Colorado University Athletics
Track & Field Team Announces 2015-16 Newcomers
September 18, 2015 | Track and Field
BOULDER — The University of Colorado track and field team has announced its additions to the 2015-16 men's and women's rosters. The Buffs have added many talented athletes to all areas of the team.
The distance teams' most notable additions are all freshmen. The men added John Dressel (Colbert, Wash./Mt. Spokane) and Joe Klecker (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins), while Dani Jones (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista) and Brianna Schwartz (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler Area) joined the women's team.
Dressel won the 2015 3A Washington State 1,600 and 3,200-meter titles as a senior and owns the MSHS 3,200 record (8:57.00). Dressel competed at the 2015 USA Junior Cross Country Championships in Boulder and placed third to earn a spot on the roster for the world championships where he was the top American finisher at 27th. He was also a member of the 2015 APA Pan American Cross Country Cup team. Dressel was a three-time FootLocker Cross Country All-American (2012-14), and was a 2012 3,200 New Balance Outdoor Nationals All-American. He was the MSHS MVP four times, three on the cross country course and once for track. Dressel was all-state and all-conference six times (four cross country and two track).
The 2014-15 Arizona Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Jones won the state cross country championship with a course record time of 17:26, leading her team to its second straight state title. Jones placed third at the 2014 Nike Cross Nationals Final, pacing her team to a fifth-place national finish overall and earning All-American honors in the process. She was also runner-up at the Nike Pre-Nationals, the Woodbridge Classic and the Desert Twilight Festival. In 2013, she won her first state cross country title and was 15th at Nike Cross Nationals, which also earned her All-American honors. Jones has been very successful on the track as well. She owns state records in the 1,600 (4:44), mile (4:39) and 3,200 (10:09)) and owns the school 800 record (2:08). Jones won state titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 as a senior, the 1,600 and 3,200 as a junior and during her sophomore year, she was the 800 and 1,600 champion.
Klecker captured two individual state championships his senior season and led the Hopkins Royals to a third-place finish as a team at the Class AA state meet en route to earning the Gatorade Minnesota Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Klecker set a state record in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:06.54 and also took first in the 3,200 in 8:57.76. A First Team All-State selection, he earned fourth-place in the mile at the prestigious Adidas Grand Prix, crossing the line in 4:04.13, which ranked as the nation's No. 5 performance among prep competitors in 2015 at the time of his selection. He was named to the USA Today All-America second team. In the fall of 2014, Klecker placed third at the Minnesota State High School Class AA State Cross Country Championships, finishing the course in 15:26.2. He owns HHS records in the 1,600, 3,200 and 5,000 on the cross country course.
Schwartz won several state championships at Shaler Area High School. As a senior, she was the state cross country champion. Schwartz was the indoor mile and outdoor 1,600-meter state champion her junior year after placing fifth at the cross country championship. She placed sixth at Foot Locker Nationals that same year. Her sophomore season saw Schwartz placing third at the state cross country meet as well as winning the 1,600. She is the Pennsylvania state high school mile record holder (4:42) and ran the second fastest time (17:38) at the state cross country meet. Schwartz owns district track records in the 800 (2:10), 1,600 (4:45), 3,200 (10:10) and on the cross country course, her mark of 17:25 is the record. Villanova, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Virginia also recruited Schwartz.
Other additions to the distance team are: Lucy Cheadle (Seattle, Wash./Washington University in St. Louis), Reilly Friedman (Atlanta, Ga./The Galloway School), Nick Harris (Niwot, Colo./Washington), Kaleigh Kroeker (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek HS), Elissa Mann (Louisville, Colo./Monarch HS), Karina Mann (Louisville, Colo./Monarch HS), Justice Ramos (Delores, Colo./Montezuma-Cortez HS), Abby Regner (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge HS), Cayla Seligman (Issaquah, Wash./Issaquah HS) and Tayler Tuttle (Snellville, Ga./Georgia).
CU's sprints and hurdles added standouts Alex Billing (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) and Alexandra Peters (Keller, Texas/TCU).
Billing won the 2015 110-meter hurdles California State Championship in 13.68 seconds, which is the Simi Valley High School record. He also owns the league record in the event at 13.79. Billing is also part of the SVHS 4x110-shuttle hurdle relay, which ran a time of 62.06 at Mt. SAC Relays in 2015. He was named the school's Scholar Athlete all four years, as well as all-league. As a senior, Billing earned MileSplit All-American honors and the Pioneer Spirit Award. He competed in the 110-hurdles at the USA Junior Track & Field Championships. Billing placed 15th in 2014 (14.52) and was ninth in 2015 (13.84).
