Class of 2008 Collegiate Signings

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.d ... ID=1431981

Shocker TF Signs Eight More
Courtesy: Wichita State
Release: 04/03/2008

WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita State University track and field team inked eight more high school athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2008-09 academic year. Five men and three women are included the most group of signees.

The men’s class includes Emporia’s Brandon Childs, Jefferson City’s (Mo.) Derrick Shepherd, Dodge City’s Dylan Hartnett, Clearwater’s Spencer Hilley, and Scott City’s Trace Kendrick. The women’s latest signees include Chanute’s Shalee Ratliff and twin sisters Kristina and Jennifer Taylor from Lawrence.

“These are eight more athletes that continue to cause me to feel like this will be a very special recruiting class on both the men’s and women’s sides,â€

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.gobison.com/ViewArticle.dbml ... ID=1431512

Geiszler Signs National Letter of Intent with NDSU
Courtesy: NDSU Athletic Media Relations
Release: 04/02/2008


Courtesy: Jason Dormeyer, NDSU Athletic Media Relations

Bottineau (N.D.) High School standout Maribeth Geiszler has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field for North Dakota State
Fargo, N.D. -- Bottineau (N.D.) High School standout Maribeth Geizsler has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend school and compete in track and field for North Dakota State University beginning fall 2008. NDSU head women’s coach Ryun Godfrey made the announcement Wednesday.


Geizler was the state champion in the pole vault as a junior in 2007 and holds a personal best of 10-6. She also placed third as both a freshman and a sophomore and fifth as an eighth grader in the event at the state meet. She also ran a leg on the runner-up 4x400-meter relay team in 2006.


"Maribeth is No. 1 in her class. She is a team leader and an all-state selection in three sports," Godfrey said. "She is the 2007 state champion in the pole vault. We are very excited to have Maribeth join Bison track and field."


Geiszler is also active in volleyball and basketball and was named to the all-state tournament team in 2007 in basketball as Bottineau H.S. has claimed the past three state championships.


She is also a member of the National Honor Society and has accumulated a 4.0 grade point average. She is the daughter of Dave and Phyllis Geiszler.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/p ... /804040363

W. Deptford pole vaulter to sign today with Rutgers
COURIER-POST STAFF • APRIL 4, 2008

West Deptford High School senior Dan Batdorf, perhaps the top pole vaulter in the state, plans to sign a National Letter of Intent this morning to attend Rutgers University at New Brunswick on a track scholarship.



Batdorf, who also starred in football for the Eagles, is the defending Meet of Champions winner in the pole vault in spring track.

He also won the event indoors over the winter.

Batdorf twice vaulted 15 feet, 6 inches during the winter season. He has his sights set on the South Jersey outdoor record of 16-0 this spring.

Lesiak signs: Eastern senior Geena Lesiak, an All-Group 4 second-team selection in field hockey, will attend the University of Iowa next fall on a field hockey scholarship.

[vaultnaked352]

Kirk Dandridge 16ft signed with USF. GO BULLS!!!!!!

[bulldogvaulter]

Cody Doerflien from Du Quoin IL signed a letter of intent with SIU. He is another vaulter from IL that went over 16 feet. He is down in single A though. He won state his Jr year also and is probly goign to win this year.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.mcphersonsentinel.com/articl ... ports3.txt

Leuthold joins Mac

Published: Friday, April 11, 2008 12:36 PM CDT
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McPherson College has announced the recent signing of Rachel Leuthold of Bern to a track and field letter of intent for the 2008-2009 school year.

Leuthold was the 2007 Class 1A state pole vault champion for Bern High School with a clearance of 10-0.

Leuthold enters the 2008 season as the two-time Twin Valley League champion and TVL meet record holder in the vault 10-1.

She holds the Bern school record with a clearance of 10-2.

“We are very pleased to announce Rachel's signing to participate in women's track and field at McPherson College,â€

[sooch90]

um, I didn't really sign any papers, but I'll be vaulting for Haverford College (small D3 college) next year!

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionI ... TM=21896.1

Central's Dunn to play football, run track at Marian

Phil Friend
Sports Editor

MICHIGANTOWN - Ever since he was a freshman at Clinton Central, Scott Dunn had dreams of playing football at the college level.

Dunn made that dream a reality Thursday, as he signed a letter of intent to play football - along with track - at Marian College.

He chose Marian over Anderson, Hanover and Eastern Illinois partly because of the opportunity to play both sports.

