Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Track and Field adds 28 to 2008-09 rosters
10/27/2008 | 12:00:00 | Track and Field
Oct. 27, 2008
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois track and field teams announce the addition of 16 men and 12 women to the roster for the 2008-2009 indoor and outdoor seasons. Click here for release in the 2008 Track and Field Newsletter.
Neal Anderson
Neal will join the distance squad at SIU and is a graduate of Glenwood High School in Springfield. where he was a four-time state qualifier in cross country and was third overall in the 2A state meet his senior year with a career best time of 14:49 for the three mile race. Neal is majoring in computer science and is the son of Steve and Sherry Anderson.
Kristian Baldwin
Kristian joins the distance squad at SIU and is from Carbondale where she graduated from Carbondale High School. As a prep, she was an all-state performer in cross country her senior year and was a two-time all-conference honoree. Kristian is majoring in food and nutrition and is the daughter of Toi Baldwin.
Alisa Baron
Alisa joins the SIU distance squad at SIU hailing from Bureau Valley High School in Princeton. She was Class A State Champion her senior year in the 400m and broke the state meet record with a time of 55.66. Alisa was also a three time state qualifier in cross country and had a top five finish her senior year. She is majoring in engineering and is the Daughter of Rose Storm.
Kim Beardwood
Kim joins the SIU middle distance runners after being a Junior College National Champion in the 800m at Rend Lake Community College. She also helped Rend Lake earn a national title in indoor track and field in 2008. Kim is from Ontario, Canada and is majoring in elementary education. She is the daughter of Gord and Diane Beardwood.
Kenneth Blanks
Kenneth is from Chicago where he attended Lane Tech High School and he will join the sprint squad at SIU. Kenneth was an all-state sprinter As a prep and has a personal best in the 100m of 10.96 seconds. Kenneth is majoring in architectural studies and is the son of Kenneth Blanks and Jaqueline Bentley.
Logan Block
Logan joins the distance squad at SIU and is a graduate of Knoxville High School in Gibson. Logan was state champion his junior year in the 3200m. Logan is the son of Hans and Rosanne Block.
Kendrick Branch
Kendrick joins the jumpers at SIU and is a graduate of Rockford Jefferson High School in Rockford. Kendrick is majoring in film and cinema and is the son of Isaiah and Leona Branch.
Cody Doerflein
Cody joins the SIU pole vaulters hailing from DuQuoin High School. As a prep, Cody was a two-time All-American and a two-time state champion in the pole vault his junior and senior year and was also runner-up at the 2008 USA Junior Olympics. He has cleared a personal best 16-07. Cody is majoring in graphic design and is the son of Rocky Flack and Helen Doerflein.
Mercedes Dunn
Mercedes joins the Saluki jump squad after graduating from Marion High School. She was a three-time all-conference performer and holds her school record in the long jump and triple jump. Mercedes is majoring in biology/pre-dental and is the daughter of Randy and Lisa Dunn.
Thomas Fielder
Thomas joins the distance squad at SIU coming from Hinsdale Central High School in Westmont. As a prep, he was a two-time all-conference performer. Thomas is majoring in cinema and is the son of Bobby and Nora William Fielder.
Brad Foote
Brad graduated from Algonquin Jacobs High School in Algonquin and joins the SIU throwers. He was sixth in the state in the discus as a senior. Brad also throws the shot put and is currently learning how to throw the hammer and the weight. Brad is the son of Jim and Kathy Foote.
Jordan Harris
Jordan joins the SIU throwers and graduated from Champaign Centennial High School. As a prep, she was state runner-up in the discus. She has personal best marks of 43-05 in the shot put and 150-07 in the discus. She is also learning to throw the hammer, weight, and javelin at SIU. Jordan is the daughter of Darrel and Cindy Harris-Vaughn.
