Emporia State track and field coach Dave Harris has signed 14 athletes to compete for the Hornets next year.
Included in the group are three Kansas state champions and also 12 athletes from the state of Kansas.
“As always, we recruit athletes to develop into contributors at the MIAA and NCAA Division-II level,” Harris said. “It is one of the toughest cross country and track conferences in the nation, so we may not see the contribution immediately in all cases, but over time this will be a good class.”
The men’s class — which includes four distance runners — is led by Great Bend’s Sloane Kern. He was the Kansas State champion in the 5A cross country meet and was named the Western Athletic League’s Athlete of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
At ESU, Kern will be teammates with Skyler Delmott, who was the 2005 5A cross country champion.
“Sloane Kern,” Harris said, “will make an impact in our distance group.”
Ryan Hahn (Berryton) joins ESU after being named a two-time all-city selection at Shawnee Heights. Will Hohmeier (St. Louis, Mo.) was a two-time all-sectional performer for Lindbergh High School.
The other distance runner, Kerek Mason (Goodland), won the Northwest Kansas League cross country championship twice.
In sprints and hurdles, Kenton Lonberger (Minneapolis) comes to ESU after winning the Kansas 2A title in the 100 and 200 meters. Wes Doolittle (Overland Park) was an All-Johnson County performer for Blue Valley Northwest.
Thrower Kevin Roulhac (Hesston) placed fourth in the discus at state last season.
On the women’s side, Harris signed seven athletes in all — four in distance running and one each in sprints, jumps and throws.
“The women’s group continues our No. 1 goal of adding depth to the cross country team,” Harris said. “Four of these athletes are distance runners who will be called on to vie for spots in the top five this next fall.”
Chelsea Clanton (Great Bend) was teammates with Kern and was her league’s champion in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs. She also was a member of the class 5A state championship 1,600-meter relay team.
Kathryn Davison (Topeka) was a three-time state qualifier in both cross country and track for Topeka High. Tiffany Baum (Stillwater, Okla.) earned all-State honors at Stillwater High School, while Kylie Bookout (El Dorado) was her league’s champion in the 800 meters.
Erin Carr (Marion) will help out the sprints after setting school records in the 100 and 200.
Lindsay Lippert (Wamego) was fourth in the state in triple jump and fifth in the state in long jump, and Rachel DeMint (Sabetha) was an all-Big 7 league performer with a personal best of 120 feet, 8 inches in the javelin.
ESU has seven seniors on this year’s squad.
“We, of course, are continuing our recruiting efforts,” Harris said, “and I foresee many more signees before this track and field season is complete.”