"They gave me the opportunity and gave me the scholarships to do both," Dunn said. "I've always wanted to sign somewhere. I actually didn't want to go there at first, but when I went to campus I thought it was the place for me. That's a great feeling.

"Playing both sports will be a challenge but I enjoy pole vaulting and I enjoy football."

Dunn has a split scholarship, meaning it's half football/half track. Dunn will be one of about 10 to 15 football players who also compete in track at the school.

Dunn is one of only five players during former coach George Gilbert's 20-year tenure to start as a freshman. Another of those five, Chase Simmons, signed with Marian Wednesday.

"We made a difference here (at Clinton Central) so hopefully we can make a difference at Marian," Dunn said.

Dunn is expected to play outside linebacker. Gilbert said the position fits Dunn's skill sets.

"Scott could take his game to another level," Gilbert said. "He plays sideline-to-sideline. Marian's a nice fit and he's real talented. Clinton Central football has always been a real big family and Scott's one of the leaders of our program."

Marian assistant coach Sean Wilson said he was most impressed with Dunn's athleticism, but he will need to bulk up to play at the NAIA level.

"He's going to work on that," Wilson said. "He's proven to be a good athlete because not only is he a football athlete but he does all the other events for track. He'll be a big asset to our team and the track team."

Marian track coach Dave Roberts said what most impressed him about Dunn is his diversity of events. He can run sprints, hurdles and pole vault.

"A lot of times we look for people that can jump in and help out, especially with the relays," Roberts said. "We'd like to build up our ranks because we're getting a track on campus finally."

Because of Dunn's athleticism, there might be a chance he ends up becoming a decathlete.

Dunn won't declare a major until his sophomore year. But eventually, he wants to be a personal trainer.

Dunn was a three-time honorable mention All-State selection (2005-07), four-time All-Hoosier Heartland Conference selection (2004-07), All-Clinton County (2007), All-Lafayette Area (2006-07) and All-Kokomo Area (2005-07). He also won the team's most outstanding defensive player award three times (2004-06) and is ranked third all-time in defensive points with 426.

In track, he was the Bulldogs' top point earner the past three season. He was also All-Clinton County in the high jump in 2005 and 2006. He also led the team in field events in 2005 and sprints in 2006.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/113531

5 Mesa classmates to enter military academies
Comments 0 | Recommend 2
ALEXANDRA WEILER, STEPHANIE CLARKE, FOR THE TRIBUNE
Competition is stiff for admission at any U.S. military academy, but five seniors at Mesa's Mountain View High School passed inspection this year. Five cadets from the same graduating class could be a state record, although academy recruiters did not have historical data available.

Capt. John Lester, a recruiter for the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., said he rarely hears of more than two or three cadets coming from the same high school in the same year.

"I know that five is extremely high," he said.

Frank Antonioli, a guidance counselor at Brophy College Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, agreed that the Mountain View mark this year is impressive.

"Five is a good number," he said. "The academies are very competitive."

The cadets from Mountain View's class of 2008 include Koren Pfeiff, Michael Crimmins, Adam Crotty, Ian Campbell and Brandin Bear.

Bear, also attending the Air Force Academy, said he chose the school because it has a strong track and field team.

He is a Mountain View pole vaulter who finished second in the state last year with a vault of 15 feet, 3 inches. Already this year, Bear has the state's third-highest vault.

"Attending the academy is a great way to set the pace for the rest of your life," he said.

The application process for a U.S. service academy includes many steps beyond that required for a regular university.

Each applicant needs to be endorsed by a U.S. representative or senator, write multiple essays and survive a rigorous interview process.

But the payoff is great.

Service academy appointments include free room and board for four years and have an estimated value of $300,000 to $350,000. An appointment also comes with a guaranteed job after graduation.

Bear said the interview process helped him impress Air Force Academy admissions officials.

"I didn't have the grades or the test scores," Bear said. "It also helped that I was an athlete."

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.logandaily.com/main.asp?Sect ... eID=125174

Robinson signs with Ashland to continue pole vault career

Craig Dunn
of The Logan Daily News

LOGAN - Robert Robinson got what he wanted and Ashland University got what it wanted when the Logan High School senior recently signed a letter of intent to continue his pole vaulting career with the Eagles.

"(Nationally-renowned coach) Dennis Steele is a really good pole vault coach and they already have a 17-foot vaulter," said Robinson, the middle son of former Logan High School boys track coach Jim Robinson and former LHS track standout Debbie Robinson. "They don't have any vaulters (clearing less than) 15 feet.