Vincent Johnson
Vincent is from Chicago St. Patrick High School in Chicago and joins the Saluki jumps squad. As a prep, he was state runner-up in the long jump and was conference and sectional champion in both the long jump and triple jump his senior year. Vincent is majoring in psychology and is the son of Brian Finley and Gina Martinez.
James Lambert
James joins the SIU throwers from Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg. As a senior, James placed fifth in the discus at the state meet and holds the Harrisburg school record in the discus at 169-00. James will throw not only the discus for SIU, but also the hammer, weight, and shot put. James is the son of Steve and Cheryl Lambert.
Malaikah Love
Malaikah has from Carbondale High School in Carbondale and joins the Saluki jumps squad. At Carbondale, Malaikah was named all-state three times in the triple jump and two times in the long jump and qualified to state all four years of her prep career. She was also named Southern Illinoisan Track Athlete of the Year in both 2005 and 2007. Malaikah is majoring in dental hygiene.
Jeneva McCall
Jeneva joins the SIU throwers from Thornbridge High School in Dolton. Jeneva was in the top five in the state in the discus her first three years of high school in Virginia. Her senior year she was fifth in the state in the discus in Illinois. She will throw the hammer, weight, and shot put as well for the Salukis. Jeneva is majoring in chemistry and is the daughter of Oliver and Alethia McCall.
Ryan McMurtry
Ryan is from North Chicago High School and joins the sprinters at SIU. As a prep, she was a four year state qualifier in the sprints and was conference, county and sectional champion in the 400m her senior year. Ryan is majoring in human nutrition and dietetics.
Nina Okafor
Nina joins the SIU jumpers from Carbondale High School. As a prep, she was a long jumper and sprinter. She is the daughter of Thelma and Godwin Okafor.
Sam Pellegrino
Sam was a graduate of Lane Tech High School in Chicago and joins the Saluki throws squad in his sophomore year at SIU. As a prep, Sam was a two time state qualifier in the discus and two time sectional champion. He will also throw the hammer and weight for SIU. Sam is the son of Frank Pellegrino.
James Robinson
James joins the SIU sprinters from Rockford Junior College and is originally from Dekalb. At Rockford, James ran 11.0 in the 100m and 23.20 in the 200m. He is majoring in administration of justice and is the son of James Robinson and Nancy Gavin.
Myles Scott-Stirn
Myles is a graduate of Lincoln Way East High School in Frankfort and joins the Saluki distance team. He was all-state and all-conference in cross country. Myles is majoring in engineering and is the son of Michael Stirn and Mary Scott-Stirn.
Quincy Shelton
Quincy will be a middle distance runner for SIU and has from Hazelwood Central High School in Florrisant, Mo. As a prep, Quincy earned all-state honors in the 800m and was all-conference four straight years in the 800. He is majoring in accounting and is the son of Michael and Tammie Shelton.
Taylor Stroud
Taylor joins the SIU distance squad and is from Reed-Custer High School in Braidwood. She is majoring in dental hygiene and is the daughter of George Stroud and Debra Cowie.
Johnny Teufel
Johnny joins the Saluki jumpers from Cincinnati Colerain High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was all-state in the high jump and was all-conference his senior year. Johnny is majoring in Zoology and is the son of Tom and Lizanne Teufel.
Ellyn Vanderhyden
Ellyn joins the Saluki distance squad after attending Reed-Custer High School in Essex. Ellyn is majoring in Radiologic Sciences and is the daughter of Ron and Beth Vanderhyden.
Jason Vollmer
Jason went to high school at Providence Catholic High School in Springfield and came to SIU as a high jumper from Rend Lake Community College. Jason is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and is the son of David and Carol Vollmer.
Nikura Walls
Nikura comes from Rend Lake Community College and is a graduate of Herrin High School and will join the distance squad at SIU. She was part of Rend Lake's National Champion Indoor Track and Field Team and was a member of the third place distance medley relay team at the national meet. Nikura is majoring in criminal justice and is the daughter of Daniel and Beatrice Walls.
