The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
11.20.2017 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Elite prep, JUCO stars headed to Forty Acres
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Track & Field Head Coach Mario Sategna announced the signing of 15 future Longhorns to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. This year's class features five men and 10 women, including three high school athletes ranked No. 1 in their events and a pair of junior college transfers among the best in the NJCAA.
"We're very excited about this recruiting class," said Head Coach Mario Sategna. "Our coaches did a tremendous job of identifying student-athletes with promising futures in the sport of track & field. Our staff looks forward to working with each and every one of these future Longhorns in their pursuit for academic and athletic excellence while here on the Forty Acres."
Texas native Kynnedy Flannel is among the top athletes in the nation and headed to the Forty Acres. The combo sprinter/jumper claimed Texas 6A state titles in the 100, 200 and long jump as a junior and broke the state record in the long jump in the process at 21-2.75. That mark ranks her No. 2 in the nation for this recruiting class and she also ranks No. 2 in the 100 meters at 11.42. Her state championship time of 23.34 in the 200 puts her No. 1 in the nation in that event.
Her efforts at the UIL State Championship helped Flannel win the 2016-17 Gatorade Texas Track & Field Athlete of the Year award. Current Texas freshman Sam Worley won the boys award last year for New Braunfels Canyon.
Looking to carry on the tradition in the 400 meters at Texas will be Atlanta, Georgia, product Kennedy Simon. She was the fastest junior in the nation last year with a time of 52.94 seconds to win the Georgia 7A State Championship. Simon also won the 200 meters and long jump titles at the Georgia state meet. She has a personal best in the long jump of 19-2.25 from her sophomore year to win state.
Associate Head Coach Tonja Buford-Bailey added to her sprints/hurdles group with one of the top young stars in the world by signing Sanique Walker from Jamaica. Her time of 57.27 put her atop the U18 world list in 2017. Walker also ranked No. 7 in the world in 2017 in the 400 meters with her time of 53.01. Walker won silver in the 400 hurdles at the IAAF World Youth Championships this summer.
Another strong hurdler from Jamaica signed with Amoi Brown joining Walker, her high school teammate from Vere Technical. Brown has a personal best time of 13.33 in the 100 meter hurdles.
A pair of elite junior college sprinters have signed their NLIs to give the women's team a strong group of experienced incoming runners next fall.
Nelda Huggins hails from the British Virgin Islands and signed out of Iowa Central CC. She won the NJCAA title in the 60 meters indoors last winter and finished second in the 200. She also ran the No. 1 time outdoors in the 100.
Shian Hyde signed her letter out of New Mexico JC and she is from Jamaica. Last season, Hyde finished seventh in the 100 and 200 at the NJCAA Outdoor Championships to earn All-America honors. She also was an All-American in the 4x100.
Joining the women's singing class for the field events is pole vaulter Olivia Buntin. She signs with the Longhorns out of New Braunfels Canyon where she cleared 12-9.00 to rank No. 3 in the state. She also cleared 13 feet over the summer, a mark that would put her at No. 7 in the nation for this recruiting class.
Warren Miller is another addition to the pole vault group for Texas. The Texas 3A state champion went undefeated his junior year for Tolar High School and cleared a personal best height of 16 feet. That mark ranks him No. 7 in the nation in his class.
Long jumper Alex Loving from Amarillo signed his NLI to be a Longhorn. His wind-aided leap of 24-0.50 over the summer makes him the No. 4 recruit in the state for his event. Loving also won his district and area championship meets. At Texas he will be converted into a multi-event athlete and participate in the heptathlon and decathlon where the Longhorns have a long history of success.
Riding momentum of the recent success of recruiting elite distance runners, Texas signed Sean Prendeville from Round Rock Cedar Ridge High School. The mid-distance runner ranks No. 1 in the state in the 1,600 meters with his time of 4:13.58 and is No. 2 in the state in the 800. He finished sixth at the UIL State Championship in May with a time of 1:53.10 to also rank in the top 25 in the nation for his class.
The strong distance class continued with the addition of Brandon Gracia and Thomas Hinojosa. Gracia won Texas Class 5A state championship in the 800 and ranks No. 7 in the state in the 3,200 meters. Hinojosa is among the top distance runners in Texas as well, ranking No. 7 in the 1,600. He also finished 14th at the state cross country championship recently.
For the women, the top 800 runner in Texas heads to Austin. Valery Tobias from Edinburg won the Class 3A title but holds the fastest time in the state for returning seniors at 2:13.08.
Beth Ramos, also from Edinburg, ranks in the top five in the state in both the 1,600 and 3,200 to give the Longhorns another of the top distance runners in the state.
The Longhorns also added one of the top Jamaican distance runners in Britnie Dixon. She singed out of Vere Technical as well and is the ISSA defending champion in the 800m and 1,500m.
Texas has had success on the recruiting trails recently as Track & Field News ranked UT's women's signing class of 2016 the No. 1 class in the nation.
2017-18 Texas Track & Field and Cross Country Signees
Men
Brandon Gracia | Rio Grande City, Texas | Rio Grande City | Distance/XC
No. 7 in Texas Class of 2018 in 3200m, Texas Class 5A state champ in 800m
Assistant Coach Brad Herbster: "Brandon is a tough competitor who had some very good performances. He will be a quality athlete helping us in the longer distances."
Thomas Hinojosa | San Antonio, Texas | Brandeis | Distance/XC
No. 7 in Texas Class of 2018 in 1600m, 14th at Texas XC state championship
Assistant Coach Brad Herbster: "Another highly ranked distance runner from in-state, Thomas will bring depth and can be effective for us in all three seasons."
