The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Track and Field’s adds two to 2020 signing class
02.13.2020 | Track & Field / Cross Country
The Longhorns’ 2020 signing class now features 22 of the world’s top student-athletes.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Track and Field added the 21st and 22nd member of its 2020 signing class this week with the addition of sprinter Daniel Garland (Wolfforth, Texas) and hurdler Paramveer Chohan (Fresno, Calif.). Garland is the 13th in-state product to sign with the Longhorns this cycle. Chohan, meanwhile, is a transfer from California and will have one year of eligibility remaining. A look at UT's full 2020 signing class to date:
Abraham Avila-Martinez | Austin, Texas | San Juan Diego Catholic | Distance
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Back-to-back TAPPS State Cross Country Champion
• Defended his TAPPS 2A state championship with a course-record 15:37.5 at the state meet on Oct. 21, 2019, in Waco, Texas
• Captured sixth place in the 3,200 meters at the 92nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays with a personal-best 9:17.8
• Won the Texas 2A state title in the 1,600 meters (4:25.83 – PR) and 3,200 meters
• Weeks later broke the TTFCA meet record in the 3,200 meters with a time of 9:31.00
• Finished third at Friday Night Lights at The Woodlands, second at the Southlake Carroll Invitational and won the Moulton Invitational in the fall of 2019
Sam Bass | Oklahoma City, Okla. | Casady | Distance
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Named the 2018-19 Oklahoma boys cross country runner of the year by the Gatorade Company
• Finished second in the Southwest Preparatory Conference championships and won the Oklahoma Cross Country & Track Coaches Association's Meet of Champions by 12 seconds
• Won his first high school medal in Sept. 2018 by finishing eighth in a field of 651 runners at the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas, covering the 5K course in 15:53
• Finished 33rd in a field of 302 at the Foot Locker South regional champions in Charlotte, North Carolina, in November 2018
• Set his PR in the 1,600 meters (4:23.38) and finished second at the Southwest Preparatory Conference Championships during the 2019 outdoor season
• Ran a 4:17.27 mile one month later at the Music City Distance Carnival on June 1
• Ran a personal-best 9:12.50 in the 3,200 meters at the Arcadia Invitational
PERSONAL
Maintained a weighted 3.88 GPA in high school, per the Tulsa World
• Has volunteered with SBP, a national disaster management groups, assisting with flood relief in Houston in 2018
• Donated his time to an area food back and the Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County
Emelia Chatfield | North Miami Beach, Fla. | St. Thomas Aquinas | Hurdles
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Competed at St. Thomas Aquinas High School (FL).
• Ran a personal-best 13.52 in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2019 USATF U-20 Junior National Championships.
• Holds a 41.11 personal best in the 300-meter hurdles.
• Won the 300-meter hurdles (41.19) and helped St. Thomas Aquinas win the 4x400-meter relay (3:43.72) at the 2019 FHSAA State Track & Field Championships.
• Topped the podium in the 100-meter hurdles (13.56) at the 2019 Florida Relays.
Paramveer Chohan | Fresno, Calif. | Buchanan | California | Hurdles
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Competed at the University of California for three seasons, earning honorable mention All-America honors as a 400-meter hurdler at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin
• Ranks fifth all-time in Cal history in the quarter-mile hurdles, and placed second at last year's Pac-12 Championships
• Holds the Cal school record for the 400-meter dash indoors (46.78)
• Has received academic recognition from the MPSF, Pac-12 and USTFCCCA during his collegiate career
• Notched a 15th-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2017 USATF Junior Championships
• Was a four-year letterwinner in track at Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif.
• Also was a two-year letterwinner in football
• Named the team's Most Valuable Athlete during his scholastic career
PERSONAL
• Studied business administration at Cal
• Parents are Gurdeep and Nirmaljit
• Has one older brother, Karunveer, who is a student-athlete at UC Davis
• Hobbies include playing NBA 2K and listening to music
Chloe Davis | New Boston, Texas | New Boston | High Jump
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Competed as a high jumper at New Boston High School (TX), with a personal-best mark of 5-7
• Won the 2019 Pewitt Sibley Brahma Relays with a 5-6 mark in the high jump
• Placed ninth at the 92nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays with a 5-2.5 jump back in March 2019
• Won the UIL 3A District 14 title and the UIL 3A Region II title with jumps of 5-5 in each event
• Placed second at the Texas UIL 3A State Championships with a 5-6 mark in the high jump
Katie DeVore | Mamaroneck, N.Y. | Mamaroneck | Penn | Middle Distance
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Competed as a middle-distance runner at Penn for four seasons
• Was a 2019 USTFCCCA All-Academic selection
• Ranks second all-time at Penn in the indoor 1,000 meters (2:48.98), the indoor 4x800-meter relay (8:47.39) and the outdoor 4x800-meter relay (8:35.12)
• Also holds top-10 marks in the indoor 4x400-meter relay (3:46.00) and the 800 meters (2:08.21).
