Thirteen Newcomers Joining Cross Country, Track and Field Teams
Sep 5, 2018 | Cross Country, Track & Field
NEW ORLEANS – With the new season right around the corner, Tulane Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Eric Peterson announced the Green Wave's new signing class on Wednesday.
The Green Wave will welcome 13 newcomers for the 2018-19 season including 11 female student-athletes. Of the 13 new members of the track and field team, four will compete during the cross country season as well.
"I believe this is an extremely talented class," Peterson said. "Specifically in our sprint area and jumps area, it is the deepest that we've recruited in my tenure. All of these athletes have the ability to make an immediate impact competitively on this program, and my hope is that they will transition well into college life and as a result be really successful."
Tulane's newest student-athletes come from three different foreign countries (England, Kenya, Slovenia) and seven different states. Three members of the team are from Louisiana with one being a New Orleans local.
The Green Wave's newcomers will also compete all across the different events of track and field. Five will be sprinters, three will be distance or mid-distance runners, three will be pole vaulters and two will be jumpers.
Tom Coe | Mid-Distance/Cross Country | Woking, England | University of Birmingham
Coe, now a graduate student at Tulane, ran track at the University of Birmingham for the UBSport Lions for coach Dean Miller in Birmingham, England. He was the team captain in 2017-18 and holds a personal best in the 800 of 1:55.4. He was honored with the University of Birmingham Sport Half Colours award before graduating.
Coach Eric Peterson on Coe: "He has a very solid background in the 800 meters and is the first student-athlete who we have recruited from Great Britain in quite some time. He's going to bring a lot of experience and maturity to the team, and I really welcome that."
Adrianna Dupree | Sprints | Maringouin, La. | Plaquemin HS
Prior to Tulane, Dupree attended Plaquemine High-MSA West where she was a silver scholar. For three years, she earned the title of team captain and Team MVP. During her time, she individually won state in the 100- and 200-meter dash in 2015 and 2017 while her school won District four years in a row. She received All-District Honors in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017 and All-State Honors in 2014, 2015, 2017. Dupree also earned All-Region Honors in 2014 and 2016.
Coach Hasani Roseby on Dupree: "She competes with so much heart and determination, and she closes very well. When she gets around even tougher competition, that's going to up her game even more. To have short sprinters in the program again [with Dupree and sophomore Kyah Loyd], I'm very excited because I was a short sprinter as well. It's an event that I hold dear to my heart."
Megan Fitzgerald | Pole Vault | Dallas, Texas | Parish Episcopal School
Before joining the Green Wave, Fitzgerald attended Parish Episcopal School where she lettered three years in track and field and once in cross country. She claimed team MVP honors in 2016 and was her team captain from 2016 to 2018. As a freshman, Fitzgerald received the Newcomer of the Year award, and she was a state and regional champion for three of her high school years. She holds her school pole vault record with a height of 12-8.
Coach Doug Fraley on Fitzgerald: "Megan brings a pedigree of having won or placed high on big stages. I believe that she has quality layers of improvement ahead of her in college."
Oneke Gwan | Mid-Distance/Cross Country | Lafayette, La. | Ruston HS
At Ruston High, Oneke (pronounced AH-nik-ay) Gwan ran four years of cross country and track and field while competing in the 400 and 800 and also serving as team captain as a junior and senior. She placed third in the 800 at the state championship meet with a time of 2:19 and holds her school record in the 800 at 2:17. Gwan also holds her school record in the 4x400 relay and helped her team to a state championship in the 4x400 as a sophomore and junior.
Coach Eric Peterson on Gwan: "She excelled in the 800 and 400 meters in high school and will compete in cross country, but I'm really looking forward to her contribution during the track seasons. She'll add depth to our cross country program, and once we get on the track she'll have the opportunity to compete on the 400, 800 and on relay teams."