Alex Loving | Amarillo, Texas | Amarillo | Jumps
Won AAU Region 18 title in Long Jump, No. 4 in Texas Class of 2018, Personal Best: 24-0.50
Head Coach Mario Satenga: "I'm very excited about the addition of Alex Loving to our program and look forward to his tremendous upside as a multi-eventer. Being new to the sport the future is very bright for this young man to continue the Texas tradition in the decathlon."
Warren Miller | Tolar, Texas | Tolar | Pole Vault
Ranked No. 7 in U.S. Class of 2018 in Pole Vault, Texas Class 3A Champion, undefeated in 2017, Personal Best: 16-0.00
Associate Head Coach Ty Sevin: "I'm really excited about Warren. He's a great young man and continues a legacy of Texas pole vaulting, his dad being a two-time All-American here at Texas."
Sean Prendeville | Round Rock, Texas | Round Rock Cedar Ridge| Mid-Distance
Ranked No. 1 in Texas Class of 2018 in 1600m: 4:13.58, Ranked No. 2 in Texas Class of 2018 in 800m: 1:53.10, Finished 6th at UIL State Championship in 800m
Assistant Coach Brad Herbster: "Sean will be an impact student athlete for us on the track his freshman year. He will be able to come in and contribute at a high level. Keeping the very best in state is always important."
Women
Amoi Brown | Jamaica | Vere Technical | Hurdles
100m Hurdles: 13.33 (-1.0)
Associate Head Coach Tonja Buford-Bailey: "With the recent success of Rushelle Burton, Amoi is excited to have the opportunity to train side-by-side with her next season. Amoi brings experience not only in the hurdles, but she contributes in the short sprints and both relays. The sky is the limit for her."
Olivia Buntin| New Braunfels, Texas | New Braunfels Canyon | Pole Vault
5th place at UIL State Championship, Ranked No. 3 in Texas Class of 2018, Personal Best: 13-0.00
Associate Head Coach Ty Sevin: "I can't say enough about Olivia. She has all the qualities that we look for in a student-athlete the University of Texas. Since we've been here, every scholarship pole vaulter has either scored in the top three at conference or been an All-American. I think she is continuing the legacy of women's pole vaulters at Texas."
Britnie Dixon | Jamaica | Vere Technical | Mid-Distance
ISSA Champion 800m/1500m
Associate Head Coach Tonja Buford-Bailey: "Britnie brings a middle-distance presence that has range from 600 yards to 1,500 meters. When matched up with our current runners, she will add a nice push to that training group."
Kynnedy Flannel | Alvin, Texas | Alvin | Sprints/Jumps
No. 1 in nation in Class of 2018 in 200m: 23.34, No. 2 in in nation in 100m: 11.43, No. 2 in nation in Long Jump: 21-2.75, 2016-17 Gatorade Texas Track & Field Athlete of the Year, Texas High School state record holder in Long Jump, won state titles in 100m, 200m, LJ
Head Coach Mario Sategna: "We are very excited to have Kynnedy join our program here at the University of Texas. There is no doubt she will be a force to reckon with at the conference and national levels in the long jump, sprints and relays."
Shian Hyde | Jamaica | New Mexico JC | Sprints
NJCAA All-American: 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Associate Head Coach Tonja Buford-Bailey: "I've been watching Shian since her high school days in Jamaica. She has a very high ceiling and will bring much needed depth to the short sprints area."
Nelda Huggins | British Virgin Islands | Iowa Central CC | Sprints
No. 1 in NJCAA in 100m, NJCAA Indoor Champion 60m & runner-up 200m
Associate Head Coach Tonja Buford-Bailey: "Nelda will bring an immediate impact to our short sprints program. As the JUCO national champion and World Youth medalist, along with her experience competing at the World Relays, she has a plethora of international experience and knows how to compete and win."
Beth Ramos | Edinburg, Texas | Edinburg North | Distance/XC
No. 3 in Texas Class of 2018 in 3200m, No. 4 in 1600m
Assistant Coach Brad Herbster: "Beth is an all-around academic athlete. She has very good range and fight. Being ranked as one of the top distance athletes in the state she has high goals for herself. We are looking forward to her being on the Forty Acres."
Kennedy Simon | Atlanta, Ga. | Westlake | Sprints
No. 1 in nation in Class of 2018 in 400m: 52.94, Georgia Class 7A state champ in 200m, 400m, Long Jump as a junior, 4th place in 400m at Brooks PR Invitational
Associate Head Coach Tonja Buford-Bailey: "Kennedy is a very exciting young athlete in the long sprints. She is determined to come to Texas and add to the rich tradition of 400m runners. With her pedigree along with her competition experience in the Atlanta area and beyond, she can come in right away and add to the sprints events and relays."
Valery Tobias | Edinburg, Texas | Edinburg IDEA Quest | Distance/XC
No. 1 in Texas Class of 2018 in 800m: 2:13.08, Texas Class 3A state champ in 800m
Assistant Coach Brad Herbster: "Valery is a Texas state champion and a heck of a competitor with very good athletic ability. We look to bring out the very best in Valery and she will contribute in the 800 and mile for us at a high level."
Sanique Walker | Jamaica | Vere Technical | Sprints/Hurdles
No. 1 in world in Class of 2018 in 400m Hurdles: 57.27, No. 7 in world in 400m: 53.01, Silver Medalist in 400mH at IAAF World U18 Championships
Associate Head Coach Tonja Buford-Bailey: "I can't say enough about how exciting it is to be able to coach an athlete with Sanique's talent. She is an all-around sprinter/hurdler who is known for her strength and tenacity. Her high school coaches in Jamaica rave about the amount of passion she has for training and her overall strength. Hopefully, she can come to Texas and follow in the footsteps of Longhorns Hall of Honor member and Olympic champion Melaine Walker."
