Alabama Track & Field Welcomes 25 Newcomers to its 2019 Roster
9/14/2018 11:08:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama track & field welcomed 25 newcomers to the program with the start of the 2018-19 academic year in August. The group includes seven members of the November 2017 signing class as well as 18 student-athletes who joined the program as mid-year transfers or fall enrollees.
"I'm proud of the job our staff did on this class," Alabama head coach Dan Waters said. "I think this year's newcomers are emblematic of what we've built here. We are bringing in student-athletes who add both depth and a high skill level across all disciplines. We had a very deep roster of returnees so we did not have a lot of spots to fill but we worked extremely hard on this group and I'm very pleased with results."
Joining the men's program for 2018-19 are Payton Ash (Distance/Flower Mound, Texas), Bobby Colantonio Jr. (Throws/Barrington, R.I.), Lazarius Decatur (Throws/Killen, Ala.), Robert Dunning (Sprints/Atlanta, Ga.), Kwemoi Ndiwa (Distance/Eldoret, Kenya), Noel Rotich (Distance/Kapenguria, Kenya), Gabe Serrano (Sprints/Weston, Fla.), Mark Shannon (Sprints/Solon, Ohio) and Sam Thornton (Distance/Raleigh, N.C.).
The group joins freshmen Ashton Domingue (Throws/Birmingham, Ala.) and Carl Nesbitt (Jumps/Vestavia Hills, Ala.) and junior college transfer Stephan Holcombe (Sprints/Spanish Fort, Ala.), from the November 2017 signing class.
Women's newcomers include D'Jai Baker (Sprints/Jamaica, N.Y.), Lauren Brackin (Distance/Muscle Shoals, Ala.), Syteria Dorsey (Throws/Columbia, S.C.), Nickolette Dunbar (Throws/Opelousas, La.), Erika Feurtado (Distance/Elmont, N.Y.), Esther Gitahi (Distance/Nakuru, Kenya), Megan Patton (Distance/Naperville, Ill.), Riley Schelp (Distance/St. Louis, Mo.) and Riley White (Pole Vault/Hoover, Ala.)
They bolster a November signing class that included freshmen Rebecca Billman (Distance/Tuscaloosa, Ala.), Leahrose Mami (Distance/Cullman, Ala.) and Savannah Noethlich (Distance/Winnetka, Ill.) and junior college transfer Natassha McDonald (Sprints/Brampton, Ontario).
The 2017 signing class also included January 2018 enrollees Keitavious Walter (Sprints/Ruston, La.) and Tianah List (Throws/Brisbane, Australia), both of whom competed for the Crimson Tide during the 2018 season. Walter earned All-SEC honors with a third-place finish in the men's 200 meters at the 2018 conference outdoor championships and went on to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. List's debut season included three marks that rank among the 10 best on UA's women's javelin list.
Payton Ash, Distance, Flower Mound, Texas (Flower Mound)
- Talented distance runner who could crack the Tide's top seven during cross country season and make an impact in long-distance events on the track.
- Competed in the Texas University Interscholastic League state cross country championships in 2015 and 2016 for a pair of third-place finishing teams at Flower Mound.
- Finished 15th at the state meet as a sophomore and 27th as a junior.
Personal Bests
5,000 Meters: 16:19.27
5,000 Meters (Cross Country): 16:14.5
Bobby Colantonio Jr., Barrington, R.I. (Barrington)
- One of the top hammer throwers in the United States in the 2017 recruiting cycle.
- Two-time U.S. junior national champion, three-time junior All-American, two-time New Balance Nationals champion and four-time state champion in the hammer throw at Barrington High School.
- Set New England and Rhode Island records in the 5-kilo and 6-kilo hammer throw.
- Became the youngest U.S. junior champion in the hammer throw when he won the event as a 17-year-old at the 2015 USA Track & Field Junior National Championships.
- Finished fifth in the hammer throw at the 2015 World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.