• Ran at Mamaroneck High School in New York
• Was an All-American and the 2016 New Balance National Champion in the 4x800-meter relay
• Ranked No. 16 in the 1,000 meters and No. 29 in the 800 meters nationally as a high schooler
PERSONAL
• Daughter of Cathy and H.L DeVore
• Father, H.L., was a member of the lightweight crew at Penn
• Sister, Lindsey, is a coxswain for varsity crew at Texas
• Sister, Daisy, is on the lightweight crew at Princeton
• Enrolled in the Wharton School of Business while at Penn
Riley Foreman | Houston, Texas | Langham Creek | Jumps
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Has a 6-10 personal best in the high jump
• Finished sixth at the 92nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays with a 6-5 mark in the high jump
• Won the high jump at the UIL 6A Area 13/14 Championship Meet
• Placed seventh at the UIL 6A Region II meet with a 6-6 mark in the high jump
• Won the Katy ISD Bubble Fife Relays and the Cy Creek Relays as a high jumper
Daniel Garland | Wolfforth, Texas | Frenship | Sprints
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Dropped a personal-best 7.17 in the 60-meter dash at the Texas Tech Under Armour High School Classic to open his senior indoor season in 2020
• Won the 100-meter dash at nine events as a junior at Frenship High School
• Holds personal-best times of 10.52 and 20.73 in the 100m and 200m, respectively.
• Starred in the 200-meter dash at Frenship, as well as scoring in the high jump, long jump and relay events
• Also played football in high school
Madison Gawthorp | Georgetown, Texas | Georgetown Gateway | Pole Vault
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Holds a 12-1 personal best in the pole vault, a mark she set at the UIL 3A Area 25/26 Meet during her 2019 outdoor season.
• Won the Region IV title in 2019 with an 11-0 vault, and placed third at the Texas UIL 3A State Championships with the same mark two weeks later.
• Cleared at least 11-0 in all five outdoor meets she competed in during the 2019 season, per Athletic.net.
Michelle Graham | Katy, Texas | Cinco Ranch | Jumps
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Holds PRs of 19-0.75 in the long jump and 41-3 in the triple jump
• Finished third in the triple jump with her personal-best mark and fifth in the long jump (18-3.75) at the 2019 Texas UIL 6A State Championship
• Set her PR in the long jump on April 27, 2019, at the UIL 6A Region III meet, where she took home bronze
• Competed in the 1,600-meter sprint medley relay at the 92nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays
Grace Johnson | Edwards, Colo. | Battle Mountain | Distance
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Won three times during the 2019 Cross Country season at Battle Mountain High School, doing so at the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede, the St. Vrain Invitational and the Warrior Lincoln Park Classic
• Ran a personal-best 5K (17:42.5) at the CHSAA 4A Region 1 Cross Country Championships, where she placed second
• Finished eighth at the CHSAA Class 4A State Cross Country Championships on Oct. 26, 2019
• Competed at the 2017 and 2018 NXN Nike Cross Nationals
Aasia Laurencin | Oak Park, Mich. | Oak Park | Hurdles
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Ranked No. 28 in MileSplit's Class of 2020 Rankings
• Has PRs of 8.25 in the 60-meter hurdles, 13.43 in the 100-meter hurdles and 24.20 in the 200 meters
• Her 13.43 mark in the 100-meter hurdles was the No. 7 effort in the U.S
• She is the third-fastest 100-meter hurdler in the state of Michigan's histor
• Won state titles in the 100-meter hurdles and 200 meters.
Kiana Lowery | Tomball, Texas | Klein Cain | Throws
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Holds PRs of 147-9 in the discus and 46-0.75 in the shot put
• Placed second in the shot put and fourth in the discus at the 2019 USATF National Junior Olympic Championships
• Won the shot put in four out of the five meets she competed in during the 2019 outdoor season
• Captured gold at the 32nd Annual Northwest Flyers Track Meet, Track Houston Championship Meet, USATF Gulf Association Junior Olympic Championships and the USATF Region 12 Junior Olympic Championships in the shot put
• Took home two individual titles in the discus and hammer throw at the 32nd Annual Northwest Flyers Track Meet and the Track Houston Championship Meet, also won the hammer at the USATF Region 12 Junior Olympic Championships
• Finished third at the USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Championships in 2018 as a shot putter
Caroline Morris | Spring, Texas | The Woodlands | Middle Distance
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Took eighth place with a 26.30 time in the 200 meters at the 32nd Annual Northwest Flyers Track Meet on May 25, 2019
• Later placed ninth at the USATF Gulf Association Junior Olympic Championships
• Finished second in the 400m at the USATF Gulf Association Junior Olympic Championships
• Placed fifth in the event at the USATF Region 12 Junior Olympic Championships
• Qualified for the 2019 USATF National Junior Olympic Championships in the 400 meters
Gracie Morris | Aledo, Texas | Aledo | Distance
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Won the Texas state title in the 800 meters as a freshman at Aledo High School
• Finished runner-up at the state meet in the 1,600 meters during her freshman year and took fifth last season
• Placed second at state in 2019 Cross Country season, after finishing third as a sophomore and fifth as a freshman
• Missed the 2018 track season due to a foot injury she suffered while attempting to qualify for the Foot Locker Nationals
PERSONAL
• Brother, Graydon, is also a Texas signee in the 2020 class
Graydon Morris | Aledo, Texas | Aledo | Distance
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Only the second male athlete to qualify for the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships four times.
