrence Doherty from International High School, Sage Hagstrom from La Jolla Country Day School, Trevor Halsted from nearby Davis High School, Jonathan Iloir from Royal Hospital School in the United Kingdom and Danny Smart from Central Catholic High School.
The Aggie women's squad will welcome Kaitlin Barber from Louisville High School, Katie Fry from Exeter Union High School, Karlaina Gipson from Antelope High School, Sarah Griffith from San Ramon Valley High School, Raquel Lambdin in Camarillo, Ashley Marshall from Rancho Verde High School and Janay Pierce from University High School.
Halsted, Fry and Lambdin will also compete for UC Davis in cross country.
Talley said the talented incoming class of Aggies addresses needs created through graduation.
"We aim to lead this dynamic class of recruits to experience a successful career in the Aggie singlet," said Talley.
He's confident the recruiting class will help UC Davis continue its climb in the Big West. The Aggie men finished second this season - eventually landing hurdlers Thomas Phillips and Alex Wilright on All-America teams - while the women were third. It's the best combined performance at the conference championships for UC Davis since it joined the league in 2007-08.
Following are brief profiles of each of the signees.
MEN
ANDREW BARTSCH (6-5, Maryville, Ill./Collinsville HS '11)
Earned two varsity letters at Collinsville HS while also garnering All-Academic accolades... Has a PR of 54 feet, 2 inches in the shot put and 165-0 in the discus... His discus mark ranked 6th on STLToday.com... Was ranked 13th (50-7.50) in the shot put... Received All-Southwestern Conference first-team honors, was a sectional champion and qualified for the state championships during his career... Member of the National Honor Society, National Latin Honor Society, is an Illinois State Scholar and graduated cum laude.
LAWRENCE DOHERTY (6-3, San Francisco, Calif./International HS '11)
Was a two-year varsity letterwinner for International HS, receiving All-Bay Counties League first-team honors... Was his team's MVP as a junior... Finished first in the 200 in 22.62 seconds at the CIF-North Coast Section A Championships... Time is a PR for Doherty... Had a PR of 48.98 in the 400, earned at the same meet with another first-place finish... Also ran the 800... Was 11th at the NCS Division 5 Cross Country Championships as a senior... Also participated in soccer.
SAGE HAGSTROM (6-3, San Diego, Calif./La Jolla Country Day School '11)
Talented sprinter who earned four varsity letters for La Jolla Country Day School... Posted career-best times of 11.24 seconds in the 100, 22.54 in the 200 and 49.26 in the 400, the latter two times coming at the CIF-San Diego Section Division 2 Prelims in May... Won Coastal Conference titles in the 200 and 400 as a senior... Set a school record in the 300 hurdles (39.56) as a junior while running on school-record distance medley and 4x400 relays... All-Academic Team honoree by the San Diego Union-Tribune... Honor roll accolades as well.
TREVOR HALSTED (5-11, Davis, Calif./Davis HS '11)
Standout on both the cross country and track squads at Davis HS, earning two letters in cross country and three in track... Won seven 1,600 races this year including a season-best time of 4 minutes, 14 seconds at the Sacramento Meet of Champions in April... Finished third in the 3,200 in 8:51.96 at the CIF State Championships, a career-best mark by nearly 20 seconds... Holds school records in both 1,600 and 3,200... Earned All-Delta Valley Conference honors in both sports for the Blue Devils... Was 15th (14:50.19) at the USATF Junior Nationals in June... Twice advanced to the CIF State Cross Country Championships, placing 12th in the Division I Championships as a junior and 22nd as a senior... Won the CIF-Sac-Joaquin Section Championship in 2010 and was runner-up as a junior... National Merit finalist.
JONATHAN ILORI (6-3, Ifswich, Suffolk, England/Royal Hospital School '11)
Accomplished triple jumper at Royal Hospital School, located in the United Kingdom... Has wind-aided PR of 15.35 meters (50 feet, 4.5 inches), achieved this year at the Surrey County Championships... Posted a wind-legal effort of 50-0.75 in May in another competition... Went more than 48 feet seven times in 2011... Was a House Prefect and House Councilor... Is also an talented drummer who has been playing since the age of four.
DANNY SMART (6-0, Modesto, Calif./Central Catholic HS '11)
Earned three varsity letters for Central Catholic HS, capturing the Western Athletic Conference championship in the 100 as a junior... Was also third in the 200 while running on 4x100 relay that placed second... Ran anchor on 4x100 relay that advanced to the CIF-Sac-Joaquin Prelims this season... As a freshman, was selected to run in the 67th California Invitational Relays at Modesto Junior College... Also played football for Central Catholic HS... Member of the Interact Club and California Scholarship Federation... Earned Academic and Citizenship Honors and was a repeat winner as Central Catholic Student of the Quarter.
WOMEN
KAITLIN BARBER (6-2, Moorpark, Calif./Louisville HS '11)
Captain of her team's high jumpers the final three years at Louisville HS... Has PR of 5 feet, 7 inches... Twice cleared 5-6 during her junior season while placing second at the CIF-Southern Section Division IV Championships... Ranked fifth among all juniors in 2011... Advanced to the section finals as a sophomore... Captured the Mission League title in 2010 and was fourth at the California Relays... Named Most Inspirational in 2009... President of her school's California Scholarship Federation chapter... Historian National Honor Society... Volunteer for Saint Paschal Baylor Church... Volunteer for several charities and organizations.
