COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Track & Field added 13 student-athletes to its 2017 signing class on Tuesday, with head coach Brett Halter signing athletes from four states and two international countries to join the program over the last six days. A pair of high jumpers who competed at an elite level on the junior college circuit this past year and four athletes who have captured at least one state title highlight the class for the Tigers.
The elite signees join Mizzou's fall signing class, which includes Austin Hindman, Arielle Mack and Stephen Mugeche. Hindman, the Gatorade Runner of the Year, recently set the Missouri state record holder in the 3200m run by running an 8:43.40 at the Arcadia Invitational, which is currently the second fasted time in the nation. Mack currently ranks sixth in the nation in the triple jump with a mark of 12.38m (40-7.5), while Mugeche, an Arkansas transfer, won the 2014 Missouri state championship in cross country and has posted a 3200m personal record of 8:58.87.
For a full list of Fall 2016 signees, click here.
"As a staff, we are excited to get our newcomers on campus in the fall," said head coach Brett Halter. "Each represent many hours of diligent work by our coaches and reflect the leadership traits in conjunction with a championship vision we are looking for in our student-athletes. The spring signees are terrific additions to an already strong class for both the men and women. Many of the athletes in this class will have an immediate impact at both the conference and national levels."
Valeria Kostiuk | Jumps
Previous School: Butler Community College
Hometown: Kiev, Ukraine
High Jump: 6'0"
Hailing from Ukraine, Valeria Kostiuk (Kiev, Ukraine) brings a wealth of international experience to the Mizzou jumps squad. At the 2014 Ukraine National Junior Championship, Kostiuk posted a personal record mark of 1.83m (6-0) in the high jump to finish second at the meet. Kostiuk is currently a sophomore at Butler Community College in Kansas, and will have two years of eligibility remaining when she steps on campus at Mizzou. At the 2016 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Kostiuk finished runner-up in the high jump with a mark of 1.72m (5-7.75).
"Valeria is very technical athlete with huge exposure on the international stage," said jumps assistant coach Iliyan Chamov. "The SEC environment will be second nature for her. In 2015, she was one of the best jumpers in the world for her age group, qualified and competed at the European Junior Championship. Her academic success is another great factor that drew us to Valeria. She is an extremely dedicated student-athlete with clear goals and grit to succeed."
Landon Cuskelly | Jumps
Previous School: Butler Community College
Hometown: El Dorado, Kan.
High Jump: 7'2.5"
Another skilled high jumper, Landon Cuskelly (El Dorado, Kan.) will join the Mizzou jumps team following back-to-back top-five finishes in the high jump at the 2016 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and the 2017 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. At the NJCAA outdoor meet, Cuskelly finished runner-up with a jump of 2.15 (7-0.5). Prior to the 2016 NJCAA indoor meet, Cuskelly posted a personal record jump of 2.20m (7-2.5) at the NJCAA Region VI Meet in February 2016. Cuskselly, who is currently a sophomore at Butler Community College, will have two years of eligibility while at Mizzou.
"Landon demonstrated great composure competing for Butler Community College in his freshman year," said Chamov. "From high school to the end of his freshman year, his PR improved more than 7 inches. Landon is an extremely respectful student athlete, and we are fortune to have him on board for the next two years."
Jayson Ashford | Sprints
Previous School: St. Louis University High School
Hometown: East St. Louis, Ill.
200m Dash: 21.13
National Rank: 12th
A Missouri state champion, Jayson Ashford (St. Louis, Mo.) will bring experience in big races with him to Columbia. The summer of 2016 was a memorable one for Ashford, who began the summer by winning the 200m dash (21.39) at the Missouri State Track & Field Championships in May, then followed up the state championship performance by running a 21.13 in the 200m dash at the Great Southwest Classic in June. Ashford finished off his impressive summer by competing in the 100m and 200m dash at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championship in July. As a member of the St. Louis University High School track team, Ashford has posted four top-five finishes at the Missouri State Track & Field Championships, including runner-up performances in the 2015 200m dash and 2016 100m dash. Ashford's 200m dash personal record time of 21.13 currently ranks 12th in the nation.
