As if last year’s 19 additions to the program weren’t enough, the track and field team continues to add to the herd as head coach Katrice Thomas released the women’s roster for the 2010-11 school year. The season’s roster includes 21 new names to the women’s program. Thomas welcomes athletes from California, Oregon, Wyoming and several Colorado products.
The incoming class outnumbers the returners this season by one, and the Mavericks only have a handful of upperclassmen. “I believe we have the perfect balance of transfers, true freshmen, returners and upperclassmen,” Thomas said. “The numbers alone will force us to raise the competitive nature of practice and we expect that to translate to results in competition.” Thomas also explained that this young group will have the opportunity to bond for the next few years.
Headlining this season’s incoming class will be Fort Lewis transfer Kenzie Grant and Hartnell transfer Treya Winfield. Grant not only knows what to expect of the RMAC but she also knows how to handle it. Grant placed 6th in the RMAC Cross Country Championships last season, garnered cross country all-conference honors, set the school record in the 5k at Ft. Lewis at 17:54, as well raced to the 20th best position at the 2009 cross country regional.
Winfield brings a hurricane force of athletic talent. At Hartnell she was successful at the heptathlon, the 400m, triple jump and just this season, she picked up the 400m hurdles, for fun. After running the event less than a handful of times, Treya has already posted a time of 64 seconds in the hurdles.
Thomas said she’s not going to jump the gun on what she thinks is possible for this team just yet. But she is certain that there is no question that this class elevates the team’s quality of talent and depth in events. “There is so much potential and so much talent that I don’t know where to begin,” Thomas said.
The next generation of track stars will officially check in on Aug 22nd and will hit the practice fields shortly thereafter.
Ariel Ambler (Kim, CO)-jumps
Cathryn Ambler (Kim, CO)-sprints
Amy Austin (Grand Junction, CO)-sprints/hurdles
Shantanique Bridgewater (Fountain, CO)-sprints
Megan Bronson (Evergreen, CO)-jumps
Lauren Brouse (Keizer, OR)-sprints/hurdles
Kyra Earle (Montrose, CO)-jumps
Stephanie Ficco (Ridgeway, CO)-Mid-distance/jumps
Katie Folven (Castle Rock, CO)-sprints
Kenzie Grant (Vail, CO)-distance
Shaleace Jackson (Denver, CO) - sprints/throws
Jasmine Johnson (Grand Junction, CO)-jumps/hurdles/multi
Kelly Kiskadden (Laguna Niguel, CA) – throws
Deanna Knight (Fountain, CO)-jumps
Monique Kuykendoll (Aurora, CO)-sprints
Stacey Loutzenhiser (Parker, CO)-mid-distance
Darianna Morelli (Mancos, CO)-throws
Cyril Pascua (Salinas, CA) – hurdles/multi
Emily Simpson (Montrose, CO)-mid-distance
Jordanne Steege (Pinedale, WY)-hurdles/pole vault
Treya Winfield (Salinas, CA)-jumps/hurdles/multi
Head Coach Katrice Thomas introduces this season’s incoming class:
Ariel Ambler (Kim, CO)-jumps- Ariel went to Otero Junior College to play volleyball. The transfer will come in with intentions of getting back to her triple jump roots.
Cathryn Ambler (Kim, CO)-sprints- Ambler’s long limbs allow her to cover ground very efficiently. She’s from a small school and we’re excited to get her some healthy doses of competition and into our weight room. She’s currently at 61 second 400m speed but the small things will make the huge difference and her potential is infinite.
Amy Austin (Grand Junction, CO)-sprints/hurdles- After a nagging injuries during her junior season; Austin is healthy and ready to fly. The Grand Junction native posted some impressive marks in the 300m hurdles, and ran solid legs on the 4x4 and 4x8 relays at the 5A championships.
Shantanique Bridgewater (Fountain, CO)-sprints- Will immediately impact the sprint core. Bridgewater comes in as the most experienced freshmen as she has had success in the USATF Club circuit and she was a member of the 2009 Colorado 4A championship 4x1 relay. She already has seen all levels of competition and knows how to handle it, plus she’s deceptively fast and certainly will continue to gain strength and speed.
Megan Bronson (Evergreen, CO)-jumps – After taking a season off; Megan is ready to re-grace the triple jump runway with her presence.
Lauren Brouse (Keizer, OR)-sprints/hurdles- Bold and determined, describes this athlete as she will take on the tough task of being a dual sport athlete. Brouse will begin her collegiate athletic career with the women’s soccer team and then will join the Mavs with her 57 second quarter miler speed on the track in the winter. Brouse also toyed with the long hurdles her senior season and look for her to make an impact in both.
