LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Head Coach
J.P. Behnke announced the addition of eight cross country and track and field student-athletes and fifteen track and field student-athletes prior to the 2023-24 season.
"I am beyond excited about this group of twenty-three student-athletes we are adding to the Trojan cross country and track family," said Behnke. "Coach Doakes and Coach Hime did an outstanding job adding to their event groups and bringing a few of the best in the country to Little Rock. Coach Hime didn't join our program until late May and was able to add four women in his first month on the job including
Kennedie Rhein who was a two-time AAU National Champion in the 2000-meter steeplechase. He also recruited transfer
Marcie Cudworth who was a national qualifier in the 5000-meters. Coach Doakes signed a couple of the top jumpers out of the state of Texas including Alexia Washington who owns the fifth longest triple jump mark in the country last season. On the sprint side, there will be added competition for a spot on our record breaking 4x100-meter relays. Makayla Jones brings a personal best 100-meters time of 11.66 to Little Rock, while the men add two guys who each ran 10.3 in Gabriel Torres and Michah Koenig.
The cross country and track and field new signees are:
Savannah Graham
Freshman | Plano, Texas | Plano Senior High School
Prior to Little Rock: While at Plano High, Graham competed in a variety of events. She earned personal bests of 2:17 in the 800m and 5:19 in the 1600m, while also high jumping 5'6". She will be competing in both cross country and track & field for the Trojans.
Kennedie Rhein
Freshman | Owasso, Okla. | Owasso High School
Prior to Little Rock: Rhein ran for Personal Best Athletics. She has personal bests of 2:20 in the 800m, 5:08 in the 1600m, 10:35 in the 3000m, and 7:03 in the 2K steeplechase. She is a 2-time AAU National Champion in the steeplechase. She will be competing in both cross country and track & field for the Trojans.
Marcie Cudworth
Junior | Mountain Home, Ark. | Arkansas Tech University
Prior to Little Rock: While with the Golden Suns, Cudworth ran personal bests of 4:58 in the mile, 9:57 in the 3,000m, 17:04 in the 5,000m, and 36:57 in the 10,000m. She will be competing in both cross country and track & field for the Trojans.
Mackenzie Hendrix
Sophomore | Bartlesville, Okla. | Arkansas Tech University
Prior to Little Rock: While at ATU, Hendrix collected personal bests of 10:41 in the 3,000m and 18:07 in the 5,000m. She will be competing in both cross country and track & field for the Trojans.
Reece Page
Freshman | Dublin, Ohio | Dublin Scioto High School
Prior to Little Rock: Page has collected marks of 1:58 in the 800m, 4:26 in the 1600m, 9:31 in the 3200m, and 16:07 in the 5,000m. He will be competing in both cross country and track & field for the Trojans.
Marshall Reed
Freshman | Columbia, Mo. | Hickman High School
Prior to Little Rock: Reed ran personal bests on the grass of 9:15 in the 3,000m and 15:43 in the 5,000m. In 2022, he earned All-State honors in cross country. Reed will be competing in both cross country and track & field for the Trojans.
Devin Stevens
Freshman | Tampa, Fla. | Tampa Jesuit High School
Prior to Little Rock: Stevens was a multi-time All-Region athlete and state qualifier. He is coming to Little Rock with marks of 50.42 in the 400m and 1:57 in the 800m. Stevens will compete in both cross country and track & field with an emphasis on the 800m.
Shane Fisher
Freshman | Fairbanks, Alaska | West Valley High School
Prior to Little Rock: Fisher has personal bests of 2:00 in the 800m, 4:29 in the 1600m, 9:44 in the 3200m, and 15:49 in the 5,000m. He has earned multiple All-State accolades during his time at West Valley. He will be competing in both cross country and track & field.
Emilio Varela - High Jump
Freshman | Tomball, Texas | Reserve HS New Mexico
Prior to Little Rock: Varela finished 5th at the 2023 Texas 3A State meet in the high jump. He placed 2nd in district 15 and 3rd in Region 2 in high jump. He was the 2022 State Champion in the high jump and earned All-State honors in the 100-meters, 200- meters, and high jump. His personal best is 6'8".
Matthew Tyeskie - Sprints/Hurdles
Freshman | Kilgore, Texas | Kilgore HS
Prior to Little Rock: Tyeskie was the Texas 4A State Champion in the 110-meter hurdles in 2022 and runner-up in 2023 and 2021. He finished with a Bronze medal at the Texas 4A State Championship in the 300-meter hurdles during both his sophomore and junior seasons. He was ranked 40th in the nation his senior year in the 110-meter hurdles. His personal bests are 13.91 in the 110-meter hurdles and 37.67 in the 300-meter hurdles.