"Jayson is an amazing athlete with a lot of potential," said sprints assistant coach Carjay Lyles. "He's going to be a premier sprinter for Mizzou for years to come. Jayson has the ability to fill many needs within the program and he will heavily contribute to continued strong performances for Mizzou sprinters. Missouri is fortunate to have Jayson choose to continue his education here."
Jordan Speer | Throws
Previous School: Dighton High School
Hometown: Dighton, Kan.
Shot Put: 46'9.5"
National Rank: 9th
Jordan Speer (Dighton, Kan.) joins Mizzou as a three-time Kansas state champion in throwing events, winning the shot put 1A state title as a sophomore in 2015 and the shot put and javelin 1A state titles in 2016 as a junior. In total, Speer has posted seven top-six performances at the Kansas State Track & Field Championships between the shot put, javelin and discus. Speer posted a javelin personal record throw of 40.56m (133-1) at the 2016 state meet and a shot put personal record of 14.26m (46-9.5) at the Greely County Invitational just a few weeks ago at the Greeley County Invitational. The recent shot put throw currently ranks ninth in the nation among high school shot put throws.
"We are very excited to have Jordan join our throws group," said throws assistant coach Ross Richardson. "Not only is Jordan simply a great athlete and student, she is a winner. She has won individual state titles in track and field as well as being an integral part her high school's state championship in basketball. Jordan comes from a family of athletes having had both her parents and her siblings compete in college athletics. As a three sport standout athlete, we think once Jordan gets to college and begins to focus on throwing, she will grow into a tremendous asset for our team."
Jenna Lutzow | Distance
Previous School: Belvidere North High School
Hometown: Belvidere, Ill.
800m: 2:11.80
3 Mile: 16:35.00
The 2016 Illinois 2A state champion in cross country, Jenna Lutzow (Belvidere, Ill.) will add another talented distance runner to Mizzou's women's cross country team which captured the 2016 NCAA Midwest Regional Championship in November. After finishing third as a sophomore and second as a junior, Lutzow reached the top spot on the podium as a senior at the 2016 IHSA Cross Country State Championship, finishing the three-mile race with a personal record time of 16:35.00. Lutzow's success is not limited to cross country, as the Belvidere North product has posted three consecutive top-10 finishes in the 800m run at the IHSA Girls State Track & Field Championships, including a second place finish in 2016 with a personal record time of 2:11.80.
"We are very excited to have Jenna joining us here at Mizzou," said cross country head coach and distance assistant coach Marc Burns. "She has the ability to be impactful from the 800m through cross country at the SEC/NCAA level. The most intriguing part of her as an athlete is that she knows how to win races at all distances. We have some great racers in our program and she will fit right in. Jenna is an excellent student and believes in the team concept. I believe we found someone with the total package and we look forward to helping her achieve at the highest level in all of these areas."
Polina Makaeva | Throws
Hometown: Bulgaria
Discus: 158'8"
After beginning her track & field career as a high jumper, Polina Makaeva (Bulgaria) will continue her transition to the throws side of the track & field at Mizzou, specifically focusing on the discus throw. As member of the Bulgarian National Team, Makaeva was a 2016 Junior World Championship qualifier and placed 13th in the discus at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships. She has posted a personal record of 48.36m (158-8) in the discus.
"Polina is one of the most intriguing recruits I have seen in a long time," said Richardson "She stands at 6'2" and originally was a high jumper. She converted to the discus just two years ago, and has shown a tremendous propensity for the event. Polina loves to train and grows every day in her understanding of the discus throw. It will be great to see that continued growth as a Mizzou Tiger."
Ethan Hanson | Throws
Previous School: Fremd High School
Hometown: Palatine, Ill.
