UCLA Wraps Up Stellar Recruiting Class
July 08, 2016 | Track & Field
LOS ANGELES - UCLA director of track & field Mike Maynard announced the class for the upcoming 2017 season. The class is comprised of some of the top local and international talent the signing periods had to offer.
"The incoming 2016-17 recruiting class will prove to be among the best in the country," Maynard said.ย "Our coaches have assembled the best and brightest talent from California, USA, and abroad. This group of incoming athletes, added to our exceptionally talented Bruin athletes, promise to help make our teams a force at the NCAAs for years to come."
Logen Casavant
Will come to UCLA from Rancho Mirage High School in Rancho Mirage, Calif. โฆ Casavant made a seamless transition from the hardwood to the oval as he placed second at the CIF California State Championships in the 400m with a personal best time of 46.93, in just his second season in the sport โฆ He cruised to a De Anza League title at 49.81 and then went on to run a 48.45 to place third at the CIF-SS Division III finals before finishing third in the CIF-SS Masters Meet with a time of 47.60 โฆ Casavant has also run a wind-aided 21.54 and a legal 21.66 in the 200m โฆ He also won the De Anza League in the 200m with a time of 21.91.
Tobia Bocchi
Bocchi will come to Westwood from his club C.U.S Parma where he is the top Italian junior triple jumper. Bocchi holds the junior national record with a personal best leap of 54-3.25 (16.54m). Bocchi was a silver medalist at the 2015 European Junior Championships and a silver medalist at the Youth Olympic Games. Bocchi also holds an indoor personal best of 52-2. His PR of 54-3.25 would have placed fifth at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"We are excited to add Tobia Bocchi to our 16-17 recruiting class," Maynard said.ย "Tobia is the capstone to an already exceptional recruiting class. With a triple jump PR of 54-2, he brings additional strength, to an already deep jumps squad. Tobia will be an immediate impact in triple jump at the national level."
Celera (CiCi) Barnes
Summer โ Finished third at the USATF Junior Championships in the 100m with a personal best time of 11.41. Also clocked an 11.52 in the prelims. Ran a 23.70 in the 200m prelims.
Preps at St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, Calif. Barnes is one of the top returning sprinters in the state of California as she is coming off first and second place wins in the 200m and 100m at the State Meet, respectively. Her fastest 100m is 11.35w and her fastest 200m is 23.25. This year she also won both the 100m and 200m of the Tri Valley League. As a junior she placed third in the 200m and a fourth place showing in the 100m at the State Meet. She posted the fourth fastest time in the state and the 14thย best in the country with her 11.56 at the Ventura County Championships two seasons ago. At the time, she also clocked the fourth fastest 200m in the state and 23rdfastest in the country with a 23.68. In her first ever indoor season Barnes boasted a 60m time of 7.33 to be the runner-up at the New Balance Nationals Indoor Championships.ย
Simon Litzell (Watch)
Litzell comes from Sweden as one of the top junior javelin throwers in the world. He has thrown the 800g javelin for a personal best of 258-3 (78.73m) that currently ranks No. 2 in the world for his age group. He deleted Patrik Bodén's Swedish junior record. Bodén was the former Javelin World Record holder, and is the current NCAA Collegiate Record holder in the Javelin.
"We are very excited to add Simon to the Bruin Track and Field family," Maynard said. "He is such an excellent athlete, and that is surpassed by his exceptional character and personality. We hope and expect that Simon will be a force at the NCAA level in the javelin from his Freshman season with the Bruins."
Garrett Reynolds
Reynolds preps at Ventura High School in Ventura, Calif. He has clocked personal bests of 1:54.83 in the 800m, 4:15.93 in the 1600m, 4:12.21 in the mile and 8:58.06 at 3,200m. Reynolds placed first in the 1600m and second 3200m at the Channel League Finals. He went on to place seventh in the 3200m at the State Meet running it in 8:58.06. The Ventura County Star's Cross Country Runner of the Year has led Ventura to a state title last season. At the 2015 California State Division I Championships Reynolds ran a 15:05.00 to finish sixth overall. ย He finished fourth at the Division II meet in 2014 with a time of 15:16.00. Reynolds is coming off a stellar performance at Mt. SAC where he ran his PR of 8:58.26 in the 3,200m to finish second overall.ย
Marian Spannowsky
Spannowsky will head to Westwood from Germany where he competes for the club team TuS Metzingen. Spannowsky is the second javelin thrower to sign in the class as he boasts a personal best of 251-1 (76.53m). He opened his 2016 season with a throw of 74.76m.
"Marian joins future Bruin teammate, Simon Litzell in the javelin. Together these two will give UCLA track and field one of the strongest one-two punches in the javelin, and will make an immediate scoring impact at the NCAA's from their freshman year," Maynard said. "Marian is relatively new to the javelin as a specialty, having transitioned from the decathlon. He has accomplished big throws, in a relatively short period. He has a tremendous upside, and room for continued improvement."
Sophie Baird
Prepped at American Fork High School in American Fork, Utah โฆ Has run personal bests of 11:11.19 in the 3,200m, 5:07.38 in the 1,600m and 2:18.77 in the 800m โฆ Has also lettered four years on the cross country team โฆ Placed seventh in both the 1,600m and 3,200m at the Utah State meet, running them in 5:09.20 and 11:19.31, respectively โฆ Ran the 800m in 2:23.47 at the State meet to place 13thย โฆ Placed sixth at the Utah 5A State meet with a three mile time of 18:19.40 โฆ Led American Fork to a state title in cross country in 2015 and a team title at the 2015 Nike Regionals โฆ A three time all-region selection โฆ An all-state selection in cross country in 2015 and on the track in 2016.
