Track Reveals 2009-10 Signing Class
June 03, 2009 | Track & Field
June 3, 2009
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Calling it arguably the most talented recruiting class in recent memory, East Carolina track and field head coach Curt Kraft announced Tuesday that 22 athletes have signed national letters-of-intent to compete for and attend the university, starting in the fall of 2009.
The men have added seven signees from North Carolina as well as the California State Junior College champion in the shot put and hammer throw while the women boast three high school national champions, four state title holders and seven that have competed in a prep national championship meet.
In all, the class includes 10 distance runners, five throwers, two jumpers, two vaulters, two sprinters and one hurdler.
Tynita Butts, Jumps, Alexandria, Va. (T.C. Williams)
Butts has the potential to be an immediate impact performer at both the Conference USA and national level. She hails from T.C. Williams High School and is currently ranked in the top five nationally among prep athletes in the long jump (20-4.5 feet) and the high jump (5-10.5). The Alexandia, Va., native is a three-time Virginia and National Scholastic Indoor champion in both events.
Kraft on Butts: "Tynita is a fantastic, versatile athlete that is national caliber in both the long jump and the high jump. She is an immediate force to be reckoned with at the conference meet and should soon be one at the national level as well."
Tiffany Harris, Sprints/Jumps, Portsmouth, Va. (Churchland)
Harris arrives in Greenville capable of scoring points for the Pirates in both track and field events. She won the 2008 Virginia outdoor state title in the long jump and boasts a personal-best mark of 19-10.75 in the event as well as a time of 55.64 in the 400m.
Kraft on Harris: "Tiffany is the epitome of the caliber of athlete that we are trying to build our program around ones that are rangy and can excel in multiple events. She is also a top long jumper nationally and helps fill a lot of holes for us."
Britney Kott, Middle Distance, Millville, N.J. (Millville)
Kott attends Millville HS in New Jersey and looks to be an immediate impact performer in the middle distance corps. She is a Nike Indoor national qualifier and earned a third-place finish in the 400m at the Eastern States Championships. Kott owns personal-best times of 56.30 and 2:14.66 in the 400m and 800m events, respectively.
Kraft on Britney Kott: "Britney is the type of person who is a jack-of-all-trades competitor, a great student and very involved in community work. We noticed her talent when she was a sophomore at the national championships and have been following her ever since. She will be a definite asset to our program in many areas."
Brooke Kott, Middle Distance, Millville, N.J. (Millville)
Kott will join her sister, Britney, as a freshman at East Carolina in the fall. She is the 2008 New Jersey Group 4 state runner-up in the 800m (2:12.83) and will immediately contribute to the Pirate middle distance contingent. Kott will also serve as a contributor to the ECU cross country team.
Kraft on Brooke Kott: "Brooke is a middle to longer distance runner with outstanding talent and potential. She is a multiple-time state and national qualifier as well as in the top 10 of her graduating class. She represents the type of athlete we are looking for and is an important cog in this wheel."
Laura Gundry, Middle Distance, Doylestown, Pa. (Central Bucks West)
Gundry currently competes for Central Bucks West High School and will provide depth to the Pirate middle distance squad. She will also have the opportunity to bolster the relay teams.
Kraft on Gundry: "Laura is a tenacious competitor with great natural speed. She actually started as a sprinter until her high school coach saw a middle distance talent in her. As we can see, her coach was certainly proven correct. She is going to be an immediate help for us both in the relays and on the cross country course."
Stacey Gonzalez, Distance, Raleigh, N.C. (Sanderson)
Gonzalez, who currently attends Sanderson High School in Raleigh, N.C., is an experienced distance runner who has participated in the Nike Indoor Nationals. She will add depth to both the track and cross country teams.
Kraft on Gonzales: "Stacey is a late bloomer who has had tremendous development this past year. Her coaches at Sanderson have done an amazing job bringing her from someone that you may not have noticed during the cross country season to capturing state runner-up honors in the 3200m this indoor season. She has a huge upside and should help our squad to the next level."
Ashley Clasen, Throws, Shoreham, N.Y. (Shoreham-Wading River)
Clasen was the New York state runner-up in the discus and a 2009 finalist at both the Nike Indoor Nationals and the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in the weight throw. Her current 50-10.0, 155-10.0 and 139-10.0 marks in the weight throw, hammer and discus would put her in the top 20 of this season's C-USA performances.