KATIE FRY (5-6, Lemon Cove, Calif./Exeter Union HS '11)
Cross country and track and field standout for Exeter Union HS that earned four varsity letters in each sport... Three-time Central Sequoia League champion who set a school record while finishing fifth at the 2010 CIF State Championships in time of 18 minutes, 3 seconds, just one second off her PR... Also won section title in 2010... Team MVP, team captain and first-team all-league as a senior... Was also all-league first team as a sophomore and junior, qualified for the state meet both years while earning team MVP honors... Was seventh at the state track meet in the 800 (2:09.78) while winning league and section titles... Section 800 champion as a junior as well... Also won league titles in the 1,600 and 3,200... Three-time state qualifier in the 800... Has a PR of 4:56.50 in the 1,600 andf 10:50.40 in the 3,200... Holds three school records (800, 1600, 3200)... All-league in track also.
KARLAINA GIPSON (Antelope, Calif./Antelope HS)
Jumper and sprinter for Antelope HS who captured a pair of varsity letters at Antelope HS... Had a PR of 5 feet, 5 inches in the high jump, 18-1 in the long jump and 33-6.5 in the triple jump, each of the marks coming during her senior season in 2011... Won Capital Athletic League championships in all three events this season while qualifying for the section meet in each one... Also ran the anchor leg on Antelope's first-place 4x100 relay... Was league champion in both the long jump and 4x100 as a junior.
SARAH GRIFFITH (5-7, Danville, Calif./San Ramon Valley HS '11)
Four-time letterwinner for San Ramon Valley HS... Also a qualifier for the CIF State Track and Field Championships each year... Finished seventh at the state meet in the 400 this season, crossing the finish line in 56.91... Went 55.91 in the prelims... Was 12th in 2010 in 55.97... Also won the North Coast Section Meet of Champions as well as the East Bay Athletic League title... Holds her school's record in the 400... Team and league MVP... Four-year member of the California Scholarship Federation... Honor roll member... NCS Scholar-Athlete.
RAQUEL LAMBDIN (5-6, Camarillo, Calif./Camarillo HS '11)
Three-year member of cross country team and four-year standout for track and field squad at Camarillo HS... Captured a trio of All-Pacific View League and All-Ventura County certificates in cross country... Won league title twice and was twice her team's MVP... Placed 10th at the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 Championships... Four-time all-league honoree for track...Won league titles in the 800 and 1,600 and rank anchor in winning 4x400 relay... Time of 5:00.37 in the 1,600 established a Pacific View League record... Won county title in the event and was ranked as high as 17th... Was named Camarillo HS's Female Athlete of the Year... Track team MVP twice... Member of GATE program (Gifted and Talented Education)... Honor and student-athlete award winner all four years... Certified Red Cross lifeguard... Traveled to Australia with People To People program... Grandfather is a 1936 graduate of UC Davis.
ASHLEY MARSHALL (Moreno Valley, Calif./Rancho Verde HS '11)
Four-year letterwinner for Moreno Valley HS track and field team who capped her career by finishing third at the CIF State Track and Field Meet with time of 11.91 seconds... Had wind-aided PR of 11.77 at the CIF-Southern Section finals and a wind-legal PR of 11.85 at the CIF-SS Masters Meet... Ran leadoff leg of MVHS's 4x100 relay that finished second at the state championships in 46.25... Was fifth in the section prelims in the 200 in 24.73.... Relay won state title in 45.74 at 2010 state meet... Qualified for sectional finals in the 100 that season as well... Set school indoor record in the 55-meter dash (7.05)... Team captain... Member of the National Honor Society... 2011 winner of Certificate of Achievement.
JANAY PIERCE (5-2, San Diego, Calif./University HS '11)
Four-time track and field letterwinner at University HS, winning the CIF-San Diego Section 100-meter dash in wind-aided time of 12.09 after also capturing Eastern League banner... Her 12.09 is a PR... Won the league title in the 200 (25.41) as well and was anchor on league championship 4x100 relay... Won 12 races in the 100 and nine more in the 200 during her senior season... Multiple winner of team MVP honors and was all-league performer... Also an accomplished soccer player who earned all-league recognition.
ERIN RANDOLPH (Yucaipa, Calif./Yucaipa HS '11)
Standout thrower for Yucaipa HS who had a mark of 44 feet, 4 inches during a Citrus Belt League meet this season and has a PR of 139-6 in the discus... Her shot put mark ranked her among the state leaders in 2011... Randolph finished seventh in the CIF-Southern Section Division I Championships in the shot put... Made three straight trips in the event to the CIF-Southern Section Division I Prelims.
VERONICA SMART (5-9, Daly City, Calif./Mercy-Burlingame HS '11)
Earned three letters in track and field, four in volleyball and one in basketball for Mercy-Burlingame HS... Captured West Bay Athletic League championships in both the shot put and discus as a junior and senior... Finished first in both events throughout the league season as well... Advanced to the CIF-Central Coast Section Championships in the shot put, finishing fourth... Has PR of 38 feet, 0.75 inches in the shot put and 104-10 in the discus... MVP of the West Bay Athletic League... Two-time team MVP... Senior Athlete of the Year... National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation member... Has studied American Sign Language for four years.
