SEUN ADIGUN C-USA CHAMPION NCAA QUALIFIER 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM THE COUGAR REDVOLUTION CONTINUES IN 2009 ... HAVE YOU JOINED? TEAM ROSTER 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM Name Seun Adigun Stephanie Aldea LaNeeka Allen Laura Allred Shannan Arnold Grecia Bolton Kimberly Brown Ashley Bryant Candyce Cross Kalyn Floyd Alaysha Ford Charlissa Foster Starla Garcia Ravyn Gray Erica Hannemann Whitney Harris Ciera Johnson Christie Jones Kelcee Keenan Morgan Lancaster Krystal Lux Lindsey Marshall Quin’shundolyn McPherson Megan Munoz Dayo Ogunniyi Clarissa Payton Felicia Payton Kiara Pulliam Tai’shea Reese Erin Rouse Nadirah Shakir Crysta Swayzer Jasmine Trier Samantha Villacin Brittani Williams Brandi Witte Event Hurdles, Sprints Distance 200m, 400m High Jump Pole Vault Sprints Multi Events Throws Mid-Distance Sprints Jumps Throws Distance Distance Distance Sprints Distance Sprints Distance, Steeplechase Pole Vault Sprints, Middle Distance Distance Long Jump Distance Long Jump Distance High Jump Shot Put Jumps, Sprints Throws Jumps Middle Distance Distance Pole Vault Heptathlon/Javelin Distance Height 5-5 5-8 5-6 5-10.5 5-6 5-6.5 5-10 6-0 5-8 5-5 5-9 5-3 5-1 5-4 5-5 5-4 5-5.5 5-4 5-3 5-4 5-0 5-10 5-4 5-3 5-3 5-11 5-11 5-5 5-7.5 5-7.5 5-3 5-6 5-6 5-4 5-7 5-5 Class SR FR SR SO SO FR SR JR SO SO JR SO FR SO JR FR FR SO SR SO JR SO JR FR SR FR FR SO FR FR FR GS SO FR JR Fr Hometown (High School/Last School) Chicago, Ill. (Homewood-Flossmor) Windsor, Ontario, Canada (St. Anne Secondary) Fort Worth, Texas (Fossil Ridge) Cpress, Texas (Cy-Fair High School) Midland, Texas (Midland) Katy, Texas (Cypress Springs High School) Waco, Texas (Midway) Pasadena, Texas (Deer Park) Missouri City, Texas (Thurgood Marshall) Houston, Texas (Aleif Hastings) Bay City, Texas (Uan Uleck High School) Cameron, Texas (C.H. Yoe) Pharr, Texas (PSJA North High School) Dallas, Texas (Desoto High School) Dayton, Texas (Dayton) Seguin, Texas (A&M Consolidated) Baton Rouge, LA. (Redemportorist High School) Katy, Texas (Cinco Ranch) Spring, Texas (Klein) Keller, Texas (Keller) Angleton, Texas (Angleton High School) Giddings, Texas (Giddings) Houston, Texas (Alief Taylor) Kingwood, Texas (Kingwood High School) Mandeville, La. (Fontainebleau) San Antonio, Texas (Judson High School) San Antonio, Texas (Judson High School) Louise, Texas (Louise) Kilgore, Texas (Kilgore High School) Houston, Texas (Cy Fair High School) San Antonio, Texas (John Paul Stevens High School) Houston, Texas (Westbury High School) Giddings, Texas (Giddings) College Station, Texas (A&M Consolidated) Houston, Texas (Willowridge) Richmond, Texas (Brazos High School) 50 uhcougars.com 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM Ñ Ñ Ñ 3L Chicago, Ill. Homewood-Flossmor HS Hurdles Indoor: 60H (8.23), 60M (7.56), 55H (7.81) Outdoor: 100H (13.39) 2008 NCAA Qualifier - 100 Meter Hurdles, 4X100 2008 NCAA Regional Qualifier - 100 Meter Hurdles, 4X100 2008 C-USA Indoor Champion - 60 Meter Hurdles 2008 C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll 2007 C-USA Indoor Champion- 60 Meter Hurdles 2007 C-USA Outdoor Champion- 100 Meter Hurdles, 4x100 2007 NCAA Regional Qualifier- 100 Meter Hurdles, 4x100 2007 NCAA Qualifier- 4x100 2007 C-USA Commisioner’s Honor Roll 2006 Junior All-American 2008 Indoor: Set a provisional mark in 60m hurdles with a time of 8.40 at Houston Indoor Opener...also finished 1st in 200m...Named C-USA Athlete of the Week following the Houston Indoor Opener...won the 60m hurdles at Leonard Hilton Memorial...recorded a mark of 8.26 in the 60m hurdles at the Tyson Invitational... won gold at the C-USA Championships in the 60m hurdles with a meet-record tying mark of 8.28...also finished fourth in the 200m with a time of 24.34...set a personal record in the 60m hurdles at the Arkansas Last Chance Meet, posting the second-fastest mark in school history with a time of 8.23. Outdoor: Posted a 13.62 and second place finish in the 100m hurdles at the UTEP Invitational...posted a season-best mark of 11.94 in the 100m at the Tellez Invitational...recorded a time of 13.52 in the 100m hurdles at the Houston Invitational...finished second at thte C-USA Championships in the 100m hurdles (13.50) and as a member of the 4X100m relay team (45.30)...finished fourth at the Midwest Regional with a time of 13.43 in the 100m hurdles...set a pr in the 100m hurdles at the NCAA Championships with a time of 13.39 2007 Indoor: Won the 60-meter hurdles at the C-USA Indoor Championships with a time of 8.57…finished sixth in the 60 meters at the Leonard Hilton Memorial…won the 60-meter hurdles at the Leonard Hilton Memorial…was sixth in the 60 meters at the Dan DeHart Invitational and third in the 60-meter hurdles… notched a season-best finish of 8.38 in the 60-meter hurdles at the Houston Invitational. Outdoor: Won the 100-meter hurdles (13.60) and the 4x100 (44.24) at the C-USA Championships…finished sixth in the 100-meter hurdles at the LSU Tiger Classic…was 18th in the 100-meter hurdle prelims and sixth in the 4x100 at the NCAA Midwest Regional. 