- Finished seventh in the hammer throw at the 2015 Pan Am Junior Athletics Championships in Edmonton, Alberta.
- Also competed at the 2016 U20 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
- Member of the football team at Barrington High School and competed in weightlifting and powerlifting as a prep.
Personal Bests
Hammer Throw (6kg): 243-2 (74.12m)
Weight Throw (35 pounds): 62-7 (19.09m)
Lazarius Decatur, Killen, Ala. (Brooks)
- Two-time AHSAA state javelin champion (5A-2016, 5A-2018) and the 2017 state runner-up at Brooks High School.
- Set a personal best and state meet record of 199-1 3/4 (60.69m) to win the title as a senior.
- Finished third in the discus at the 2018 state meet.
- Five-time state championships qualifier in the javelin.
Personal Bests
Javelin (800g): 199-1 3/4 (60.69m)
Ashton Domingue, Birmingham, Ala. (Briarwood Christian)
- Two-time AHSAA state javelin champion (6A-2016, 5A-2017) and the 2018 state runner-up at Briarwood Christian.
- School and state record-holder in the javelin.
- Finished 10th in the javelin at the 2017 USA Track & Field Junior Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
- Finished 14th in the javelin at the 2017 New Balance Nationals.
Personal Bests
Javelin (800g): 197-1 (60.07m)
Robert Dunning, Atlanta, Ga. (Kennesaw Mountain/South Plains College)
- Transfer from South Plains College who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
- Versatile hurdler who can compete at all three hurdle distances – 60 meters, 110 meters, and 400 meters.
- Won the 110-meter hurdles at the 2017 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and was the runner-up in 2016.
- Won the high jump at the 2017 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
- Member of South Plains' NJCAA-champion outdoor 4x400 relay in 2016.
- South Plains school record-holder in the 60-metre hurdles.
- Georgia Class 6A state champion in the high jump and 300-meter hurdles as a senior in 2015.
Personal Bests
60-Meter Hurdles: 7.88
110-Meter Hurdles: 13.81
400-Meter Hurdles: 52.08
400-Meter Relay Split: 46.0
High Jump (Indoor): 6-8 3/4 (2.05m)
High Jump (Outdoor): 6-7 (2.01m)
Stephan Holcombe, Spanish Fort, Ala. (Spanish Fort/Meridian Community College)
- Member of Meridian's national runner-up 4x400 relay team at the 2018 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
- Finished second in the 200 meters at the 2017 NJCAA outdoor championships.
- Coached by Chip Gayden at Meridian.
- Alabama 6A state champion in the 400-meter hurdles as a senior in 2016
- 6A Section 1 MVP in 2016
- Member of three state champion football teams at Spanish Fort.
Personal Bests
100 Meters: 10.7
200 Meters (Outdoor): 21.35
200 Meters (Indoor): 21.79
400 Meters (Outdoor): 46.21
400 Meters (Indoor): 47.21
Kwemoi Ndiwa, Eldoret, Kenya (Goseta Boys)
- Talented middle-distance runner who could also provide quality depth to the Crimson Tide cross country team.
- Personal best of 1:49 in the 800 meters.
- Also competed in field hockey as a high schooler.
Personal Bests
800 Meters: 1:49
Carl Nesbitt, Vestavia Hills, Ala. (Vestavia Hills)
- Two-time indoor state high jump champion at Vestavia Hills High School.
- Alabama indoor high jump state record holder.
- Earned 2017 New Balance All-America honors.
- Eight-time all-state selection.
Personal Bests
High Jump (Outdoor): 6-8 (2.03m)
High Jump (Indoor): 6-8 (2.03m)
Noel Rotich, Kapenguria, Kenya (Chewoyet)
- Competed in the 2017 East African Secondary School Games in Gulu, Uganda.
- Finished 17th in the Kenya Junior National Cross Country Championships
- 2017 Rift Valley Secondary Schools Sports Association 3,000-meter steeplechase champion.
