ORANGEBURG, SC—South Carolina State head coach Tyree E. Price, Monday, announced his 2009-10 men's and women's cross country/track & field recruiting class, a group he considers to be the best of his collegiate coaching career.
“I think this class is by far one of the best I've ever had in my collegiate coaching career,” said Price. “This is an exciting time for our program because we expect these young men and women to come in and team with the returning athletes to help SC State contend for a conference championship.”
Making up the women's stellar recruiting class are sprinters Erica Peake (Spartanburg, SC/Spartanburg HS), Arnetra Frazier (Spartanburg, SC/Spartanburg HS), Shantrell Jenkins (Columbia, SC/Ridge View HS/Voorhees College), Erin Oliver (Stone Mountain, GA/Redan HS), and Yvonne Jorde Farmer (Columbia, SC/Dreher HS); hurdlers Tamoya Morrison (Randolph, TX/Randolph HS) and Kennisha Holden (Stone Mountain, GA/Redan HS); middle distance runners Sherril McFarlane (Brooklyn, NY/Samuel J. Tilden HS) and Oprah Odugblea (Atlanta, GA/Martin Luther King, Jr. HS); and long jumper Tamala Daley (Stone Mountain, GA/Redan HS).
Peake was ranked first in the Palmetto State in the 100m in 2009 and was the AAAA State Champion (100m/200m/Long Jump), and ranked second in both the 200m and long jump. She has personal records of 11.84 (100m), 24.37 (200m), and 19'2¾” (long jump).
In 2008 she was ranked 43rd in the nation in the long jump and, this year was named the 2009 state AAAA Female Athlete of the Year.
Frazier won the 100m and 200m at the 2007 AAAA State Championships, and was a member of the 2007 State Champion 4x100m relay team. She has a personal record of 11.91 in the 100m.
Jenkins was second at the 2009 NAIA Indoor National Championships in the 60m and is an indoor All-American and 3x NAIA national qualifier. She has personal records of 7.54 in the 60m and 11.89 in the 100m.
Oliver placed fifth in the 800m at the 2008 AAAA Georgia State Championships. She has personal records of 57.23 in the 400m and 2:17.03 in the 800m.
Farmer was ranked fifth in the South Carolina in the 400m and fourth in the 800m. She has personal records of 56.76 in the 400m and 2:17.08 in the 800m.
Morrison comes to SC State with a personal best of 21:45.18 in the 5K. Holden was ranked 30th in the nation in the 300m hurdles, 33rd nationally in the 400H, and number one in Georgia in the 400H. She has personal records of 55.06 in the 400m, 1:00.15 in the 400m hurdles, and 42.80 in 300m hurdles.
McFarlane holds a personal best of 2:17.31 in the 800m and 4:58.94 in the 1500m, while Odugblea comes to SC State with personal records of 2:21.16 in the 800m and 5:37.10 in the 1500m.
Daley placed first in both the long jump and triple jump at the 2009 Georgia AAAA State Championship. She was ranked 26th in the nation in the triple jump and ranked 52nd in the long jump. She has personal records of 19'3½” in the long jump and 40'2” in the triple jump.
Joining SC State on the men's side will be hurdlers Eric Sparkman (Waccamaw, SC/Waccamaw HS), Emanuel Blow (Columbia, SC/Blythewood HS) and Christopher Lovett (Albany, GA/Monroe Comprehensive HS); long jumper Raymond Johnson (Orlando, FL/Osceola HS); and middle distance runner Terry Charles (Orlando, FL/Evans HS/Barton CC).
Sparkman placed first at the 2008 AAA State Championships in the 200m and was third in the 100m. He has a personal best of 10.68 in the 100m. Johnson owns a personal best of 6'8” in the high jump and 22'2 ½” in the long jump, Blow was ranked fourth in South Carolina in the 110m hurdles and was also a member of the 4x100m AAAA State Champion relay team. He owns personal records of 14.58 in the 110m hurdles and 55.71 in the 400m).
Lovett placed second at the 2009 AAA Georgia State Championships in the 110m hurdles and has a personal record of 14.09 in the event. Charles is the Virgin Islands national record holder in the 800m and an 8x Junior College All-American. He also placed second at the 2008 NJCAA National Championships in the 800m, third at the 2009 Indoor Championships, and was a member of Barton Community College's 2008 NJCAA Outdoor National Championship 4x400m relay team, as well as their 2008 4x800 squad indoor championship, and 2009 indoor 4x400m championship. He has a personal record of 1:49.50 in the 800.
“We feel that this class will help drive our current program in the appropriate direction toward winning championships in the future,” said Price. “I'm excited to see how well they blend in with last year's class and veterans.”
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