University of Tennessee Athletics
UT Track & Field Adds 11 In Early Signing Period
November 17, 2016 | Track & Field
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -Tennessee director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan announced 11 additions to the team during the early signing period.
Tennessee welcomes distance runners Nicholas Boogades, Georde Goodwyn, Colt Griffith, Conner Hawkins, Taylor Luthringer, Sarah Reeves, Niamh Schumacher and Abigail Smith as well as pole vaulter Hannah Jefcoat, jumps/multi athlete Kiara Rhodes and thrower Jordan West.
"We are excited to announce this incoming class for Tennessee," Tennessee director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan said. "We had some great success in the men's and women's distance side of things, that was a point of emphasis this fall. Assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Layne Anderson has really hit the ground running. He has secured some great talent and great depth for the men's and women's cross country program and distance squad. We have a nice talent coming in with Kiara Rhodes, she'll have an immediate impact in the SEC in the multi events. Jordan West, who joins us from New Jersey, is a great talent in the throws for the men's side and assistant coach John Newell. We look forward to continuing to recruit through the winter and into the spring and hope to announce the rest of a great recruiting class in the spring."
Below is a breakdown of the newest additions to the Tennessee track & field and cross country program.
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| Name | Events | Hometown | High School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Boogades | Distance | Edgewater, Md. | South River H.S. |
| Georde Goodwyn | Distance | Knoxville, Tenn. | Catholic H.S. |
| Colt Griffith | Distance | Piedmont, S.C. | Woodmont H.S. |
| Conner Hawkins | Distance | Cookeville, Tenn. | Cookeville H.S. |
| Hannah Jefcoat | Pole Vault | Dacula, Ga. | Dacula H.S. |
| Taylor Luthringer | Distance | Signal Mountain, Tenn. | Signal Mountain H.S. |
| Sarah Reeves | Distance | Bend, Ore. | Summit H.S. |
| Kiara Rhodes | Jumps/Multi | Memphis, Tenn. | Whitehaven H.S. |
| Niamh Schumacher | Distance | Seymour, Tenn. | King's Academy |
| Abigail Smith | Distance | Greer, S.C. | Riverside H.S. |
| Jordan West | Throws | Rahway, N.J.. | Rahway H.S. |
Nicholas Boogades
Distance
Nicholas Boogades | South River H.S.
Hometown: Edgewater, Md.
Personal Best: 5K Cross Country -- 15:59.7 | 1600m -- 4:21.91
Nicholas Boogades joins the Vols from South River HS where he won the invidual championship and helped lead his school to a second place team finish at the MPSSAA 4A East Regional Cross Country Championship. He had set his 5K PR earlier this year with a time of 15:59.7 at the Anne Arundel County Championships. Boogades also claimed a third place finish at the MPSSAA 4A State Championships in the three-mile race with a time of 16:13.0.
Boogades was the runner-up in the outdoor MPSSAA 4A State Championships in the 1600m as he set a personal record in the finals, notching a time of 4:21.91. He finished in the top two in every 1600m race he competed in during the outdoor season of his junior year. He finished third at the 1600m race at the MPSSAA 4A Indoor State Championships during his junior year.
Director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan on Boogades: "Nick will be a great addition to our program. He has untapped talent in the middle distances and I suspect he will have an outstanding senior track season in 2017. I look forward to seeing him represent for the VOLS!"
Georde Goodwyn
Distance
Georde Goodwyn | Catholic H.S.
Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.
Personal Best: 5K Cross Country - 15:53.0 | 800m - 2:03.33 | 3200m - 10:10.06
Georde Goodwyn is a local student-athlete from Catholic H.S. in Knoxville where he won the TSSAA State Championship A-AA in cross country this year with a time of 16:13.0. He set a personal best earlier this year when he recorded a mark of 15:53.0 at the Jessee Owens Classic.
As a junior, Goodwyn recorded a second place finish at the TSSAA A-AA East Sub-sectional with a personal record of 2:03.33. His top 3200m mark came at the McCallie Mid-South Classic when he took ninth with a time of 10:10.06. Goodwyn was also the 800m leg for the Distance Medley Relay team which finished in scond place at the New Balance Nationals as his team posted a time of 10:20.93.
Director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan on Goodwyn: "Georde is an untapped talent that we are thrilled to have joining our program. A former high-level swimmer, he has just started his running career. He won both the cross country state individual championship and team championship this fall. I am confident Georde will continue to develop into a high level runner for the Vols."
