Gators Announce Signings of 15 Track and Field Standouts for 2016
Tuesday, November 24, 2015 | Track and Field
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Come the summer of 2016, the University of Florida track and field program will welcome one of the top classes in its 93-year history, as it signed 15 high school athletes to National Letters of Intent during the 2015 early signing period.
This class has won 42 individual state championships and contributed to 13 team state championships during their decorated prep careers.
"We are very excited about the incoming class for 2016," Florida Head Coach Mike Holloway said. "The staff did an incredible job of putting this class together. We signed several young people who we believe will make an immediate impact on our program. Looking at the class, I feel as though we covered all areas—sprints, hurdles, throws, jumps, and distances.
"We feel they are all great PEOPLE who show a lot of pride and passion both in the classroom and on the track."
Below is a list of the entire 2015 signing class and their pre-collegiate accomplishments.
MEN'S SIGNEES
Sam Ahrenholz, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Cedar Falls High School)
Personal Bests: 49.65 (400 meters); 1:52.7 (800 meters)
- 2014 IAHSAA Track & Field Championship Class 4A 4x400 relay winner
Connor Bandel, Oxford, Mich. (Oxford)
Personal Bests: 62'3" (shot put); 192'11" (discus)
- Shot put and discus throw silver medalist at 2015 USATF National Junior Olympics (17-18 division)
- 2015 MHSAA Division 1 State Championships shot put and discus winner
Clayton Brown, Kingston, Jamaica (Jamaica College)
Personal Bests: 7'2.5" (high jump); 53'0.75" (triple jump)
- 2015 Pan American Junior Championships high jump bronze medalist
- 2014 CARIFTA Games high jump gold medalist (U-20 division)
- 2015 Jamaican Senior Championships high jump and triple jump winner
Nolan Bylenga, Pendleton, Ore. (Pendleton)
Personal Bests: 1:53.49 (800 meters)
- 2015 OSAA State Championships Class 5A 800 meters runner-up finisher
- 2014 OSAA State Championships Class 5A 800 meters third-place finisher
- Watch Nolan Bylenga earn runner-up honors in the 2015 OSAA State Championships Class 5A 800 meters
Grant Holloway, Chesapeake, Va. (Grassfield)
Personal Bests: 6.30 (55 meters); 7.59 (60-meter hurdles); 13.61 (110-meter hurdles); 21.54 (200 meters); 36.73 (300-meter hurdles); 7'1" (high jump); 25'8.75" (long jump)
- 2015 USATF Junior Outdoor Championships long jump bronze medalist
- 2015 New Balance Indoor Nationals 60-meter hurdles gold medalist
- 60-meter hurdles PR of 7.59 is the second-fastest time in high school history
- Recorded top outdoor long jump (25'8.75"), second-best indoor high jump (7'0") by a U.S. high school jumper in 2015
- 2015 Virginia Gatorade Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year
- 10-time VHSL Class 6A Indoor and Outdoor State Champion, leading his team to the 2015 outdoor state title with four of those individual championships
- Watch Grant Holloway run the second-fastest 60-meter hurdles time in high school history
Josephus Lyles, Alexandria, Va. (T.C. Williams)
Personal Bests: 6.28 (55 meters); 20.74 (200 meters); 45.46 (400 meters)
- 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships 400 meters silver medalist, 200 meters bronze medalist
- 400 meters PR of 45.46 ranks him the No. 8 junior runner in the world for 2015
- 2014 & 2015 New Balance Outdoor Nationals 400 meters gold medalist
- 2014 IAAF World Junior Champion, U.S. 4x400-meter relay team
- Watch Josephus Lyles finish second in the 400 meters at the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships
Noah Lyles, Alexandria, Va. (T.C. Williams)