2006 Indoor: Had an eighth-place finish in the 60 meters at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Meet with a personal best time of 7.56…finished second in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.81 at the Houston Indoor Opener…was the runner-up at the Iowa State Qualifier with a time of 8.33 in the 60-meter hurdles. Outdoor: Recorded a ninth-place finish in the 100 meters (11.82) at the Conference USA Championships…finished second in the 100-meter hurdles (13.73) at the conference championships…had a personal best 13.59 finish in the 100-meter hurdles at the semifinals of the USA Junior Championships…member of the 4x100 meter relay team that finished second at the conference championships and third at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. High School State runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles and the runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles...posted seasonbest time of 13.82 in the 100-meter hurdles in 2005...had a leg of 55.2 in the 4x400-meter relay...finished in third place in the 100-meter hurdles and 100 meters for Angelic Flyers TC...was named MVP and team captain for Homewood-Flossmour...also earned MVP and team captain honors as a junior and senior for the basketball team...member of Who’s Who In America, National Honor Roll and Sophomore Honor Society... named Illinois Prairie State Scholar...received “Sophomore Building for Success” award. MEET THE COUGARS SR SEUN ADIGUN Personal Majoring in kinesiology…born January 3, 1987 in Chicago, Ill…daughter of Siky and Kola Adigun of Chicago, Ill… niece of former UH All-American basketball star Hakeem Olajuwon... also recruited by Illinois, Middle Tennessee State and Miami (Ohio)...…hobbies include cooking, dancing and singing. SR LANEEKA ALLEN Ñ Ñ Ñ 3L Fort Worth, Texas Fossil Ridge HS Mid-Distance Indoor: 200M (25.78), 400M (56.92) Outdoor: 200M (25.74), 400M (55.92) 2008 Regional Qualifier - 4X400 2007 C-USA Outdoor Champion- 4x400 2008 Indoor: Second in 400m at Houston Indoor Opener...posted a time of 26.13 in 200m at the Bayou City Championships...posted a time of 56.99 in 400m at Tyson Invitational. Outdoor: finished fourth at the Texas Relays as a member of the 4X200 meter relay team...finished fifth at the UTEP Invitational with a mark of 56.63...notched a 2:18.91 finish at the Tellez Invitational in the 800m...finished ninth at the Brutus Hamilton in the 800m...was a member of the 4X400 relay team that qualified for the NCAA Championships...recorded a time of 3:42.02 in the 4X400 at the prelims at the NCAAs. 2007 Indoor: Finished fourth in the 400 meters at the Dan DeHart Invitational setting a personal-best time of 56.92…had a season-best time of 25.78 in the 200 meters at the Houston Invitational…member of the second place 4x400 relay team at the C-USA Indoor Championships. Outdoor: Won the 4x400 and finished seventh in the 400 meters at the C-USA Championships…was fourth in the 400 meters at the Tom Tellez Invitational…took seventh in the 400 meters at the LSU Tiger Classic. 2006 Indoor: Had a season-best time of 25.81 in the 200 meters…finished 13th in the 400 meters (57.13) at the Albuquerque Invitational. Outdoor: Recorded a 12th-place finish in the 200 meters at the TSU Relays... finished ninth at the Houston Invitational in the 400 meters (58.05)…member of the 4x400 meter relay team that finished first at the UTSA Relays… finished third at the TSU Relays as a member of the distance medley relay team. High School Had a fourth-place finish in 400 meters at State Championships...posted a season-best time of 55.78 seconds in the 400 meters...competed for Fossil Ridge High School in Keller...was named Outstanding Athlete on track team...received Texas Scholar award. Personal Majoring in nursing...born August 11, 1986 in Dallas, Texas…daughter of Andrette and Trinion Smith of Fort Worth... also recruited by Texas Tech, Texas A&M, North Texas, New Orleans and TCU. 2009 houston TRACK & FIELD 51 MEET THE COUGARS 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM SO LAURA ALLRED Ñ Ñ Ñ Ñ 1L Cypress, Texas Ohio State Cy-Fair HS High Jump Indoor: High Jump (1.68m/5-06.00) Outdoor: High Jump (1.70m/5-07.00) 2008 Indoor: Took a fifth-place finish in the high jump at the Razorback Invitational...finished tenth in the high jump at the Houston Indoor Invitational with a season-best mark of 1.68m (5-06.00)...tied her season-best at the C-USA Championships to post a seventh-place finish. Outdoor: finished third in the high jump at the UTEP Invitational...set a season-best of 1.70m (5-07.00) at the Tellez Invitational...finished sixth at the Brutus Hamilton with a mark of 1.65m (5-05.00)...also finished sixh with a 1.65m clearance at the Houston Invitational...took fifth at the C-USA Championships with a 1.65m (5-05.00). High School Competed at Cy-Fair High School for coach Greg Hershman...member of four-time District Champion team... three-time Jumper of the Year...Three-time individual district champion in the high jump...three-time regional qualifier in the high jump...high school record holder in the high jump...was a member of the Cy-Fair Pals, a peer mentoring program her senior year. Personal Majoring in nutrion at the University...daughter of Richard and Jorhetta Allred...born in Anchorage, Alaska on Oct. 22, 1988...hobbies include cooking and baking...spent one semester at Ohio Sate before transferring to UH...chose UH because it had a good jumping program...also recruited by Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Baylor and Kansas State. SO SHANNAN ARNOLD Ñ Ñ Ñ 1L Midland, Texas Midland HS Pole Vault Indoor: Pole Vault (3.40m/11-01.75) Outdoor: Pole Vault (3.40m/11-01.75) 2008 C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll 2008 Indoor: Finished in third place in the pole vault at the Houston Indoor Opener...took seventh at