Colt Griffith
Distance
Colt Griffith | Woodmont H.S.
Hometown: Piedmont, S.C.
Personal Best: 5K Cross Country - 15:35.0 | 1600m Outdoor - 4:20.33
Colt Griffith joins the Vols from Woodmont High School in Piedmont, South Carolina where he has run for the cross country team for the past four years. Griffith took sixth place in the South Carolina Class AAAAA Cross Country State Championship with a time of 16:02.0. He recorded a personal best of 15:35.0 at the Greenville County Meet where he took second place. Griffith won four cross country meets during his senior season after claiming six meet victories during his junior year.
Griffith set a personal record of 4:20.33 in the 1600m at the SCHSL AAAA State Championship and also finished eighth in the 800m finals.
Director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan on Griffith: "Colt is a great addition to the distance squad! He will help us to continue to develop the young squad of men on the cross country team. He will help bring us to the next level and I suspect Colt will be an instrumental part of our future success."
Conner Hawkins
Distance
Conner Hawkins | Cookeville H.S.
Hometown: Cookeville, Tenn.
Personal Bests: 5K Cross Country - 16:04.3 | 3200m - 9:34.07 | 1 Mile - 4:19.94
Hawkins finished seventh in the TSSAA AAA State Championship during the 2016 cross country season as he set a personal record of 16:04.3.
Hawkins claimed third place in the 1600m competition at the Tennessee State High School Indoor Track Championship. As a junior, he claimed three meet victories in both the 800m and 1600m distances. He took first in both the TSSAA 3A Section 2 Sub-sectional and the Section 2 Championship before a 10th place finish at the State Championship.
Director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan on Hawkins: "A top finisher in this fall's cross country state championship meet, Conner brings to UT a great range for long distance races. He is a true student-athlete, with an outstanding academic resume and I am thrilled to see him develop throughout his career as a Vol."
Hannah Jefcoat
Pole Vault
Hannah Jefcoat | Dacula H.S.
Hometown: Dacula, Ga.
Personal Bests: Pole Vault - 12-2
Jefcoat claimed seven top two finishes during her junior year at Dacula High School. She cleared 11-6 at the Dacula High Community Classic and finished second at the GHSA Girls 6A State Championship as she cleared 11 feet. Jefcoat was the only non-senior to finish in the top five at the Georgia State Championship last season.
Director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan on Jefcoat: "Hannah is a talented and gifted vaulter that we believe will be the perfect addition to our vault squad. She will be an asset to the women's team and we will see great success as she competes in the orange and white!"
Taylor Luthringer
Distance
Taylor Luthringer | Signal Mountain H.S.
Hometown: Signal Mountain, Tenn.
Personal Best: 5K Cross Country - 18:05.0 | 800m - 2:17.59 | 1600m - 5:10.0 | 3200m - 11:45.24
Taylor Luthringer joins the Vols after finishing second at the TSSAA State Championship A-AA with a time of 19:02.6 earlier this month. She finished fifth in the State Championship last year. She won the Fast Break Athletics Challenge on Oct. 13.
Luthringer finished fourth at the TSSAA State Championship in the 1600m race when she recorded a PR of 5:20.07. She also claimed a sixth place finish last season in the 800m competition posting a time of 2:22.23.
Director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan on Luthringer: "She was the runner-up at the state meet this fall in cross country. Taylor will not only add much-needed depth to the distance squad, but she is also a great developmental talent for the program in all three seasons. She is a proud product of the state of Tennessee, we are excited Taylor will be joining us next fall."
Sarah Reeves
Distance
Sarah Reeves | Summit H.S.
Hometown: Bend, Ore.
Personal Bests: 5K Cross Country - 19:27.0 | 400m outoor - 59.74 | 800m outdoor - 2:11.83 | 1500m outdoor - 4:55.36
Reeves joins Tennessee as a distance runner from Bend, Oregon. Reeves set a season record as she won the 5K Northwest Classic with a time of 20:47.7.
Reeves won the OSAA 5A State Championship in the 800m race with a time of 2:14.9. She won the final five 800m races she competed in during the 2016 outdoor season. She set a personal record at the 2016 Summer Meets with a time of 2:11.83 in the 800m race.
Director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan on Reeves: "I am thrilled to have Sarah join the Vol track and field family. She comes from an amazing high school program and will step into college competition quickly next year. She is an outstanding student, person and athlete, exactly what makes up a successful UT Volunteer."