Kraft on Clasen: "Ashley is the most versatile freshman thrower coming in this year. She is very strong, has good weight room numbers and can help the team in the shot put, discus, hammer throw and weight throw. She joins a deep and talented hammer throwing group and should learn well from that experience."
Dana Keister, Throws, Absecon, N.J. (Absegami)
Keister joins the East Carolina throwers as the 2008 New Jersey Group 4 South sectional champion and the state runner-up in the javelin. The Absecon, N.J., native also boasts a personal-best shot put mark of 40-4.5.
Kraft on Keister: "Dana is very young in the sport of track and field, only spending about two months of the year training for it. However, she definitely has the physical attributes to be a very good thrower. As the top scorer on the soccer team and best defensive basketball player in high school, she has the athleticism to develop into a very good thrower."
Jovonne Tyson-King, Sprints, Midlothian, Va. (Clover Hill)
Tyson-King is a rangy sprinter that adds depth to the Pirate sprints squad. She will be looked upon to provide help to both the sprints and relays for ECU.
Kraft on Tyson-King: "Jovonne is a young lady that has had some past success in her career and has a lot of potential. She is very athletic and adds great depth to our sprint corps."
Kenneth Rowland, Throws, Jacksonville, N.C. (Northside)
Rowland captured the 2009 1/2/3A state title in the shot put and was a finalist in the event at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships. His current marks of 61-8.0 in the shot put and 171-0 in the discus would rank among the top scores produced by this season's Pirate throwers. Additionally, Rowland placed fourth at the 2009 North Carolina state meet in the 55m dash.
Kraft on Rowland: "Kenny is a phenomenal athlete with tremendous speed and jumping ability. You don't see many athletes that hold the state record in the shot put and throw 171 feet in the discus that can also place fourth in the state in the 55m dash. I do believe he has a hidden javelin talent that he doesn't know about yet."
Dennis Aliotta, Throws, Moorpark, Calif. (Moorpark College)
A transfer from Moorpark College in California, Aliotta brings his collegiate experience to Greenville and looks to make an immediate impact for ECU on both the conference and national levels. He is the 2009 California State National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) champion in the shot put and hammer throw and sports personal best collegiate marks of 60-7.0 in the shot put, 186-8.0 in the hammer throw and 163-9.0 in the discus.
Kraft on Aliotta: "Dennis is the most experienced new thrower coming in this year. He is explosive, athletic and has great balance in the ring. While attending Moorpark College last year, he was tutored by a fantastic coach in Bob McKay so he certainly comes from a great background. His future looks very bright."
Montrell Morrow, Throws, Burlington, N.C. (Cummings)
Morrow, a standout thrower at Cummings High School in Burlington, N.C., is the two-time runner-up in the discus event at the North Carolina 2A Mideast Regional. He will add depth to the growing Pirate throwing corps.
Kraft on Morrow: "Montrell is an inexperienced discus thrower, but has a spring-loaded arm for the event. Even with that, he still placed second at regionals, so his improvement potential is through the roof."
Stephen Hodapp, Pole Vault, Charlotte, N.C. (Matthews)
Hodapp boasts a personal-best mark of 15-7.0 in the pole vault and is the 2009 North Carolina 4A indoor champion as well as the Taco Bell Invitational winner. He looks to help ECU have an impact in the event at the conference level.
Kraft on Hodapp: "Steven is the 4A indoor state champion in the vault and placed second outdoor. He is fast down the runway and has a very high reach with the pole. The fact that he took some very good attempts at the state record (16'1") at the North Carolina 4A meet shows us his great potential."
Aaron Zakula, Pole Vault, Kernersville, N.C. (East Forsyth)
Along with fellow signee Hodapp, Zakula will compete for the Pirates in the pole vault. He is the 2009 North Carolina 4A outdoor champion and will help ECU compete for points at the conference meet.
Kraft on Zakula: "Aaron is another very tall and fast vaulter who overcame some hamstring injuries early in the year to win the 4A outdoor state title. He's another athlete with a lot of potential that took aim at the state record. We see good things in his future."
