Buffs Add Six Athletes On Signing Day

BOULDER - The Colorado cross country and track and field program added six new Buffs on signing day. The signing class includes Ava Goetz, Myla Wilkes, Abby Miller, Gioana Lopizzo, Olivia Morganti and Emma Zawatski.

All six of these women look to make a big impact for the Buffs in the future and the cross country and track and field program couldn't be more excited to welcome these newcomers to the Colorado family.

Goetz comes from Fayetteville, Ark. where she attends Fayetteville High School. She also received offers from SMU, Mizzouri and Oklahoma State, but chose to rep the black and gold for the Buffs. Goetz is a multi-event athlete, winning the state heptathlon championship this past May. She was a state champion in the high jump with the leading mark in Arkansas and sixth best mark in the nation for the class of 2024. Goetz is also a two-time 800m 6A Arkansas Indoor State Champion, winning in 2022 and 2023.

Wilkes was born in Kansas City, Mo., grew up in Eudora, Kansas and now resides in Broomfield, Colo., attending Erie High School. She joins the Buffs as the top 200m runner in the state of Colorado after winning the 200m at the 5A State Championships in 2023. As a result of her performance, Wilkes was named First Team All-State. Wilkes also received offers from Boise State and the Air Force Academy but chose Colorado because of the team environment as well as the coaches.

Miller joins the Buffs out of Brentwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn. She holds the fifth best junior class 400m hurdle time in the country. Miller earned All-State honors in the 300m hurdles while placing fourth in the 400m hurdles shortly after. She was named to the 2023 Main Street All-Midstate Team after finishing second at state D1AAA. Miller also has a fourth-place finish at the Nike Outdoor Nationals to her name.

Lopizzo is a long distance runner out of Carlsbad, Calif., attending La Costa Canyon High School. She was named one of the April Athletes of the Month in 2023 by the San Diego Union Tribune. Lopizzo took home first at the Coastal League Cluster Meet after leading from start to finish and winning by more than a 1:15 margin.

Morganti is taking her talents to Colorado from the University of Pennsylvania. She is originally from Syracuse, N.Y. and attended Christian Brothers Academy. In high school, she earned All-American status after a fifth-place finish in the steeplechase at the New Balance Nationals and owned a No. 9-ranking nationally in the 2K steeplechase. At Penn, Morganti was named to the 2023 Outdoor All-American Second Team and NCAA Outdoor All-Ivy Second Team while qualifying for NCAA Outdoor Nationals in the 3000m steeplechase. She also competed at the 2023 NACAC U23 Championships in Costa Rica. Morganti earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors in 2022 and 2023.

Zawatski joins CU from New Jersey where she attends Freehold Township High School. She was named the 2022-23 New Jersey Cross Country Player of the Year and the 2022-23 Gatorade New Jersey Girls Cross Country Player of the Year. Zawatski raced to the individual title at the state Meet of Champions this past season with a time of 18:38. She also won the Group 4 individual championship, leading her school to the team title as well as the New Balance Shore Coaches Invitational and the Shore Conference Championships.

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