Shot Put: 61'11"
National Rank: 16th
Just days after signing his national letter of intent, shot put specialist Ethan Hanson (Palatine, Ill.) posted a shot put personal record of 18.87m (61-11) at the Fremd/Palatine Crosstown Dual on April 15. The mark currently ranks 16th on the national list. A three-sport athlete at Fremd High School in Illinois, Hanson will bring a wide-range of athleticism to the Mizzou throws squad.
"Ethan is a great signing for us. With an initial background in football and lacrosse, Ethan started throwing only a few years ago. With his athletic background, great size and an ever-growing passion for throwing, Ethan's future is very bright. He brings what we are always looking for in our program, which is talent, work ethic and a great team attitude. Ethan comes out of a storied throwing program at Palatine Fremd, and we know that his fundamentals will be great when he gets here."
Melissa Menghini | Distance
Preious School: New Hampshire // Rockwood Summit High School
Hometown: Fenton, Mo.
800m: 2:14.45
5K XC: 18:02.00
After spending a year at New Hampshire, 2016 800m run Missouri state champion Melissa Menghini (Fenton, Mo.) will return to her home state to continue her academic and athlete career as a member of the Mizzou Track & Field team. Menghini captured the 800m run state title in 2016 after posting a personal record time of 2:14.45. While at Rockwood Summit, Menghini posted five track & field and two cross country top-10 finishes in state championships, including back-to-back finishes in the 3200m run in 2015 and 2016. At New Hampshire, Menghini posted her best finish at the NEICAAA XC Championship, placing seventh in the 5K race at 18:02.0.
"We look forward to Melissa coming home to Mizzou," said Burns. "She loves cross country and her passion on the track is the steeplechase. We feel she is a great fit with our program athletically and academically."
Maya Puller | Sprints
Previous School: San Antonio Brandeis High School
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
400m: 56.76
A Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) All-Star athlete, Maya Puller (San Antonio, Texas) will join the Tiger Track & Field program as a freshman for the 2017 fall semester. At San Antonio Brandeis High School, Puller finished first in the 400m at the 2016 District 27-28 Area Meet and holds school records in the 4x100m, 4x400m, 400m and 200m. Puller set her 400m personal record at the 2015 Region 4-6A Meet, finishing at 56.76.
"Maya has been on my radar for a couple years and I have been pleased with the progress she has made over the years," said Associate Head Coach Natasha Brown. "Maya is an aggressive competitor, and we look forward to getting her on our campus and getting her immersed into our program."
Sydney Oberdiek | Throws
Previous School: West Platte High School
Hometown: Weston, Mo.
Shot Put: 37'4"
Sydney Oberdiek (Weston, Mo.) brings a wide-range of field experience to the Mizzou program. After competing in the discus, javelin, long jump, triple jump, shot put and weight throw at West Platte High School, Oberdiek will focus on the hammer throw with the Tigers. She has finished in the top-10 four times at the MSHSAA Class 1 & 2 Championships, including back-to-back third place finishes in the discus in 2015 and 2016.
"Sydney is someone that has discovered hammer throwing through her passion for track," said Richardson. "She has started working on the throw over the summer and will be a hammer specialist for us. She is an excellent student in the classroom and has a deep interest in learning the craft of hammer throwing. We think Sydney will be a great addition to our roster and we are very interested in seeing where she can go with her hammer throwing when she can concentrate on it year-round."
Kayla Glowacki // Naperville North High School // Naperville, Ill. // Distance
Lexi Maddox // Park Hill South High School // Riverside, Mo. // Distance
Richelle Bain // Parkway Central High School // St. Louis, Mo. // Distance
Kayla Glowacki (Naperville, Ill.), Lexi Maddox (Riverside, Mo.) and Richelle Bain (St. Louis, Mo.) will each join the Mizzou Track & Field team and will add to the depth of Mizzou's talented women's distance team.
"Kayla, Lexi and Richelle will each be a great fit with our program and we are excited to have them become Tigers," said Burns. "We feel each recruit will develop in our program and we are thrilled to have them joining us at Mizzou."
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