- Personal best of 8:52.2Â in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Personal Bests
3,000-Meter Steeplechase: 8:52.2
Gabe Serrano, Weston, Fla. (Cypress Bay)
- Earned AAU indoor All-American honors at 60 meters and 200 meters in 2016.
- Two-time AAU and USA Track & Field Junior Olympics qualifier (2016, 2017).
- Outdoor school record holder in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and 300 meters.
- Three-time state regional qualifier.
- Club teammate of 2018 IAAF U20 100-meter and 200-meter champion Briana Williams of Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago Olympian Khalifa St. Fort.
- Club coach was former Olympic medalist and world champion Ato Boldon.
Personal Bests
200 Meters: 21.94
400 Meters: 48.58
Mark Shannon, Solon, Ohio (Solon)
- Member of Solon High School's 2016 state cross country championship team.
- District 800 meters champion in 2016.
- Member of regional and district champion 4x400 relay in 2017 and 2018 and district runner-up 4x200 relay.
Personal Bests
800 Meters: 1:55.41
Sam Thornton, Raleigh, N.C. (Cardinal Gibbons)
- Conference cross country champion as a senior in 2017.
- All-state and all-region honoree in 2017.
- Two-time all-conference selection in cross country (2016, 2017).
- Earned indoor all-state honors in the 3,200 meters in 2018.
- Cross country captain and team MVP at Cardinal Gibbons in 2017.
Personal Bests
1,600 Meters: 4:33.4
3,200 Meters: 9:30.23
5,000 Meters (Cross Country): 15:42.5
D'Jai Baker, Jamaica, N.Y. (Benjamin Cardozo/New Mexico Junior College)
- Transfer from New Mexico Junior College who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
- Finished second in the 400 meters and third in the 200 meters at the 2018 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
- Runner-up in the 400 meters at the 2018 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships
- Also ran on New Mexico JC's 4x400 relay that finished third at the 2018 NJCAA indoor meet.
- Earned indoor and outdoor NJCAA All-America honors in 2017 in the 400 meters and 4x400 relay.
- Member of the Benjamin Cardozo 4x400 relay team that finished second at 2016 New Balance Indoor Nationals.
- Ran on Benjamin Cardozo's 4x400 relay that finished second in the New York state outdoor championships in 2016.
Personal Bests
200 Meters (Outdoor): 23.40
200 Meters (Indoor): 23.79
400 Meters (Outdoor): 53.67
400 Meters (Indoor): 54.07
400-Meter Relay Split: 52.5
Rebecca Billman, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (American Christian Academy)
- Alabama 1A-3A indoor state champion in the 3,200 meters as a junior in 2017
- Class 3A runner-up in the 3,200 meters at the 2017 and 2016 state outdoor championships.
- Finished fourth in the 1,600 meters at the 2017 state meet.
- Two-time runner-up in the Alabama 3A state cross country championships.
- Member of five state outdoor track & field state championship teams and one state cross country championship squad.
Personal Bests
1,600 Meters: 5:30.20
3,200 Meters: 11:37.39
5,000 Meters (Cross Country): 18:54.0
Lauren Brackin, Muscle Shoals, Ala. (Muscle Shoals)
- Two-time all-state selection in cross country and track & field
- Finished fifth at the AHSAA 6A cross country championships as a senior in 2017.
- Top-five finisher in the 1,600 meters and 800 meters at the 2018 AHSAA 6A track & field championships.
- Finished third in the 3,200 meters at the 2017 state meet.
- Member of one sectional cross country championship team (2014) and three sectional runner-up squads (2015-17) at Muscle Shoals.
- Five-time USATF Alabama Junior Olympic champion in the 3,000 meters (2016, 2017), 1,500 meters (2016, 2017) and 800 meters (2016).