John Sanderson - Sprints/Hurdles
Freshman | Hamshire, Texas | Hamshire-Fannett HS
Prior to Little Rock: Sanderson finished 11th at the 2023 Indoor New Balance Nationals in the 60-meter hurdles. He was runner-up at the 2022 4A State meet in the 110-meter hurdles. His personal bests are 13.76 in the 110-meter hurdles and 39.35 in the 300-meter hurdles.
Gabriel Torres - Sprints
Freshman | Arlington, Tenn. | Arlington HS
Prior to Little Rock: Torres is ranked fourth all-time in the State of Tennessee in the 100-meters. He finished 3rd at the Tennessee State meet in the 100-meters and fifth in the 200-meters. His personal bests are 10.37 in the 100-meters and 21.48 in the 200-meters.
Chase Peterson - Sprints/Hurdles
Freshman | Collierville, Tenn. | Collierville HS
Prior to Little Rock: Peterson finished fifth at the 2023 Tennessee State Championships int eh 300-meter hurdles. He was a TSSAA Section 4 gold medalist in the 300-meter hurdles. His personal bests are 38.15 in the 300-meter hurdles and 50.54 in the 400-meters.
Micah Koenig - Sprints
Freshman | Katy, Texas | Katy HS
Prior to Little Rock: Koenig ranked in the Top 50 nationally in the 100-meters. He won the 200-meter dash at the 2023 Texas Southern Relays. His personal bests are 10.32 in the 100-meters, 21.49 in the 200-meters, and 49.16 in the 400-meters.
Nicari McGee - Sprints
Freshman | Killeen, Texas | Ellison HS
Prior to Little Rock: McGee was the 2022 Texas 6A District 12 runner-up in the 100-meters. His personal best in the 100-meters in 10.60.
Alexia Washington - Jumps
Freshman | Rosenberg, Texas | BF Terry HS
Prior to Little Rock: Washington ranked fifth in the nation in triple jump and second wind-aided. A three-time Texas State meet qualifier, she placed 3rd at the Texas 5A State Championship in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump. She was a bronze medalist at the 2023 Texas Relays and selected by the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) for the 2022-2023 5A Super Elite Team. This award recognizes student-athletes from across the state of Texas for their exemplary athletic achievement in their respective sport. Her personal bests are 41'11" in the triple jump and 18'9" in the long jump.
Mekayla Jones - Sprints
Freshman | Dallas, Texas | Skyline HS
Prior to Little Rock: Jones finished third at the Texas District 11/12 meet in the 100-meters and third at the 6A Region 2 meet in the 4x200-meter relay. Her personal bests are 11.66 in the 100-meters, 25.67 in the 200-meters, and 7.87 in the 60-meter.
Talicia Fair - Sprints/Hurdles
Freshman | Texas
Prior to Little Rock: Fair finished fourth at the Texas 5A State meet as a sophomore in the 100-meter hurdles with a wind legal time of 14.38. Her personal bests are 45.48 in the 300-meter hurdles and 14.38 in the 100-meter hurdles.
Kiara Moss - Shot Put
Freshman | Miami, Fla. | South Miami HS
Prior to Little Rock: Moss ranked 11th in the State of Florida in shot put with a personal best toss of 13.08m. She finished third in the shot put at the Florida 3A Region 4 and eighth at the Florida 3A State Championships. She also has recorded a personal best in the discus of 31.9m.
Neveah Hill - Sprints
Freshman | Texarkana, Texas | Liberty-Eylau HS
Prior to Little Rock: Hill finished fifth at the Texas 4A State Championships in the 100-meters. Her personal bests are 11.98 in the 100-meters and 25.19 in the 200-meters.
Carolin Bielert - Combined Events
Northwestern State | Germany
Prior to Little Rock: Bielert finished eighth at the Southland Conference Championships in the pentathlon. Her personal bests include 4,416 points in the pentathlon, 5.87m in the long jump, 1.65m in the high jump, 12.67 in the 100-meters, 15.71 in the 100-meter hurdles, 29.78m in the javelin, and 2:43.40 in the 800-meters.
Layloni Watson - Jumps
Freshman | Temple, Texas | Lake Belton HS
Prior to Little Rock: Watson finished runner-up in the triple jump at the 5A Texas Region 3 meet with a jump of 41 feet. She finished third at the Texas State Meet in the same event as a junior and placed eighth her senior season. Her personal bests are 9.75 in the 60-meter hurdles, 15.00 in the 100-meter hurdles, 41 feet in the triple jump, and 18'1" in the long jump.
Alicia Long - High Jump
Freshman | Spring, Texas | Klein Collins HS
Prior to Little Rock: Long has recorded a personal best in the high jump at 5'4.
For the latest information on Little Rock Track & Field, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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