the Bayou City Championships with a seeason-best mark of 3.40m (11-01.75)...also finished in seventh at the C-USA Championships. Outdoor: took seventh at the LSU Tiger Relays, posting a mark of 3.25m (10-08.00) in the pole vault...cleared a season-best 3.40m (11-01.75) at the Tellez Invitational...scored at the C-USA Championships for the Cougars in the pole vault, tying her season-best mark of 3.40m (11-01.75). High School Finished eighth in the pole vault at the 2006 Great Southwest Classic... tied for third at the 2007 5A State meet with a height of 11-06.00... was the runner-up at the 2007 5A Region I Meet… also captain of the basketball team… member of the Latin Club and National Honor Society. Personal Born Aug. 21, 1989 in Midland, Texas… daughter of Lonnie and Cindy Arnold… chose Houston for the coaches and atmosphere… also recruited by New Mexico, TCU, Sam Houston State and Kansas State… hobbies include listening to music and palying basketball… majoring in kinesiology. SR KIMBERLY BROWN Ñ Ñ Ñ Ñ Waco, Texas Baylor Midway HS Heptathlon Indoor: NA Outdoor: NA 2008 Indoor and Outdoor: Did not compete after transferring from Baylor. Prior to Houston Recorded personal bests of 14.21 in the 100m hurdles, 2:26 in the 800 meters and 18-10.50 in the long jump at Baylor. High School Regional qualifier and state qualifier… district champions in 2001-2004… cross country regional qualifier in 2001-2004 and state qualifier in 2003… basketball state semi finalist and district champions… member of the Student Council… awarded the National Athletic-Academic Award and Top Female Athlete in the senior class. Personal Born Dec. 23, 1985 in Waco, Texas… daughter of Ken and Mary Brown… chose Houston for its academics and athletic program… also recruited by Baylor, Texas Tech, SFA and Texas State… hobbies include art… majoring in sports marketing. 52 uhcougars.com 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM Ñ Ñ Ñ 2L Pasadena, Texas Deer Park HS Throws SO CANDYCE CROSS Ñ Ñ Ñ Indoor: WT (17.02m) Outdoor: Discus (51.49m) HT (46.61m) 2008 NCAA Regional Qualifier - Discus 2008 C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll 2007 NCAA Regional Qualifier - Discus 2008 Indoor: Won the weight throw at the Houston Indoor Operner...finished third at the Leonard Hilton Memorial...posted a mark of 16.00m (52-06.00) in the weight throw to take fourth at the Houston Indoor Invitational...won the weight throw at the UH All-Comers meet...finished fifth with a personal record 17.02m (5510.25) in the weight throw at the C-USA Championships. Outdoor: Finished first at the LSU Tiger Relays in the discus with mark of 48.98m (160-08)...finished fifth in the hammer throw at the UTEP Invitaional with a mark of 45.39m (148-11)...also finished third in the discus in El Paso...set a regional mark in the discus with a mark of 49.98m (164-00) at the Tellez Invitational...bettered that with a toss of 50.46m (165-07) at the Brutus Hamilton meet...took first in the discus with a pr toss of 51.49m (168-11) in the Houston Invitational...posted a top-10 finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional in the discus with a toss of 48.63m (159-06). 2007 Indoor: Recorded a personal best of 15.20m/49-10.50 in the weight throw at the C-USA Indoor Championships to finish 12th…finished eighth in the weight throw at the Leonard Hilton Memorial. Outdoor: Was the runner-up in the discus and had two sixth-place finishes in the shot put and the hammer throw at the Tom Tellez Invitational… was eighth in the hammer and sixth in the discus at the Texas Invitational…set an NCAA Regional Qualifying mark with a win in the discus at the LSU Tiger Classic, also registered a fifthplace finish in the hammer …added a third-place finish in the discus and a 13th-place finish in the hammer at the LSU Alumni Gold Invitational…notched a sixth-place finish in the discus at the California Collegiate Challenge…finished fourth in the discus and 16th in the hammer at the C-USA Championships…was 10th in the discus at the NCAA Midwest Regional. High School Named Team MVP in 2003, 2004 and 2005…was Athlete of the Year…also named the MVP of the Deer Park Track Meet… 2005 State Champion… State Runner-Up in 2003 and 2004…three-time District Champion and Regional Champion… Volleyball MVP…club volleyball team finished 3rd at the Junior Olympics…best discus throw was 149.4 feet. 1L Missouri City, Texas Thurgood Marshall HS Sprints Outdoor: 400M (56.08) 2008 NCAA Qualifier - 4X400 Meter Relay 2008 NCAA Regional Qualifier - 4X400 Meter Relay High School State Champion- 4x400 Meter Relay MEET THE COUGARS JR ASHLEY BRYANT 2008 Outdoor: Finished seventh at the UTEP Invitational in the 400m with a clocking of 57.72...also finished seventh at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational with a time of 56.08 in the 400m...finished 12th at the Houston Invitational in the 400m with a time of 56.78...ran as a member of the 4X400m relay team that qualified for the NCAA Championships...the team posted a time of 3:42.02 in the prelims at the NCAAs. High School Finished third in district in the 400 meters… two-time state champion in the 4x400 meter relay... 