Personal Bests
1,600 Meters: 5:19.75
3,200 Meters: 11:42.86
5,000 Meters (Cross Country): 19:35.7
Syteria Dorsey, Columbia, S.C. (Columbia)
- Two-time state champion in the shot put (2016, 2018).
- State runner-up in the shot put in 2017.
- Three-time region shot put champion (2016-18).
- Two-time region discus champion (2017-18)
Personal Bests
Shot Put: 44-4 (13.51m)
Nickolette Dunbar, Opelousas, La. (Whippany Park/LSU)
- Transfer from LSU who will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
- Finished fifth in the shot put at the USA Track & Field Junior Championships in Sacramento, Calif., with an effort of 52-0 (15.84m) in 2017.
- Finished 22nd at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with an effort of 51-2 1/4 (15.60m).
- Recorded and outdoor personal best of 53-11 (16.43m) at the NCAA East Preliminary to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
- Finished fifth in the shot put at the 2017 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a mark of 52-8 1/4 (16.05m).
- Finished seventh in the shot put at the 2017 SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships with an effort of 50-2 3/4 (15.30m) in the competition.
- Crowned the New Balance Indoor Nationals champion in the shot put during her senior year of high school in 2016 while becoming the No. 4-ranked shot putter indoors in U.S. history at the high school level with a then-personal best of 54-7 1/2 (16.64m).
- Was also one of the nation's leading prep shot putters during the 2016 outdoor season after setting a then-outdoor personal best of 52-7 3/4 (16.04m), which ranked No. 3 on the U.S. high school list at the time.
- Won her back-to-back silver medals in the shot put at the 2015 and 2016 New Balance Outdoor Nationals
- Ranked as the No. 3 shot putter on the U.S. high school list in 2015 with a seasonal best and then-New Jersey state record of 51-2 3/4 (15.61m).
- Became the first shot putter in the history of New Jersey high school athletics to eclipse the 50-foot mark with a meet-record throw of 50-8 (15.44m) at the 2015 Penn Relays. Broke a 24-year-old New Jersey state record and 35-year-old Penn Relays meet record with that mark.
- Finished sixth in the shot put at the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.
- Silver medalist in the shot put at the 2015 USA Track & Field World Youth Trials.
- 2015 NJSIAA Group 2 state champion in the discus.
- 2015 NJSIAA Group 1 indoor state champion in the shot put.
- 2015 NJ.com Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
- Won the 2013 NJSIAA outdoor state champion in the shot put as a freshman.
Personal Bests
Shot Put (Outdoor): 53-11 (16.43m)
Shot Put (Indoor): 54-1 3/4 (16.50m)
Discus: 146-6 (44.66m)
Weight Throw: 55-5 1/2 (16.90m)
Erika Feurtado, Elmont, N.Y. (Elmont Memorial/Troy)
- Transfer from Troy University who will have four years of eligibility remaining.
- Four-time New York Road Runners Millrose Games finalist.
- Cross country team MVP as a junior.
- Earned cross country all-county honors in 2016.
- Set nine school records at Elmont Memorial.
Personal Bests
800 Meters (Indoor): 2:18.74
800 Meters (Outdoor): 2:24.57
1,500 Meters: 5:12.86
Esther Gitahi, Nakuru, Kenya (Mona Secondary/New Mexico Junior College)
- Transfer from New Mexico Junior College who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
- Six-time NJCAA national champion and 13-time NJCAA All-American.
- 2017 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
- Set one NJCAA record and six school records at New Mexico Junior College.
- Won the 10,000 meters at the 2018 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and was the runner-up in the 5,000 meters 1,500 meters.
- Ran on New Mexico JC's national championship 4x800 relay.
- Two-time NJCAA indoor mile champion (2017-18).
- Won the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 5,000 meters at the 2017 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
- Won the 3,000 meters champion at the 2017 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
- finished 10th at the 2017 NJCAA Cross Country Championships.
- Competed in the East Africa Games and Kenya national track and cross country championships as a high schooler.