Kiara Rhodes
Jumps/Multi
Kiara Rhodes | Whitehaven H.S.
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Personal Bests: 200m outdoor - 24.52 | 400m outdoor - 56.02 | 800m outdoor - 2:27.74 | 100m Hurdles outdoor - 13:87 | Shot Put outdoor - 28-1.4 | High Jump outdoor - 5-8 | Long Jump outdoor - 17-6.75 | Pentathlon - 3443 | 60m indoor - 7.88 | 60m Hurdles indoor - 8.45
Kiara Rhodes joins the Vols after placing in the top 10 in eight different events at the TSSAA State Championship in 2016, six of those finishes were among the top three. She was the state champion in the 100m Hurdles as she recorded a mark of 13.89 to win the title. She also claimed the high jump championship with a mark of 5 feet and 8 inches. Rhodes added a third place finish in the high jump posting a mark of 17-6.75 in the finals. The Memphis native notched a second place finish in the Pentathlon posting a mark of 3443.
On the track, Rhodes took fourth place at the state championship with a personal record of 24.52 in the 200m. She grabbed a spot on the podium when the distance moved to 400m as she recorded a time of 56.02 to take third. She tallied a 2:27.74 mark at the 800m to claim second place in that distance as well.
Asst. Coach Berry Shumpert on Rhodes: "Kiara Rhodes is a national-level talent in the combined-events. She is a fierce competitor, an extraordinarily versatile athlete and a phenomenal student. Her talents will help bolster our emerging heptathlete group, while also adding depth to the sprint, hurdle and jump areas."
Niamh Schumacher
Distance
Niamh Schumacher | King's Academy H.S.
Hometown: Seymour, Tenn.
Personal Bests: 5K cross country - 17:18.3 | 1600m outdoor - 5:07.1 | 3200m outdoor - 10:41.31
Schumacher joins UT from King's Academy after winning the TSSAA State Cross Country Championship with a time of 17:38.7 on Nov. 5. She set her PR of 17:18.3 in the 5K with a second place finish at the Jesse Owens Classic.
Schumacher won two TSSAA State Championships during her junior year of outdoor track, taking the 1600m title with a time of 5:07.32. She then claimed the 3200m title in 10:50.33 as one of five 3200m victories during the 2016 outdoor year.
Schumacher's father, James, is a professor at the University of Tennessee in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan on Schumacher: "Niamh is a local talent that will add to our program for all three seasons of competition. This fall, Niamh has hit her stride in cross country as the state champion and proven to be one of the region's and nation's top talents. We are thrilled she will be a part of our program and look forward to an outstanding collegiate career for her!"
Abigail Smith
Distance
Abigail Smith | Riverside H.S.
Hometown: Greer, S.C.
Personal Bests: 5K cross country - 18:30.0 | 800m - 2:21.60 | 1600m outdoor - 5:16.30 | 1 mile - 5:26.92
Abigail Smith joins Tennessee from Riverside High School where she took third place in the 2016 SCHSL Class AAAAA Cross Country State Championship. She recorded five top-five finishes during her senior year.
In addition to her cross country exploits, Smith took fourth place at the SCHSL AAAA State Championship in the 800m race as she recorded a PR of 2:21.6 as a junior. She won the state championship as she ran the third leg of the 4x800m relay team which finished in 9:28.5.
Director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan on Smith: "Abigail is a great young person. She a South Carolina state cross country top finisher and I feel she will become a huge asset for the Vols in the years to come."
Jordan West
Throws
Jordan West | Rahway H.S.
Hometown: Rahway, N.J.
Personal Bests: Shot Put outdoor - 65-1.25 | Discus outdoor - 190-2 | Javelin - 166-9 | Weight Throw - 59-0.25
West comes to UT after winning the NJSIAA Group 3 State Championship in both the discus and the shot put. He finished first in the shot put with a mark of 62-6.5. He also claimed the discus championship with a distance of 181-8 before setting a personal record of 190.2 at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. He followed that performance with a sixth place shot put finish at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor setting a PR of 65-1.25.
During the indoor season last year, West won the NJSIAA Indoor Meet of Champions and the Eastern States Indoor Championships with marks of 62-4.25 and 63-2.75, respectively. West went on to finish fifth at the New Balance Nationals Indoor.
Asst. Coach John Newell on West: "I am very excited to work with Jordan in the future. He has made a name for himself as one of the top all-around throwers in the country and we expect some big things from him next season."