4x400 meter relay team’s time of 3:40.05 was the third fastest in the nation in 2007... has personal best of 24.54 in the 200 meters… school team finished second in the state last year. .. set a state record as a member of the 4x400 meter relay team with a time of 3:38.83. Personal Born Aug. 2, 1989 in Houston, Texas… daughter of Tyrone and Monique Cross… chose Houston for its education… also recruited by LSU… father, Tyrone, also ran track in college… major is undecided. SO KALYN FLOYD 1L Houston, Texas Aleif Hastings HS Ñ Sprints Indoor: 400M (57.35) Outdoor: 100M (12.01), 200M (23.62) 400M (56.08) Ñ Ñ Personal Born December 11, 1987 in Houston, Texas…daughter of Terry and Debbie Bryant…chose Houston for its track program and its location…hobbies include shopping…also recruited by Ole Miss, Stephen F. Austin, 2008 NCAA Qualifier - 4X100 Meter Relay & 4X400 Meter Relay 2008 NCAA Regional Qualifier - 4X100 Meter Relay & 4X400 Meter Relay 2008 Indoor: Made debut at the Bayou City Championships with a mark of 57.65 in the 400m to finish second. Outdoor: Posted a 12.01 in the 100m at the LSU Tiger Relays...posted a 12.29 100m at the Texas Relays... set a regional mark of 54.59 in the 400m at the Tellez Invitational...turned in a time of 12.18 in the 100m at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational...set a regional mark 23.88 at the Houston Invitational...member of the 4X100 relay team that finished second at C-USA Championships...finished 12th in the 200m with a time of 23.62 at the Midwest Regional...ran in the 4X100 relay that finished sixth at the Midwest Regional with a mark of 45.00...also member of 4X100 and 4X400 relay teams that competed at the NCAA Championships. High School Holds personal bests of 24.34 in the 200 meters, 55.3 in the 400 meters and 11.57 in the 100 meters... named team MVP three times… also a member of the volleyball team… art award winner. and Texas-Arlington… majoring in sports administration. 2009 houston TRACK & FIELD Personal Born July 19, 1989 in Houston, Texas… daughter of Stanley and Delisa Floyd… chose Houston because it felt like home… hobbies include eating, talking and doing hair… father, Stanley, was a track star at Houston and was the 1982 NCAA 100 meter champion and the 1982 NCAA 60 meter runner-up... mother, Delisa, finished fifth in the 800 meters at the 1988 Olympics and was a nine-time National Champion and 12-time All-American at Tennessee… sister, Ebonie, is a Cougar record holder, Conference USA Champion and NCAA All-American… major is undecided. 53 MEET THE COUGARS 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM SO CHARLISSA FOSTER Ñ Ñ Ñ 1L Cameron, Texas C.H. Yoe HS Throws Indoor: Shot Put (14.22m) Outdoor: Discus (51.49m) Shot Put (14.22m) 2008 C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll High School State Champion- Shot Put, Discus 2008 Indoor: Finished ninth at the Houston Indoor opener in the shot put...seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 14.45m (47-00.50) at the Houston Indoor Invitational...also finished fourth in the shot put with a 14.22m (46-08.00)...took fifth in the shot at the Bayou City Championships and fifth at the UH All-Comers meet...finished 11th at the C-USA Championships in the shot put. Outdoor: Finished third in the shot at the LSU Tiger Relays with a mark of 13.54m (44-05.25)...finished fifth in the discus with a toss of 43.26m (141-11) at the UTEP Invitational...also finished fourth in the shot...notched a toss of 13.52m in the shot put at the Tellez Invitational...finished in the top-10 in the C-USA Championships in the shot put with a best of 13.27m (43-06.50)...also set a personal best in the discus with a toss of 47.41m (155-06) to finish fourth. High School A three-time district and regional champion in the shot put and discus… state runner-up in both the shot put and discus in 2006 and was the 2005 state champion in the discus... named a 2007 state champion in the shot put and discus... recorded personal-best throws of 160-0 in the discus and 45-10.5 in the shot put... her 160-0 in the discus ranked her top five in the nation and a number-one ranking in Texas in 2007... graduated in the top 5% of her class... named First-Team All-District in volleyball... power lifter runner-up... named Class President... member of the honor roll Personal Born June 18, 1989 in College Station, Texas… daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Foster… chose Houston for its friendly environment and education… also recruited by North Texas, Baylor, Kentucky, UTEP, Havard, Texas-San Antonio and Florida… hobbies include working out… twin brother, Charles, plays football… majoring in biology and pre-med. JR ERICA HANNEMAN 2L Dayton, Texas Dayton HS Ñ Distance Indoor: 800M (2:23.10), Mile (5:16.93) Outdoor: 800M (2:21.75), 1,500M (4:57.37) 3,000M (11:22.62) Ñ Ñ Fall ‘06 Dean’s List 2008 Cross Country: finished 12th at the LSU Tiger Festival with a time of 23:22.1...finished sixt at the Sam Houston Invitational with a time of 14:34.3...finished 43rd at the C-USA Championships and 85th at the NCAA South Central Regional. Indoor: Posted a time of 5:30.62 in the mile at the Leonard Hilton Memorial...posted a 2:23.60 finish in the 800m at the Houston Indoor Invitational...ran a 2:23.35 800m at the Bayou City Championships...ran a personal best 5:16.93 in the mile at the UH All-Comers...also ran a 2:23.10 in the 800m at the UH All-Comers...member of the distance medley rellay team that posted the school’s fourth-fastest time with a 12:04.42 finish. 