Olivia Hicks | Jumps | Tulsa, Okla. | Holland Hall HS
Prior to Tulane, Hicks lettered four years in track and field, three in soccer, two in cross county, and two in field hockey at Holland Hall. She was a member of the National Honor Society and Chinese National Honor Society and graduated cum laude. As a junior, Hicks earned the conference and regional high jump championship, and as a junior year she finished second in the state. Hicks served as team captain for track and field as well as soccer as a senior, and she was selected 2017 Tulsa World First Team for track and field and was also the top scorer her high school.
Coach Doug Fraley on Hicks: "Because she was a three-sport athlete, she has never been a full-time track athlete and is full of untapped potential. When we get to training her in the long jump, she could wind up being a heptathlete for us down the road."
Louise Jones | Sprints/Hurdles | Valley Cottage, N.Y. | Nyack HS
At Nyack, Jones served as team captain from 2016-18, won Team MVP from 2013-17 and earned All-League honors from 2014-17. Jones earned honor roll and Principal's Award commemoration as well as awards for English and French.
Coach Hasani Roseby on Jones: "She has so much potential in the long hurdles and maybe the 800 or 60 hurdles indoors. I'm excited about the opportunities I have to develop her as a hurdler, and she is a very strong student."
Evans Kipchumba | Distance/Cross Country | Eldoret, Kenya | Kipsoen Boys HS
A badminton player in high school, Kipchumba will compete in distance events and cross country for the Green Wave. He is majoring in biology and intends to become a scientist.
Coach Eric Peterson on Kipchumba: "Evans is a young distance runner who has loads of potential. He doesn't have a lot of racing experience in his background, but he has been well-trained and even in the first week of practice I can tell he's in excellent shape and will have a dramatic impact on the team."
Trina Malej | Jumps | Mojstrana, Slovenia
An accomplished international jumper, Malej holds a personal best of 12.63m (41-4) in the triple jump and 5.70m (18-8) in the long jump. She Competed at the European U20 Outdoor Championships in Italy and also saw action in many Slovenian championships. She took fifth place in the long jump at the 2017 Slovenian U20 Outdoor Championships and finished third in the triple jump at the 2017 U20 Slovenian Indoor Championships. In 2016, Malej was seventh in the triple jump at the Maribor International meet and fourth in the long jump at the Novo Mesto International meet. She came in fourth in the long jump at the Slovenian U18 Outdoor Championship in 2015 and was fifth in the triple jump at the U20 Slovenian Indoor Championship in 2015.
Coach Doug Fraley on Malej: "The great thing about Trina is she's actually done very little triple jumping and already has established a very good personal record for that. I'm really excited about getting her into a triple jump progression over the course of the next four years."
Tahja Mitchell | Sprints | New Orleans, La. | West Jefferson HS
Mitchell attended West Jefferson and was team MVP from 2016-2017. She earned All-District and All-Region honors and also received All-League honors at the Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the 400. She also earned All-State Honors thanks to a state championship in the 400 and state runner-up showing in the 200 in 2017. She is also a skilled runner in the 100 and 200.
Coach Hasani Roseby on Mitchell: "I saw her compete at the Louisiana indoor championships, and she just blew away the field. She's only run track for two years, and we're excited to have her on the team because her potential is so high. She adds much-needed depth to the team on relays and individual events and excels in the long and short sprints."
Nastja Modic | Pole Vault | Krško, Slovenia | Technical HS
Prior to Tulane, Modic earned loads of international experience in the pole vault. She has competed at the European U-20 Championships this summer and the World U-20 Championships in Finland and took 13th in the pole vault. She is a multi-time Slovenian junior champion.
Coach Doug Fraley on Modic: "She brings a lot of international experience and big competition experience to our squad. Not only is her personal best really high for an incoming freshman, but the big-meet experience that she has is going to add another layer to our vault program that we haven't had before from an incoming freshman."
Nicole Phaneuf | Distance/Cross Country | Monument, Colo. | Palmer Ridge HS
Before joining the Green Wave, Phaneuf attended Palmer Ridge High School she was voted team MVP as a junior. In her senior, year she led the cross country team to a conference championship. During her senior year, she was the state qualifier in the 3200 and currently holds her school record for the 4x800m relay with a time of 9:38.