Kyra Earle (Montrose, CO)-jumps – This Jamestown transfer had an injury plagued freshmen season and is looking forward to kicking the injury bug and being a factor in the long jump in the RMAC.
Stephanie Ficco (Ridgeway, CO)-Mid-distance/jumps- Is a bit of ying and yang. As she has experience in the distance events and the triple jump. We are looking forward to the challenge of seeing if it’s possible for the two events to co-exist successfully.
Katie Folven (Castle Rock, CO)-sprints – The short sprinter has great starting speed. I think she will find immediate success in the 60m dash during indoors, and we look forward to that success progressing into the outdoor season as well.
Kenzie Grant (Vail, CO)-distance- The Ft. Lewis transfer highlights this seasons incoming class as she already has experienced success in the RMAC. Grant garnered all-conference honors last season and has made her mark as a threat to challenge the top runners in the conference. With a solid group of teammates to train with, Kenzie Grant is definitely someone to watch out for.
Shaleace Jackson (Denver, CO) - sprints- You name it, she’s done it. Out of high school Jackson has tried almost every sport. She has a knack for learning quickly. She has great immediate speed out of the blocks, but with her softball roots and her quick arm, the javelin has definitely been calling her name.
Jasmine Johnson (Grand Junction, CO)-jumps/hurdles/multi- Something old tries something new. JJ will turn in her softball glove for spikes as she returns to the track. She was a triple jump/hurdle sensation out of high school, going 36’ and 15.1 respectively. We’re looking to acclimate her to the track. If she can pick up where she left off, she will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in not only the jumps and hurdles but also look for her to try her hand at the heptathlon.
Kelly Kiskadden (Laguna Niguel, CA) – throws- An injury couldn’t keep this athlete from competing. After playing for the 2nd nationally ranked NAIA soccer team and competing in the heptathlon, Kiskadden experienced a severe ankle injury. After rehab Kelly picked up the javelin, hammer, shot and discus and began learning a new craft. She is strong, has quick feet and is already powering the implements out over some impressive distances.
Deanna Knight (Fountain, CO)-jumps – Knight will be intimidating competition on the triple jump runway. Towering at just over 6’0” tall Knight has true potential in this event, once she can reign in her long limbs.
Monique Kuykendoll (Aurora, CO)-sprints– Her journey isn’t by any stretch a normal one. After three seasons of being the track team manager, her teammates convinced her to compete her senior season. She saw an improvement that began with her running 28.4 seconds in the 200m to qualifying for the 4A State Championships and being one place shy of making the finals at the state meet with a time of 25.88. One word, huge potential… okay, maybe 2 words.
Stacey Loutzenhiser (Parker, CO)-mid-distance – She has bounced around from event to event and hasn’t quite had an event to call home. We are sure that she is going to find some success in the mid-distance events and we are going to focus her talents there and are looking forward to her blossoming.
Darianna Morelli (Mancos, CO)-throws- Will transfer from Otero JC and will exchange spiking a volleyball for a shot put and other throwing objects. She has the stature of an athlete. We’ll make sure she gets strong in the weight room and we think she will enjoy some success in the throwing events.
Cyril Pascua (Salinas, CA) – hurdles/multi – This athlete took us for a ride when she decided that she was going to make the transfer to Mesa one week before school was slated to start. The original plan for the multi was to make the switch at spring semester, but something in her soul moved her otherwise and she made what may sound like impossible her reality. She’s extremely athletic and already has competed in the heptathlon. With her just get it done no matter what attitude, look for her to improve in the multis and the short and long hurdles.
Emily Simpson (Montrose, CO)-mid-distance - After several years of track and field, Simpson stepped on the XC course for the first time her senior year. Following a solid XC season, Simpson watched her 800m time dramatically improve. She’s tough and determined. We will continue to get her legs strong and use to the mid-distance mileage, and we expect her to be a diamond in the ruff.
Jordanne Steege (Pinedale, WY)-hurdles/pole vault – We have a pole vaulter! Steege will become the first Maverick to attempt the event in competition. Along with the pole vault, Steege will also look to improve upon her hurdle time, as she was the Wyoming 3A state runner up in both the 100m and 300m hurdles. Steege is just pure heart, I know that just the climate alone will allow her to get in a decent training season, I expect her to run faster than even I could imagine.
Treya Winfield (Salinas, CA)-jumps/hurdles/multi- This talented transfer may make the biggest overall impact as she has already had success in the multi events and the triple jump. She’s a hurricane of pure athletic talent. To prove it, she picked up the 400m hurdles this past April, and only having competed in the event a few times, has already posted a time of 64 seconds. We are looking forward to the challenge of trying to balance her events as we are sure that everything she touches will turn to gold.
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