2007 Cross Country: Ran a 15:41.9 4K in the Baylor Twilight Invitational to open the season...Raced at the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational, had a time of 22:38.1 and placed 29th...ran a 20:40 5K at the Texas A&M Invitational placing 64th overall...brought in the back-end for the Cougars at the TAMCC Islander Classic with a 20:13 5K placing 50th...placed 182nd in the Chili Pepper Festival running a 24:57.1 6K...took 56th at the Conference USA Championships with a 20:56.4 time...competed at the NCAA South Central Regional with an overall place of 86th and a 23:52.5 time. 2006 Cross Country: Recorded a 31st-place finish at the Hawaii Big Wave Classic… finished 29th at the Texas Invitational with a time of 21:45…competed at the OSU Cowboy Jamboree and finished 91st with a time of 22:27… was 71st at the Conference USA Championships. Indoor: Competed in the 800 meters at the C-USA Indoor Championships and finished 26th (2:30.18)…recorded a personal best 5:38.26 in the mile at the Houston Invitational…had a 17th-place finish in the 800 meters at the UH All-Comers Meet. Outdoor: Was fifth in the 3,000 meters at the TSU Relays…added a ninth-place finish in the 1,500 meters at the LSU Tiger Classic…finished eighth in the 1,500 meters at the John Jacobs Invitational. High School Four-time District Champion in cross country…eight-time District Champion in track…cross country State Qualifier…finished sixth at cross country regionals…varsity member for four years… also played varsity basketball for four years… Student Council President…member of the National Honor Society. Personal Born August 22, 1988 in Pasadena, Texas…daughter of David and Dianne Hannemann…chose Houston for its academic programs and its location…also recruited by Texas State…majoring in kinesiology. SO CHRISTIE JONES Ñ Ñ Ñ 1L Katy, Texas Cinco Ranch HS Sprints Indoor: 60M (7.56), 200M (25.19) Outdoor: 100m (12.18) 2008 Indoor: finished sixth in the 60m with a time of 7.66 at the Houston Indoor Opener...finished eighth in the 60m with a time of 7.65 at the Leonard Hilton Memorial...ran a time of 25.19 in the 200m at the Tyson Invitational...ran a pr time of 7.56 in the 60m prelims at the C-USA Championships...finished seventh at the Championships in the 60m on a time of 7.61. Outdoor: ran a time of 12.18 in the 100m at the LSU Tiger Relays...posted a time of 12.46 in the 100m at the Texas Relays...also ran a leg of the 4X200m relay team that finished fourth with a time of 1:35.77 at the Texas Relays. 54 uhcougars.com 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM Personal Born Oct. 15, 1988 in Houston, Texas… daughter of Neil Jones and Lorna Jones… chose Houston because of its great track and academic programs… also recruited by TCU, Kansas State and North Texas… majoring in business. SR KELCEE KEENAN SO MORGAN LANCASTER Ñ Ñ Ñ 1L Keller, Texas Keller HS Pole Vault Indoor: Pole Vault (3.50M/11-05.75) Outdoor: Pole Vault (3.55M/11-07.75) 3L Spring, Texas Ñ Klein HS Ñ Distance Indoor: Mile (5:15.39) Outdoor: 800M (2:28.61), 1,500M (4:42.50), 3,000M (11:47.85) Ñ 2008 Cross Country: Finished 10th at the Johnny Morriss UH Invitational with a time of 12:39...finished in 17th place at the LSU Tiger Festival to help lead the Cougars to a first place finish...posted a 63rd place finish at the C-USA Championships. Indoor: Ran a time of 5:26.74 in the mile at the Leonard Hilton... finished 15th in the mile at the Razorback Invitational...finished eighth in the mile with a pr time of 5:15.39 at the Houston Indoor Invitational...posted a time of 11:09.36 in the 300m at the Bayou City Championships...posted a time of 2:32.90 in the 800m at the UH All Comers. 2007 Cross Country: Placed 34th at the Baylor Twilight invitational opening the season as the Cougars second leading women’s runner with a time of 15:29.8 in the 4K...ran a 20:03 5k at the Texas A&M Invitational taking 53rd place...placed 33rd in the TAMCC Islander Classic running a 19:19 5K...took a 150th place a the Chili Pepper Festival running a 24:10.9 6K...placed 72nd overall at the Conference USA Championships... ran a 24:39.7 6K at the NCAA South Central Regionals placing 105th. 2006 Cross Country: Did Not Compete. Indoor: Was ninth in the mile at the Arkansas Invitational…finished seventh in the mile at the Dan DeHart Invitational…took sixth in the mile at the UH All-Comers Meet. Outdoor: Finished fourth in the 3,000 meters at the TSU Relays…was eighth in the 800 meters at the LSU Tiger Classic…added a fourth place finish in the 1,500 meters at the John Jacobs Invitational. 2005 Cross Country: Competed with Oumama Hallal at the Texas A&M Relays and finished sixth…was the top finisher for Houston at the Texas A&M Invitational…was eighth at the Hawaii Big Wave Classic with a time of 15:06.8…finished seventh at the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Invitational…recorded a 44th place finish at the Conference USA Cross Country Championships with a time of 19:12.40. Indoor: Did Not Compete Outdoor: Finished 10th in the 800 meters (2:32.11) and second in the 1,500 meters (4:42.50) at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational… recorded a ninth place finish at the Conference USA Championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:21.94…member of the 4x800 meter relay team that finished seventh at the Texas Relays and the distance medley relay that finished third at the TSU Relays. 2004 Cross Country: Was Houston’s top runner in six meets…best finish was seventh place at the Texas A&MCorpus Christi Islander Splash…finished in eighth place at the Texas A&M Invitational. High School Selected MVP for Klein’s cross country team…also received the “Most Athletic”, Coaches and Bearkat awards in cross country and track and field…had a time of 5:01 in the 1,600 meters at the Nike Indoor Championships…member of the National Honor Society…listed in Who’s Who Among American High School Students. 