Personal Bests
800 Meters (Outdoor): 2:12.48
800 Meters (Indoor): 2:17.12
1,500 Meters: 4:34.86
Mile: 4:49.66
3,000 Meters: 9:30.95
5,000 Meters (Outdoor): 17:36.20
10,000 Meters: 36:19.25
3,000-Meter Steeplechase: 10:35.17
5,000 Meters (Cross Country): 17:32.2
Leahrose Mami, Cullman, Ala. (St. Bernard)
- AHSAA 1A-2A state cross country champion in 2017 and runner-up in 2015 and 2016
- Three-time AHSAA 2A outdoor champion in the 1,600 meters (2016, 2017, 2018)Â and the 2016 1,600 meters 1A-3A indoor champion.
- Also won 800-meter and 3,200-meter titles at the 2018 state meet.
- Four-time all-state selection in cross country.
- Member of two state championship cross country teams at St. Bernard
- Competed in her first state cross country championship as a seventh-grader in 2012 and was a member of six state-qualifying teams.
- Also competed in basketball and bowling as a prep.
Personal Bests
1,600 Meters (Indoor): 5:21.91
1,600 Meters (Outdoor): 5:17.97
3,200 Meters (Indoor): 11:47
3,200 Meters (Outdoor): 11:48.36
5,000 Meters (Cross Country): 19:05.7
Natassha McDonald, Brampton, Ontario (Fletcher's Meadow/South Plains College)
- Transfer from South Plains College who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
- Two-time NJCAA outdoor champion at 400 meters (2017, 2018).
- Member of the South Plains 4x400 relay that posted top-three finishes at the NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2017 and 2018
- The relay also posted a national runner-up finish at the 2017 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
- Won the 400 meters at the 2017 Canadian senior championships and finished as the runner-up in the 200 meters.
- Competed for Canada at the Francophone Games in Ivory Coast.
- Member of Canada's 4x400 relay pool at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London.
- Canadian junior 400-meter champion and national runner-up in the 200 meters in 2016
- Member of Canada's bronze medal-winning 4x400 relay at the 2016 IAAF U20 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Also finished seventh in the 400 meters.
Personal Bests
60 Meters: 7.81
100 Meters: 11.63
200 Meters (Outdoor): 23.21
200 Meters (Indoor): 24.23
400 Meters (Outdoor): 52.20
400 Meters (Indoor): 54.37
Savannah Noethlich, Winnetka, Ill. (New Trier)
- Won the 800 meters at the 2017 Midwest Distance Classic in a personal-best time of 2:13.74.
- Member of three league championship teams in track & field at New Trier.
- Two-time Illinois class 3A state championships qualifier in the 800 meters.
- Four-time 3A state championship qualifier in cross country.
- Four-time all-conference selection in cross country and track & field.
Personal Bests
400 Meters: 59.53
800 Meters: 2:13.74
5,000 Meters (Cross Country): 19:27.1
Riley Schelp, St. Louis, Mo. (Lutheran South)
- Three-time all-state selection in cross country.
- Nine-time all-state selection in track in the 800 meters (three times), 1,600 meters (four times) and 3,200 meters (two times).
- School record holder at 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters.
- Team captain as a junior and senior.
- Four-time cross country team MVP.
- 2018 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Personal Bests
Mile: 5:22.47
1,600 Meters: 5:28.02
3,200 Meters: 11:50.52
5,000 Meters (Cross Country): 19:18.0
Riley White, Hoover, Ala. (Hoover)
- AHSAA outdoor pole vault champion in 2018
- Finished third in the pole vault at the 2018 state indoor track & field championships.
- Named to the 2018 Alabama Super All-State Team.
- Hoover High School pole vault record holder.
- Also competed in gymnastics in high school and was the 2012 Level 9 state beam champion.
Personal Bests
Pole Vault: 11-1 3/4 (3.39m)
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Players Mentioned