Peters is a transfer from TCU. She did not compete in 2015, but in 2014 as a freshman, she qualified for NCAAs in the 4x400-meter relay. Peters, a 400-meter runner, clocked her fastest time of the season (54.93) in the preliminary round at the Big 12 Championships. She was second in the 400 at the Michael Johnson Invitational (56.39) and placed third at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invitational (55.83). Peters was a member of the 4x400 team that placed fourth at the Big 12 meet (3:37.59). During the indoor season, she ran a season best 25.23 at the New Mexico Invitational.
Other newcomers to the sprints/hurdles program include: Abdiel Agramonte Moreno (Las Vegas, Nev./Rancho HS), Gabby Scott (San Diego, Calif./Westview) and Trenton Stringari (Canon City, Colo./Canon City HS).
The combined events program's most notable additions are Duane McClurkin (Fountain, Colo./Fountain-Fort Carson HS), Dionne Taylor Jr. (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek HS) and Maja Wichhart Donzo (Cantonsville, Md./Cantonsville HS).
McClurkin earned four letters as a member of the Fountain-Fort Carson track and field team, competing in the springs and jumps. The Trojans were the 2014 and '15 Colorado 5A Track and Field State Champions. In 2015, he placed second at the state championship in the 400, finishing in 48.02 after winning the prelims in 48.22. McClurkin also placed fourth at state in the high jump, clearing 6-6. He recorded a personal best 47.97 in the 400 at the Colorado Springs Metro Championships. Earlier in the season, McClurkin jumped 6-8 at the Pomona Invitational in the high jump.
Taylor owns the Pine Creek High School high jump record at 7-0, which is in the top 10 all-time in Colorado history. He cleared the mark, which was the fourth best in the nation for the 2015 season, at the Colorado Springs Metro League Championships. Taylor placed third at the state championships, reaching 6-8 in the finals. Prior to that finish, he won the high jump at seven consecutive meets. Taylor also placed seventh in the long jump (21-4) and was 10th in the triple jump (42-11.50) at the 2015 state championship. He earned first team all-state honors (high jump) and was first team all-conference (high jump and long jump) as a senior. In 2014, Taylor was all-conference (high jump) and placed third at state (6-7).
Wichhart Donzo was a four-time Baltimore Country triple jump champion. As a senior at Catonsville High School, she placed second at the state championship, jumping a personal best of 38-2.50. She was also third that year in the long jump, which was another PR (18-1.50). Wichhart Donzo owns CHS records in the 100-meter hurdles (15.19), long jump (18-15) and triple jump (38-2.50). She was named first team all-county all four years and was first team all-metro her junior and senior years.
Other newcomers to the combined events program are: Nate Graveling (Golden, Colo./Lakewood HS), Joseph Martinez (Greeley, Colo./Greeley Central HS), Lauren Sharpe (Longmont, Colo./Niwot HS) and Rachel Sharpe (Longmont, Colo./Niwot HS).
The throwers have also added talented athletes with Dalaney Hall (Lakeview, Ore./Lakeview HS) and Elisa Grandemange (Kennewick, Wash./Kent State).
Hall, a javelin thrower, was ranked 19th nationally out of high school and was a two-time Oregon State Champion (javelin). Hall won the 2015 state meet with a toss of 144-10 and in 2014, she won with a throw of 137-4. Her personal best in high school was 146-1, which she threw on April 29, 2015. Hall also competed in other events at LHS. She ran the 100 and 200 meter dashes and competed in the pole vault, long jump, high jump and shot put. Hall placed third at state in 2015 in the pole vault after clearing 9-9.
Grandemange throws the hammer, javelin and discus and transfers to CU after redshirting the 2015 season at Kent State. Out of high school she was ranked 12th nationally in the hammer and is currently listed in the top-10. Grandemange was a two-time Washington State discus champion. As a senior in 2014, she won with a throw of 144-11 and in 2013 she recorded a throw of 138-00 for the win.
Other newcomers to the throws program include Austin Swanson (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Notre Dame HS) and Grayson Webber (Colorado Springs, Colo./Cheyenne Mountain HS).