Coach Eric Peterson: "Nicole is a good distance runner out of Colorado who comes from a strong program and has been well coached. In time, she's going to be able to crack into our cross country top five, maybe even as early as this season."
Alex Potts | Pole Vault | Atlanta, Ga. | Woodward Academy
Potts comes to Tulane having competed a USATF Nationals where she finished Fourth Team All-American her freshman year, Second Team All-American her sophomore year and Third Team All-American her senior year. At the high school level, she earned a regional championship in pole vault her freshman, sophomore, and junior year. She was also the Georgia state champion in pole vault her sophomore year. Also skilled on the track, Potts finished second in state in the 800 her sophomore year and was runner up in the pole vault as a junior. She holds the Woodward Academy school record in four events: pole vault (13-1.5), 800 (2:18.28), 4x800m relay and distance medley relay. For cross country, she led her team to the regional championship as a freshman and sophomore. Potts was also a state qualifier in diving.
Coach Doug Fraley on Potts: "Alex comes in with a really good personal best but has a lot of untapped potential in this event. I feel really good about the type of person she is to be able to coach her and develop that potential. She's the type of kid who I feel will buy into the program and will give tremendous effort to reach her potential."
Hunter Robinson | Sprints | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Avonworth HS
Robinson, a team captain as her junior and senior years, received First Team All-State honors and as a sophomore and Second Team All-State honors in her junior year. She holds school records in the 100, 200, 400 and 4x400 relay. Robinson was a state champion in the 400 her sophomore year and in the100 and 200 as a junior. She placed third in the state in the 100 and 200 her sophomore year and finished second in state in the 400 her junior year. Robinson also lettered in basketball for four years. She ran a 54.1-second 400 in high school, a mark good enough to score at the American Athletic Conference championship right away.
Coach Hasani Roseby on Robinson: "Hunter is a very strong quarter-miler who can also run the 200 well. Hunter is the fastest quarter-miler who I have recruited out of high school, and I'm thrilled to have her. The 400 has been one of our most successful events, so we are happy to bring in key players who can keep that tradition going."
The Green Wave will welcome 13 newcomers for the 2018-19 season including 11 female student-athletes. Of the 13 new members of the track and field team, four will compete during the cross country season as well.
"I believe this is an extremely talented class," Peterson said. "Specifically in our sprint area and jumps area, it is the deepest that we've recruited in my tenure. All of these athletes have the ability to make an immediate impact competitively on this program, and my hope is that they will transition well into college life and as a result be really successful."
Tulane's newest student-athletes come from three different foreign countries (England, Kenya, Slovenia) and seven different states. Three members of the team are from Louisiana with one being a New Orleans local.
The Green Wave's newcomers will also compete all across the different events of track and field. Five will be sprinters, three will be distance or mid-distance runners, three will be pole vaulters and two will be jumpers.
Tom Coe | Mid-Distance/Cross Country | Woking, England | University of Birmingham
Coe, now a graduate student at Tulane, ran track at the University of Birmingham for the UBSport Lions for coach Dean Miller in Birmingham, England. He was the team captain in 2017-18 and holds a personal best in the 800 of 1:55.4. He was honored with the University of Birmingham Sport Half Colours award before graduating.
Coach Eric Peterson on Coe: "He has a very solid background in the 800 meters and is the first student-athlete who we have recruited from Great Britain in quite some time. He's going to bring a lot of experience and maturity to the team, and I really welcome that."
Adrianna Dupree | Sprints | Maringouin, La. | Plaquemin HS
Prior to Tulane, Dupree attended Plaquemine High-MSA West where she was a silver scholar. For three years, she earned the title of team captain and Team MVP. During her time, she individually won state in the 100- and 200-meter dash in 2015 and 2017 while her school won District four years in a row. She received All-District Honors in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017 and All-State Honors in 2014, 2015, 2017. Dupree also earned All-Region Honors in 2014 and 2016.