FALL SIGNING PERIOD
Women
Khalifa St. Fort (Signed a professional contract)
Preps at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. โฆ Rated as the top female sprint recruit in the nation โฆ Won gold in the 100 meters at the Pan-American Junior Athletics Championships in Edmonton, Canada and silver at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia โฆ Has clocked a personal best of 11.19 in the 100m and 23.50 in the 200m โฆ Became the youngest female sprinter in history and first U.S.-based high schooler to medal at the senior-level world championships this past summer when she earned a bronze medal for her efforts in the 4x100-meter trials this past summer at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China โฆ Is coached by UCLA great and four-time Olympic medalist Ato Boldon.
ย
Mikella Lefebvre-Oatis
A high jumper from Chateauguay, QC โฆ Holds a personal best of 5-10 (1.78m) โฆ Placed ninth at the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships โฆ Was the No. 1 ranked high jumper in the world at her age in 2012 โฆ Earned a bronze medal at the Canadian Junior Championships in 2013 โฆ Was the 2012 Canadian Midget Champion.
Kelly Bernd
Attends Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, Calif. โฆ Set personal bests of 2:13.08 in the 800m, 4:51.38 1600m, 4:57.79 in the 1 mile, 10:37.05 in the 3200m, and 11' 4.00 in the long jump โฆ Finished fifth at the CIF San Diego Section Finals in the 1600m with a time of 5:07.86 โฆ Finished seventh at the California State Championships in the 1,600m with a personal best time of 4:51.39 โฆ Placed 10thย at the state meet in the 1,600m as a sophomore and was a qualifier as a freshman โฆ Posted a meet record 10:45.99 in the 3,200m at the Escondido Invitational โฆ Finished seventh at the CIF State Cross Country Championships last season with a 5k time of 18:13 โฆ A state qualifier in cross country as a sophomore and freshman as well โฆ Won the Div. III San Diego Section Championship as a junior โฆ Team captain of both the cross country and track teams.
Cassie Durgy
Ran at Huntington Beach High School in Huntington Beach, Calif. โฆ Posted personal bests of 56.90 in the 400m, 2:08.85 in the 800m, and 4:55.52 in the mile โฆ Won the 800m in 2:09.76 in the Sunset League Finals โฆ Placed sixth in the State Meet running the 800m in 2:09.03 โฆ A two-time CIF State Track & Field Championship qualifier in the 800m โฆ Clocked a personal best 2:08.85 in the prelims at the 2015 state meet โฆ That time was the fastest in the state by a junior and the 10thย fastest in the country โฆ Won the Orange County Championships, the Sunset League Finals, and the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Finals in the 800m โฆ Broke the Huntington Beach HS school record in the 400m with a time of 56.90 โฆ Also holds school records in the mile (4:55), the 1,600m (4:56) and the indoor mile (5:14)ย โฆ Also competed on the cross country team for three seasons โฆ Named all-league three times โฆ A first-team selection in track and cross country all three seasons โฆ Was the Sunset League Champion in cross country.
Men
John "Carter" Blunt
Attends Frisco Independence in Frisco, Texas โฆ Set personal bests of 54.90 in the 400m, 8:57.01 in the 3200m, and 14:41.90 in the 5000m โฆ Placed first at UIL 5A Region II running the 1600m in a personal best 4:10.09 โฆ Won the TX UIL 5A State Championships in the 1600m and 3200m in 4:10.89 and 8:58.86, respectively โฆ Named the Gatorade State Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2014-15 โฆ Won the Class 5A state title in cross country with a time of 15:22.2 โฆ Earned All-American honors by placing 13thย at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and finished 20thย at the Nike Cross Nationals Final โฆ Won the 1,600m 5A state title with a personal best time of 4:10.35 โฆ Also won the 3,200m 5A state title with a time of 9:02.98 โฆ Won the UIL Class 4A state 1,600-meters as a sophomore โฆ Has clocked personal bests of 8:57.01 in the 3,200m and 14:45.12 in the 5,000m.
Tyler Janes
Preps at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Riverside, Calif โฆ Personal bests of 1:56.00 in the 800m and 4:05.97 in the 1 mile โฆ Set personal records at the State Meet placing third in the 1600m in 4:05.86 and sixth in the 3200 in 8:56.93 โฆ Placed eighth that the California State Track & Field Championships in the 1,600m with a time of 4:13.36 โฆ Has clocked a personal best of 4:10.71 in the 1,600m โฆ Posted his personal best at the CIF-SS Finals โฆ Posted a 14:24.90 in the 3-mile race this season during cross country at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic โฆ That time is the fifth fastest in the state this season at that distance.
Isaiah Holmes
Attends Oakmont High School in Roseville, Calif. โฆ A versatile athlete that has a personal bests of 7-1 in the high jump, 25-11.5 in the long jump, 48-3.25 in the triple jump, 11.45 in the 100m, 53.62 in the 400m, and 14.13 in the 110m hurdles โฆ ย Won the long jump at the State Meet with 25-5 โฆ Placed fifth in the high jump at the State Meet jumping 6-8 and fifth in the triple jump with a jump of 48-0.75 โฆ A state qualifier in the high jump, long jump and triple jump โฆ Holds the school record in the high jump.
Nathan Esparza
Preps at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, Calif. โฆ Competes in the shot put and discus โฆ Personal best discus of 191-5 โฆ Set a personal best shot put placing second at the State Meet throwing 69-4.75 โฆ Placed fifth at the State Meet in the discus throwing 186-4 โฆ Placed 12that the California State Championships in the shot put with a throw of 55-0.50 โฆ Holds a personal best of 60-6.25 โฆ Placed 14thย at the state meet in the discus with a toss of 163-1 โฆ Has a discus best of 177-7 that won him the CIF-NCS Meet of Champions.