• Won three state titles in track at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin (2019 800m, 2018 1,600m and 2018 3,200m
• Finished second at the state meet in the 3,200 meters in 2009.
• Won three consecutive Cross Country state championships and finished in third place as a freshman
PERSONAL
• Sister, Gracie, is also a signee in the 2020 Texas class
Leo Neugebauer | Leinfeldene-Echterdingen, Germany | LG Leinfeldene-Echterdingen | Decathlon
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• The top-ranked under-20 decathlete in the world in 2019 with a personal-best score of 7,886
• Set five personal bests in individual events en route to his U20 world-leading decathlon mark at the U20 Mehrkampf-Meeting
• Ran the 100-meter dash in 11.08, the 400 meters in 49.82, posted marks of 2.07m in the high jump, 7.59m in the long jump and 16.38m in the shot put
• Won the decathlon at the 2019 German U20 CE Championships in Ulm with a score of 7,792
• Placed fourth at the 2019 European U20 Championships with a 7,669 mark
Joseph Nizich | Oregon City, Ore. | Central Catholic | Throws
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Holds a 66.25m/217-3 personal best in the javelin throw
• Threw the javelin 206-11 and placed fourth at the 2019 New Balance Outdoor Nationals
• Won the USATF Oregon Association Junior Olympic Championships
• Also won the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympic Championships
• Former javelin state champion in Oregon
PERSONAL
• Brother, Jon Nizich, was the 2014 Oregon 6A state champion in the javelin throw and later went on to earn All-America honors at the University of Oregon.
• Played linebacker on the Central Catholic football team
• Earned Mount Hood Conference All-League honors as a senior in football
• Had a game-high 14 tackles in the Central Catholic's 2019 OSAA Class 6A state championship win over Lake Oswego
Ava Peeples | Dallas, Texas | Lake Highlands | Florida State | Distance
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Transferred from Florida State
• Competed in four meets for the Seminoles, including the ACC Championships and served as the alternate at the NCAA South Regiona and Championship meets
• Placed 14th in her FSU debut at the Covered Bridge Open
• Finished eighth in the Open division at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational, covering the 5K course in 17:33.8
• Followed it up with a sixth-place finish at the Blazer Classic in her 6K Cross Country debut in 21:04.4
• Was the No. 7 finisher for the Noles at the ACC Championships, placing 40th in 21:49.4 – the fifth freshman overall – as FSU placed second
• Entered the collegiate ranks with personal-bests on the track of 5:01.87 (1,600m), 10:34.47 (3,200m) and 17:03.23 (5,000m)
• Owns the Lake Highlands High School record in all three events
• Was a seven-time University Interscholastic League (UIL) district champion between cross country and track, and was a two-time UIL state qualifier in both sports
• Wrapped a banner senior season with a fifth-place finish in the 3,200m at the UIL Championships
• Finished seventh at the Nike Cross Nationals South Regional and ninth at the Foot Locker South Regional
• Placed 19th at the 2018 Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego
PERSONAL
• Two-year member of National Honor Society in high school
• Daughter of Caryn and Philip Peeples
• Graduated in top 10 percent of her high school class
Trinity Tomlinson | Early, Texas | Early | High Jump/Heptathlon
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Competed as a high jumper and a heptathlete at Early High School (TX).
• Won the 100-meter hurdles in six different meets, capped by a 14.93 that helped her secure the Texas UIL 3A state title in 2019
• Holds a personal-best mark of 5-7.5 in the high jump
• Placed fourth at the 92nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays with a 5-6.5 mark
• Jumped 5-7 to win the UIL 3A Region I title in 2019
• Also took part in Early's 4x100 and 4x200-meter relay teams
• Won the Texas UIL 3A state title in the high jump in 2018 with a 5-7 effort
Kelsie Vicknair | Boerne, Texas | Boerne Champion | Distance
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Competed as a distance runner at Boerne Champion High School
• Placed eighth in the 2018 Texas UIL 5A State Championship in the 1,600 meters (5:16.06)
• Ran a season-best 5:15.10 at the New Braunfels Unicorn Relays back on March 7, 2019
• Ran the 1,600 meters and helped her team place sixth in the Distance Medley Relay at the 92nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in March 2019
Stacey Ann Williams | Kingston, Jamaica | St. Elizabeth Tech | SUNO | Sprints
PRIOR TO TEXAS
• Competed at Southern University at New Orleans as a sprinter
• Won five NAIA national championships (2019 outdoor 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m; 2019 Indoor 400m, 4x400m)
• Ran the 400m in a personal-best 52.60 en route to winning the 400-meter dash at the 2019 NAIA Outdoor Championships
• Named NAIA Women's Track Athlete of the Week on Jan. 30, 2019, after winning the 400-meter dash at the KMS Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama
The signing period continues for Track and Field until next summer. Additional signings will be announced as they become official leading up to the 2020-21 academic year.
Players Mentioned