2008 Indoor: Finished third in the pole vault at the Houston Indoor Opener...took fifth at the Leonard Hilton Memorial with a best of 3.35m (10-11.75)...cleared 3.50m (11-05.75) to finish ninth at the Houston Indoor Invitational...finished sixth at the Bayou City Championships with a clearance of 3.40m (11-01.75)... took ninth at the C-USA Championships. Outdoor: Took third in the pole vault at the LSU Relays with a clearance of 3.55m (11-07.75)...took fourth at the UTEP Invitational with a mark of 3.40m (11-01.75)... also cleared 3.40m at the Tellez Invitational...took third in the B section pole vault at the Brutus Hamilton meet, tying her personal best mark of 3.55m (11-07.75)...scored at the C-USA Championships with a best of 3.40m (11-01.75). MEET THE COUGARS High School Finished fifth in the 5A State Meet in 2007 in the 100 meters with a time of 11.98 and finished the 200 meters in 24.36… was the 2007 Region 3 Champion in the 200 meters and the runner-up in the 100 meters… was a two-time state qualifier... holds personal bests of 11.59 in the 100 meters and 24.09 in the 200 meters... finished fourth at state in 2006... was fifth in the 200 and 100 at state in 2007. High School Was the 2007 district champion in the pole vault... recorded a personal best a 12-00.00. Personal Born June 29, 1989 in Fort Worth, Texas… daughter of Greg and Dana Lancaster… also recruited by New Mexico, TCU, Kansas State and Sam Houston State… major is undecided. SO LINDSEY MARSHALL Ñ Ñ Ñ 1L Giddings, Texas Giddings HS Distance Outdoor: 800M (2:21.53) 2008 Cross Country: Finished in 78th place at the LSU Tiger Festival with a clocking of 21:51. Outdoor: Finished seventh at the UTEP Invitational in the 800m with a personal recrod time of 2:21.53...posted a clocking of 2:22.22 in the 800m at the Tellez Invitational. 2007 Cross Country: Ran her first race with the Cougars at the Texas A&M Invitational placing 89th overall with a 24:50 5K time...ran her second race of the season at the TAMCC Islander Classic placing 76th overall with a 22:42 5K time...raced in the Chili Pepper Festival placing 249th with a 27:16.6 6K time...placed 87th overall at the Conference USA Championships running a 24:04.4 to finish out the season. High School Team track MVP… earned Coach’s Award… was a team captain and also ran cross country. Personal Born Jan. 12, 1989 in New Orleans, La… daughter of Laurie Vignaud and Allison Marshall… chose Houston for its business school program… cousin, Alfrado, played basketball overseas… hobbies include art and sports… majoring in business. Personal Majoring in kinesiology…born on June 10, 1987 in Houston, Texas…daughter of Robert and JoAnn Keenan of Spring, Texas…signed with Houston after being recruited by Texas, UAB, Texas Tech, Sam Houston State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. 2009 houston TRACK & FIELD 55 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM MEET THE COUGARS JR QUIN’SHUNDOLYN MCPHERSON Ñ Ñ Ñ 2L Houston, Texas Alief Taylor HS Jumps, Sprints Indoor: 200M (24.31), LJ (5.79M), TJ (12.18M) Outdoor: 200M (23.70), LJ (6.07M), TJ (12.74M) 2008 NCAA Qualifier - 4X100 Meter Relay & 4X400 Meter Relay 2008 NCAA Regional Qualifier - Long Jump, 4X100 Meter Relay & 4X400 Meter Relay 2007 C-USA Indoor Freshman of the Year 2007 C-USA Outdoor Champion- 4x100, 4x400 2007 NCAA Regional Qualifier- 200, 4x100, Triple Jump 2007 NCAA Qualifier- 4x100 Meter Relay 2007 Junior All-American 2008 Indoor: Finished second in the long jump at the Houston Indoor Opener...took second at the Leonard Hilton Memorial with a mark of 11.81m (38-09) in the triple jump...finished 11th at the Razorback Invitational in the triple jump...finished with a time of 24.46 in the 200m at the Tyson Invitational...tinished in the top 10 in the long jump with a mark of 5.53m (18-01.75) at the C-USA Championships...also finished 2nd in the 200m with a personal best time of 24.31. Outdoor: Set a pr and a regional mark in the long jump with a mark of 6.07m (19-11.00) at the LSU Tiger Relays...member of the 4X200m relay team that finished fourth at the Texas Relays...ran a pr and regional qualifying time of 23.70 in the 200m at the Tellez Invitational...finished in the top 10 at the Brutus Hamilton meet in the long jump with a long of 5.64m... finished fourth at the C-USA Championships in the long jump with a mark of 5.94m (19-06.00)...also finished 2nd running on the 4X100m relay team...cleared 5.71m (18-09.00) at the Midwest Regional in the long jump...competed on the 4X100 and 4X400 relay teams at the NCAA Championships. 