Tadarrin Phronebarger, Middle Distance, Charlotte, N.C. (West Charlotte)
Phronebarger joins the Pirate middle distance runners and owns times of 48.14 in the 400m and 1:53.82 in the 800m. He is also the 2008 and 2009 4A state runner-up, 2009 National Scholastic Indoor Championship qualifier and the 2009 Taco Bell Invitational champion, all in the 800m.
Kraft on Phronebarger: "Tadarrin is an athlete that we have had our eye on for a few years now. He has a smooth, fluid stride and great speed but does not shy away from putting in the distance work needed to be a top half-miler. He's one of the top middle-distance prospects in North Carolina and has a very bright future ahead of him."
Antonio Palmer, Middle Distance, Gaithersburg, Md. (Gaithersburg)
Palmer competes in the 400 and 800m events. He earned runner-up designation at the 2009 Maryland state meet after winning the title in 2008 and was a Nike Indoor Nationals participant this season. Palmer's best time of his prep career was a 1:54.03 in the 800m.
Kraft on Palmer: "Antonio is the kind of athlete you cannot put in a box. He is rangy and dangerous and serves as the kind of athlete that can help us in the 4x400m and on the cross country course. He won the state championship in the 800m as a junior and should be an immediate impact athlete for us."
Dillon Hawley, Distance, Nashville, N.C. (Nash Central)
As an addition to the East Carolina cross country squad, Hawley will also develop his talents on the track. He finished in the top three at the 2009 North Carolina 2A state cross country meet and has qualified for the Footlocker South Regional twice in his prep career.
Kraft on Hawley: "Dillon is a late-blooming athlete that shows flashes of great ability but has been hampered by some injuries. However, when the gun goes off, he competes hard all the way to the finish line. If he is patient with his training, he could be one of the surprise athletes of this recruiting class."
Matt Poiesz, Middle Distance, Chalfont, Pa. (Central Bucks West)
Poiesz begins his Pirate career attempting to bolster the middle distance contingent. His time of 1:55.48 in the 800m would rank in the top 10 among ECU athletes this season.
Kraft on Poiesz: "Matt is a battle tested runner that has competed at the highest level. His 4x800m relay team was one of the fastest in the nation this past year. He is already one of the fastest 800m runners in Pennsylvania and once his endurance catches up with this speed, he is going to be dangerous nationally."
Brian Quintrell, Middle Distance, Lansdale, Pa. (North Penn)
Quintrell will be an asset for the cross country team as well as the track squad. He is a member of the 2008 Pennsylvania state champion cross country team at North Penn High School.
Kraft on Quintrell: "Brian comes to us from the same high school program that gave us current C-USA cross country Freshman-of-the-Year Zach Montijo. He was a part of the Pennsylvania state championship cross country and 4x800m relays team. Brian gives us depth in the relays and is an immediate contributor to our cross country team."
Cory Hampshire, Distance, Shenandoah Junction, W.Va. (Jefferson)
Hampshire, a standout distance runner in the state of West Virginia, arrives in Greenville via Jefferson High School. He is part of the 2009 3A state runner-up cross country squad and qualified for the Footlocker South Regional meet.
Kraft on Hampshire: "Corey comes to us as one of the top distance runners in West Virginia. He was a Footlocker South Regional harrier qualifier this past year and his experience will be an immediate impact for us in cross country."
Antonial Marshall, Sprints, Charlotte, N.C. (Independence)
Marshall represents another key in the Pirates' chase for a conference title in sprints. He boasts times of 10.75 in the 100m and 21.95 in the 200m. His experience will also help the ECU relay teams.
Kraft on Marshall: "Antonial is a true competitor. He has that sprinter's confident attitude, good mechanics when he runs and a great build. These are all things that a sprint coach likes to see and that will help take him far in this sport."
Patrick Jones, Hurdles, Piscataway, N.J. (Piscataway)
As an experienced hurdler, Jones has the potential to make an immediate impact in those events. He is a 2008 New Jersey Group 4 finalist in the 110m hurdles and has picked up personal best times of 14.43 and 54.00 in the high and 400m races, respectively.
Kraft on Jones: "Patrick definitely adds immediate depth and quality to our hurdling group. He can run both the sprint and long hurdle races and his confidence will serve him quite well."