Personal Bests: 6.65 (60 meters); 10.14 (100 meters); 20.18 (200 meters); 47.50 (400 meters)
- 2014 IAAF Youth Olympics 200 meters gold medalist
- 2015 Pan American Junior Championships 200 meters gold medalist, 100 meters silver medalist
- 2015 USATF Junior Outdoor Championships 100 meters, 200 meters gold medalist
- 200 meters PR of 20.18 makes him the seventh-fastest junior athlete of all time
- 100 meters PR of 10.14 makes him the second-fastest junior athlete in the world for 2015
- Indoor 200 meters PR of 20.83 makes him the second-fastest fastest high schooler of all time
- 2015 New Balance Outdoor Nationals 100 meters, 200 meters gold medalist
- 2015 New Balance Indoor Nationals 200 meters gold medalist, 60 meters silver medalist
- Watch Noah Lyles run the seventh-fastest 200 meters by a junior athlete in history
Justin Pacifico, Bunnell, Fla. (Flagler Palm Coast)
Personal Bests: 1:53.34 (800 meters); 4:28.19 (1,600 meters); 15:42 (5k, XC)
- 2015 Golden South Classic 800 meters champion
- 2015 FHSAA Class 4A Outdoor Finals 800 meters runner-up finisher
- 2015 FHSAA Class 4A Cross Country State Championships runner-up finisher
WOMEN'S SIGNEES
Hannah Brookover, Palm Harbor, Fla. (Calvary Christian)
Personal Bests: 5:01.57 (1,600 meters); 10:47.25 (3,200 meters); 18:07.20 (5,000 meters)
- 2015 FHSAA Class 1A Cross Country State Champion
Sophie Ebihara, Raleigh, N.C. (Cardinal Gibbons)
Personal Bests: 5:02.66 (1,600 meters); 10:19.68 (3,000 meters); 10:48.92 (3,200 meters)
- 2013 & 2015 NCHSAA Class 3A State Champion (3,200 meters)
- 2014 & 2015 NCHSAA Class 3A Indoor State Champion (3,200 meters)
- 2013 & 2014 NCHSAA Class 3A Cross Country State Championships runner-up finisher
Timetria Mitchell, Miami, Fla. (Northwestern)
Personal Bests: 13.59 (100-meter hurdles); 41.82 (300-meter hurdles); 1:00.98 (400-meter hurdles)
- 2015 USATF World Youth Trials 400-meter hurdles fourth-place finisher
- 2014 & 2015 FHSAA Class 3A Outdoor Finals 100-meter hurdles champion
- 2015 FHSAA Class 3A Outdoor Finals 300-meter hurdles champion
- Watch Timetria Mitchell win the 300-meter hurdles at the 2015 Louie Bing Classic
Maggie Parrish, Tampa, Fla. (Chamberlain)
Personal Bests: 11:18.30 (3,200 meters)
- 2015 FHSAA Class 3A Cross Country State Championships ninth-place finisher
- 2015 FHSAA Class 3A Outdoor Finals 3,200 meters eighth-place finisher
Alyssa Pujals, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Pine Crest)
Personal Bests: 5:08.54 (1,600 meters); 11:06.58 (3,200 meters)
- 2014 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships South Regional winner
- 2015 FHSAA Class 2A Cross Country State Champion
Kimani Rushing, Hallandale, Fla. (Hallandale)
Personal Bests: 13.42 (100-meter hurdles); 24.63 (200 meters); 42.06 (300-meter hurdles); 19'2" (long jump); 41'2" (triple jump)
- 2015 FHSAA Class 2A Outdoor Finals 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles, triple jump champion
- 2014 FHSAA Class 2A Outdoor Finals 300-meter hurdles and triple jump champion
- 2015 FHSAA Class 2A Outdoor Finals long jump runner-up finisher
- Watch Kimani Rushing win the 100-meter hurdles at the 2015 FHSAA Class 2A Region 4 meet
Hope Saunders, Dublin, Ireland (Mount Temple Comprehensive School)
Personal Bests: 9:42.46 (3,000 meters)
- Two-time All Ireland Track and Field Senior Girls 3,000 meters champion
- 2015 Irish Interclub Cross Country Championship winner
Editor's Notes: Relay titles are not counted toward individual state championships total; team state championships won by Josephus Lyles and Noah Lyles at T.C. Williams (Va.) High School only count once toward the total number of titles.
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