Coach Hasani Roseby on Dupree: "She competes with so much heart and determination, and she closes very well. When she gets around even tougher competition, that's going to up her game even more. To have short sprinters in the program again [with Dupree and sophomore Kyah Loyd], I'm very excited because I was a short sprinter as well. It's an event that I hold dear to my heart."
Megan Fitzgerald | Pole Vault | Dallas, Texas | Parish Episcopal School
Before joining the Green Wave, Fitzgerald attended Parish Episcopal School where she lettered three years in track and field and once in cross country. She claimed team MVP honors in 2016 and was her team captain from 2016 to 2018. As a freshman, Fitzgerald received the Newcomer of the Year award, and she was a state and regional champion for three of her high school years. She holds her school pole vault record with a height of 12-8.
Coach Doug Fraley on Fitzgerald: "Megan brings a pedigree of having won or placed high on big stages. I believe that she has quality layers of improvement ahead of her in college."
Oneke Gwan | Mid-Distance/Cross Country | Lafayette, La. | Ruston HS
At Ruston High, Oneke (pronounced AH-nik-ay) Gwan ran four years of cross country and track and field while competing in the 400 and 800 and also serving as team captain as a junior and senior. She placed third in the 800 at the state championship meet with a time of 2:19 and holds her school record in the 800 at 2:17. Gwan also holds her school record in the 4x400 relay and helped her team to a state championship in the 4x400 as a sophomore and junior.
Coach Eric Peterson on Gwan: "She excelled in the 800 and 400 meters in high school and will compete in cross country, but I'm really looking forward to her contribution during the track seasons. She'll add depth to our cross country program, and once we get on the track she'll have the opportunity to compete on the 400, 800 and on relay teams."
Olivia Hicks | Jumps | Tulsa, Okla. | Holland Hall HS
Prior to Tulane, Hicks lettered four years in track and field, three in soccer, two in cross county, and two in field hockey at Holland Hall. She was a member of the National Honor Society and Chinese National Honor Society and graduated cum laude. As a junior, Hicks earned the conference and regional high jump championship, and as a junior year she finished second in the state. Hicks served as team captain for track and field as well as soccer as a senior, and she was selected 2017 Tulsa World First Team for track and field and was also the top scorer her high school.
Coach Doug Fraley on Hicks: "Because she was a three-sport athlete, she has never been a full-time track athlete and is full of untapped potential. When we get to training her in the long jump, she could wind up being a heptathlete for us down the road."
Louise Jones | Sprints/Hurdles | Valley Cottage, N.Y. | Nyack HS
At Nyack, Jones served as team captain from 2016-18, won Team MVP from 2013-17 and earned All-League honors from 2014-17. Jones earned honor roll and Principal's Award commemoration as well as awards for English and French.
Coach Hasani Roseby on Jones: "She has so much potential in the long hurdles and maybe the 800 or 60 hurdles indoors. I'm excited about the opportunities I have to develop her as a hurdler, and she is a very strong student."
Evans Kipchumba | Distance/Cross Country | Eldoret, Kenya | Kipsoen Boys HS
A badminton player in high school, Kipchumba will compete in distance events and cross country for the Green Wave. He is majoring in biology and intends to become a scientist.
Coach Eric Peterson on Kipchumba: "Evans is a young distance runner who has loads of potential. He doesn't have a lot of racing experience in his background, but he has been well-trained and even in the first week of practice I can tell he's in excellent shape and will have a dramatic impact on the team."
Trina Malej | Jumps | Mojstrana, Slovenia
An accomplished international jumper, Malej holds a personal best of 12.63m (41-4) in the triple jump and 5.70m (18-8) in the long jump. She Competed at the European U20 Outdoor Championships in Italy and also saw action in many Slovenian championships. She took fifth place in the long jump at the 2017 Slovenian U20 Outdoor Championships and finished third in the triple jump at the 2017 U20 Slovenian Indoor Championships. In 2016, Malej was seventh in the triple jump at the Maribor International meet and fourth in the long jump at the Novo Mesto International meet. She came in fourth in the long jump at the Slovenian U18 Outdoor Championship in 2015 and was fifth in the triple jump at the U20 Slovenian Indoor Championship in 2015.