2007 Indoor: Finished fourth at the C-USA Indoor Championships in the long jump…added a fifth-place finish in the triple jump at the conference championships…finished sixth in the 200 meters at the C-USA Indoor Championships. Outdoor: Won the 4x100 finished seventh in the 200 meters, seventh in the triple jump and 11th in the long jump at the C-USA Championships…won the triple jump (11.79m/38-08.25) at the Tom Tellez Invitational…finished third in the triple jump at the LSU Tiger Classic…runner-up in the triple jump at the LSU Alumni Gold Invitational…was fifth in the long jump and sixth in the 200 meters at the Cal Collegiate Challenge…finished 16th in the 200 meter prelims, sixth in the 4x100 and 23rd in the triple jump at the NCAA Midwest Regional…was sixth in both the long jump and triple jump at the USATF Outdoor Championships. High School Named Athlete of the Year at Alief Taylor...also a member of the junior varsity basketball team...member of the summer track team Track Houston...recorded personal best times in the triple jump (40”3’), long jump (19”8’) and 400 meters (55.00). Personal Born July 30, 1988 in Houston, Texas...daughter of Constance McPherson...hobbies include running track, playing basketball, watching movies and eating...also recruited by Miami and Texas A&M...chose Houston because it was close to her mom and she always wanted to come here. 56 SR DAYO OGUNNIYI Ñ Ñ Ñ Ñ 3L Mandeville, La. Tulane Fontainebleau HS Jumps, Sprints Indoor: LJ (5.88m/19-03.50) Outdoor: LJ (6.17M/20-03.00), 100M (11.95) 2008 NCAA Regional Qualifier- Long Jump & 4X100 Meter Relay 2007 NCAA Regional Qualifier- Long Jump, Triple Jump 2008 Indoor: Finished ninth in the 60m with a time of 7.77 at the Houston Indoor Opener...won the long jump competition at the Leonard Hilton Memorial...also took fourth in the long jump with a mark of 5.82m (19-01.25)...posted a mark of 7.76 in the 60m at the Bayou City Championships...finished sixth in the long jump with a leap of 5.73m at the C-USA Championships. Outdoor: Set a regional qualifying mark of 6.17m (20-03.00) in the long jump to finish first at the LSU Tiger Relays...also posted a mark of 12.10 in the 100m...recorded a long of 5.68m (18-07.75) at the Texas Relays in the long jump...finished sixth in the 100m with a clocking of 12.08 at the UTEP Invitational...recorded a mark of 11.95 in the 100m at the Tellez Invitational...finished seventh in the long jump at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational...also finished fifth in the 100m...finished seventh at the C-USA Championships in the long jump with a mark of 5.79m (19-00.00)...also ran as a memeber of 4X100m relay team that finished second...posted a leap of 5.77m (18-11.25) at the NCAA Midwest Regional...also finished sixth at the Regional in the 4X100m with a time of 45.00. 2007 Indoor: Finished second in the long jump at the Leonard Hilton Memorial with a jump of 5.87m/1903.25…notched a fourth-place finish in the long jump at the Dan DeHart Invitational and set a season-best jump of 5.88m/19-03.50 to finish fourth in the long jump...was third in the long jump at the Conference USA Indoor Championships. Outdoor: Finished third at the Tom Tellez Invitational in the long jump…was second in the long jump at the Texas Invitational…notched a fourth-place finish in the long jump at the LSU Tiger Classic…took ninth in the long jump at the LSU Alumni Gold Invitational…earned a fourth place finish in the long jump at the Cal Collegiate Challenge…finished third in the long jump and seventh in the 100 meters at the C-USA Championships…was 13th in the long jump at the NCAA Midwest Regional with a jump of 5.78m/18-11.75. 2006 Walked on to the team in the spring of 2006. Indoor: Finished 15th in the long jump at the Conference USA Indoor Championships. Outdoor: Was second in the long jump at the Houston Invitaitonal with a jump of 5.92 meters (19-6.25)…recorded a 20th place finish in the long jump at the Conference USA Championships. High School Three-time state qualifier...finished first at the 2004 5A State Championships in the long jump...finished third at state in the long jump at state in 2003 and 2005. Personal Born December 30, 1986 in Warri, Nigeria…daughter of Victor and Ola Ogunniyi...also recruited by the UL-Monroe… majoring in architecture. uhcougars.com 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM Ñ Ñ Ñ 1L Louise, Texas Louise HS Throws SO JASMINE TRIER Ñ Ñ Ñ 2008 Indoor: Finished second in the weight throw at the Houston Indoor Opener...also took second in the shot put...finished third in the shot with a long of 14.05m (46-01.25) at the Leonard Hilton Memorial...also took sixth in the weight throw...finished fifth in the shot at the Razorback Invitational...took fifth with a long of 14.14m in the shot at the Houston Indoor Invitational...took third with a pr mark of 14.95m (4900.75) at the UH All-Comers meet...recorded a season-long mark of 16.03m in the weight throw ...finished seventh at the C-USA Championships. Outdoor: Took second in the shot put at the LSU Tiger Relays...also posted a mark of 41.02m (134-07) in the hammer throw...finished eighth in the hammer with a toss of 41.38m (135-09) at the UTEP Invitational...took second in the shot put at the Brutus Hamilton meet...also finished second in the shot put at the Houston Invitational with a pr 14.48m (47-06.25)...finished seventh in the shot at the C-USA Championships with a mark of 13.82m (45-04.25)...posted a toss of 13.78m (4502.50) at the NCAA Midwest Regional. High School Is a 1A State Champion in the shot put and holds a personal record of 44-11.50... broke the Class 1A record in the shot put with a throw of 44-02.00 to finish as the 2007 State Champion... holds a personal record of 44-11.50 in the shot put... named MVP in track and basketball... First Team All-District in basketball... 