"As far as Division II goes, Ashland is one of the best schools," he added. "They put out an offer that I couldn't turn down."

Ashland gets Robinson, whom the Eagles hope continues their run of top-flight pole vaulters, and Robinson gets a big part of his scholarship paid to vault for a school that pretty much became his number-one choice when he made a recruiting visit over the winter.

And he fell in love with more than just the track program.

"The food is ridiculously good," he said with a smile, "and it's a really nice campus. The school is getting new (outdoor track) facilities. They have an indoor facility that's really nice."

Until this season, Robinson plied his varsity pole vault trade behind Logan's all-time best, Allen Brandon, who made consecutive trips to the state Division I meet the last two seasons and won a state medal in the spring of 2006.

"Allen pushed me" to get better, said Robert, whose older brother, Raymond, is currently a junior with sophomore eligibility who throws the discus at nearby Tiffin University.

Ironically, beginning next year, Tiffin joins Ashland in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, meaning the two brothers could be on the same field with their respective teams competing against each other.

"As the son of a coach I've always been around the pole vault," Robert said. "They used to have a big southeastern Ohio camp down at (the University of) Rio Grande and I went to that when I was in third or fourth grade. That's the only real vaulting I did until I practiced a little with (the junior high and high school teams) in sixth grade."

With Brandon having graduated last spring, Robinson is the Chiefs' No. 1 vaulter this season and he's also helping coach Greg Fraunfelter's team in a couple running events.

Fraunfelter sees Robinson's senior season lasting into June later this spring.

"Robert has earned the college grants he has received from Ashland," said Fraunfelter. "The potential this young man has is excellent. He has been granted a gift of skill and ability and he has the mental tenacity to stick with it and use it. I wish him all the luck in the world after he earns his way into this spring's Ohio state track and field championships."

Robinson will finish his high school career with 11 varsity letters: four in track, four in wrestling, and three in cross country.

The LHS senior was Division I district runner-up (13-9) last spring and just missed a state berth when he tied for sixth in the DI regional at Hilliard Davidson High School.

He hopes to continue the Chieftains' Southeastern Ohio Athletic League pole vault dominance next month. Brandon won it each of the last two seasons and established both league and school records (14-8) as the Purple & White won the SEOAL championship last season.

Until last weekend, Robinson's best effort this spring was only 13 feet, "which is awful," he said, "but I went 14 feet in an indoor meet."

He broke through last Saturday, clearing an outdoor personal-best 14 feet at the Marietta Noon Lions Invitational, and duplicated that height Tuesday at Canal Winchester.

With goals of winning the league championship and eventually earning a berth in the state meet, Robinson realizes he's got to take his game to the next level over the next few weeks in order to reach a height he's yet to attain in his career.

"Fifteen feet, hopefully by the end of the year," he said. "I know I can win the league."

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... k0510.html

Fanelli vaults to record, still sore from 3 events
Jim Richards
Special for The Republic
May. 10, 2008 12:00 AM

Chandler Valley Christian senior Daniel Fanelli felt the pain from competing in the triple jump, the long jump and the 4 x 100 meter relay earlier in the day, but he had enough left in him to set another mark in his signature event.

Fanelli, who will attend Azusa Pacific University on a track scholarship with an emphasis in the pole vault, broke his own Class 2A state record of 14 feet, 10 1/2 inches Friday night with a vault of 15-0 at the Class 2A track and field championships at Mesa Community College.

After four finals events in boys and girls competition, Valley Christian - defending champions of both the team boys and girls - is ahead in both, with the boys holding a 43.5 to 17 point advantage over second place Phoenix Northwest Christian. Its 12-time defending girls' team holds a 52.5 to 19 point lead over second place Morenci.
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Fanelli broke his 1-year old mark on his first vault. He then set his sights on breaking this year's pole vault high mark of 15-6 set by three vaulters thus far (Class 5A-II pole vaulters will finish Saturday night) with an attempt at 15-7, but came up short. It also would have been his personal best.

"I had been real sore today," Fanelli said, speaking of preliminary competition in the triple jump, long jump and 4 x 100 that will be completed Saturday night. "I felt I would have gotten the (15-7 attempt) if my steps were on. I wasn't getting the depth into the pit that I could have.

"I had the height, though. I felt that I could have gotten it if I would have had one or two more chances."

[Vault Chick]

I'm going to Chico State!!! Any yepp, I'll be vaulting for them! Can't Wait!