Coach Doug Fraley on Malej: "The great thing about Trina is she's actually done very little triple jumping and already has established a very good personal record for that. I'm really excited about getting her into a triple jump progression over the course of the next four years."
Tahja Mitchell | Sprints | New Orleans, La. | West Jefferson HS
Mitchell attended West Jefferson and was team MVP from 2016-2017. She earned All-District and All-Region honors and also received All-League honors at the Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the 400. She also earned All-State Honors thanks to a state championship in the 400 and state runner-up showing in the 200 in 2017. She is also a skilled runner in the 100 and 200.
Coach Hasani Roseby on Mitchell: "I saw her compete at the Louisiana indoor championships, and she just blew away the field. She's only run track for two years, and we're excited to have her on the team because her potential is so high. She adds much-needed depth to the team on relays and individual events and excels in the long and short sprints."
Nastja Modic | Pole Vault | Krško, Slovenia | Technical HS
Prior to Tulane, Modic earned loads of international experience in the pole vault. She has competed at the European U-20 Championships this summer and the World U-20 Championships in Finland and took 13th in the pole vault. She is a multi-time Slovenian junior champion.
Coach Doug Fraley on Modic: "She brings a lot of international experience and big competition experience to our squad. Not only is her personal best really high for an incoming freshman, but the big-meet experience that she has is going to add another layer to our vault program that we haven't had before from an incoming freshman."
Nicole Phaneuf | Distance/Cross Country | Monument, Colo. | Palmer Ridge HS
Before joining the Green Wave, Phaneuf attended Palmer Ridge High School she was voted team MVP as a junior. In her senior, year she led the cross country team to a conference championship. During her senior year, she was the state qualifier in the 3200 and currently holds her school record for the 4x800m relay with a time of 9:38.
Coach Eric Peterson: "Nicole is a good distance runner out of Colorado who comes from a strong program and has been well coached. In time, she's going to be able to crack into our cross country top five, maybe even as early as this season."
Alex Potts | Pole Vault | Atlanta, Ga. | Woodward Academy
Potts comes to Tulane having competed a USATF Nationals where she finished Fourth Team All-American her freshman year, Second Team All-American her sophomore year and Third Team All-American her senior year. At the high school level, she earned a regional championship in pole vault her freshman, sophomore, and junior year. She was also the Georgia state champion in pole vault her sophomore year. Also skilled on the track, Potts finished second in state in the 800 her sophomore year and was runner up in the pole vault as a junior. She holds the Woodward Academy school record in four events: pole vault (13-1.5), 800 (2:18.28), 4x800m relay and distance medley relay. For cross country, she led her team to the regional championship as a freshman and sophomore. Potts was also a state qualifier in diving.
Coach Doug Fraley on Potts: "Alex comes in with a really good personal best but has a lot of untapped potential in this event. I feel really good about the type of person she is to be able to coach her and develop that potential. She's the type of kid who I feel will buy into the program and will give tremendous effort to reach her potential."
Hunter Robinson | Sprints | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Avonworth HS
Robinson, a team captain as her junior and senior years, received First Team All-State honors and as a sophomore and Second Team All-State honors in her junior year. She holds school records in the 100, 200, 400 and 4x400 relay. Robinson was a state champion in the 400 her sophomore year and in the100 and 200 as a junior. She placed third in the state in the 100 and 200 her sophomore year and finished second in state in the 400 her junior year. Robinson also lettered in basketball for four years. She ran a 54.1-second 400 in high school, a mark good enough to score at the American Athletic Conference championship right away.
Coach Hasani Roseby on Robinson: "Hunter is a very strong quarter-miler who can also run the 200 well. Hunter is the fastest quarter-miler who I have recruited out of high school, and I'm thrilled to have her. The 400 has been one of our most successful events, so we are happy to bring in key players who can keep that tradition going."
Players Mentioned
Mid-Distance
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & FieldCross Country: Run to History
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