2007 and 2006 state champion in the shot put... four-time powerlifting champion Personal Born July 28, 1989 in Harbor City, California… daughter of Karen and Daryl Pulliam… chose Houston for its campus and the people… also recruited by Oklahoma State and New Mexico… hobbies include playing piano, listening to music, and sleeping… major is undecided. Giddings, Texas Giddings HS Distance Indoor: Mile (5:45.98) Outdoor: 800M (2:37.54), 1500M (5:07.82), Steeple Chase (12:32.02) Indoor: Shot (14.95M), WT (16.03M) Outdoor: Shot (14.48M), HT (41.38M) 2008 NCAA Regional Qualifier - Shot Put High School State Champion- Shot Put 1L 2008 Cross Country: Finished in 12th place at the Johnny Morriss UH Invitational to help the Cougars to a first place finish...finished in 27th place at the UTSA Ricardo Romo Invitational to help Houston to its second-straight first place finish...finished in 68th place at the C-USA Championships with a time of 21:02. Indoor: Finished 12th in the mile at the Houston Indoor Opener...turned in a time of 5:47.83 in the mile at the Leonard Hilton Memorial...finished with a pr time of 5:45.98 in the mile at the Bayou City Championships. Outdoor: Posted a time of 2:37.54 in the 800m at the Tellez Invitational...also recorded a time of 5:07.82 in the 1500m at the meet...won the 3,000m steeple chase at the Houston Invitational with a time of 12:32.02. MEET THE COUGARS SO KIARA PULLIAM 2007 Cross Country: Ran a 4K at the Baylor Twilight Invitational season opener with a time of 16:30.1...placed 31st (23:24.3) in the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational...ran a 21:51 5K at the Texas A&M Invitational placing 78th overall...placed 55th at the TAMCC Islander Classic running a 20:30 5K race...competed at the Chili Pepper Festival placing 205th overall with a 25:33.8 time...ran a 22:29.5 5K at the Conference USA Championships to place 83rd overall. High School Was a regional and district champion and state medalist… member of the cheerleading squad… graduated in the top 20% of her class. Personal Born Sept. 10, 1989 in San Antonio, Texas… daughter of Dr. Ashton and Jill Trier… chose Houston for its location and track team… also recruited by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi… hobbies include running, spending time with family and friends, and shopping… majoring in kinesiology. JR BRITTANI WILLIAMS Ñ Ñ Ñ 2L Houston, Texas Willowridge HS Heptathlon/Javelin Indoor: Pentathlon (3,462 PTS) Outdoor: Heptathlon (4,919 PTS), Javelin (43.24M/141-10) 2008 NCAA Regional Qualfier - Javelin 2008 NCAA Regional Qualifier - Javelin 2008 Commissioner’s Honor Roll 2007 Junior All-American 2007 C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal Recipient Junior Olympics National Champion Fall ‘06 Dean’s List 2008 Indoor: Posted a mark of 12.24m (40-02) in the shot put at the Leonard Hilton Memorial...also turned in a best of 5.39m in the long jump...finished fourth in the pentathlon with 3,231 points...recorded a 2:34.50 finish in the 800m at the Bayou City Championships...took fourth at the C-USA Championships in the pentathlon with a pr total of 3,462 points. Outdoor: Finished 11th in the heptathlon, winning three events, at the Texas Relays with 4,746 points...also posted a long of 42.54m (139-07) in the javelin...finished second in the javelin with a mark of 44.30m (145-04) at the Tellez Invitational...finished ninth in the javelin at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational...took fourth at the C-USA Championships in the javelin with a mark of 40.96m (134-04)...competed in the javelin at the NCAA Midwest Regional, posting a mark of 39.63m (130-00). 2009 houston TRACK & FIELD 57 MEET THE COUGARS 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM 2007 Indoor: Set a season-best jump of 5.49m/18-00.25 in the long jump at the Dan DeHart Invitational…finished sixth in the pentathlon at the Houston Invitational with 3,269 points…took fifth in the high jump after clearing 1.48m/4-10.25 at the UH All-Comers Meet…was sixth in the pentathlon at the C-USA Indoor Championships, scoring 3,253 points. Outdoor: Finished second in the javelin, eighth in the long jump and fourth in the shot put at the Tom Tellez Invitational…won the javelin and was sixth in the shot put at the Texas Invitational…earned a second-place finish in the javelin at the John Jacobs Invitational…took seventh in the javelin at the Cal Collegiate Challenge…finished third in the heptathlon, fifth in the javelin and 15th in the shot put at the C-USA Championships…finished sixth in the heptathlon at the USATF Outdoor Championships with 2,726 points... set a season best in the javelin with a throw of 43.24/141-10. High School Regional qualifier in the 4x400 meter relay, long jump, triple jump, 300-meter hurdles, and the 4x200 meter relay…named Most Versitle Athlete…also named to the basketball All-District First Team, and Offensive MVP…member of the National Honor Society and Band State Ensemble…won two gold medals at the 2005 Junior Olympic Nationals in the heptahlon and javelin…member of the Wings Club Track Team... had a personal best 143.0 throw in the javelin and 4,892 points in the heptathlon. Personal Born May 24, 1988 in Houston, Texas…daughter of Arthur and Diane Williams…hobbies include listening to music, playing the piano and basketball…also recruited by Kansas State, UT-Austin, Vanderbilt and North Texas…undecided on a major. FR STEPHANIE ALDEA Ñ Ñ Ñ HS Windosr, Ontario, Canada St. Anne Secondary School Distance 2008 NCAA Cross Country Qualifier 2008 C-USA Cross Country Freshman of the Year 2008 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region Team 2008 All-Conference USA Cross Country Second Team 2008 Cross Country: Became the first female individual to qualify in the program’s history since 1994 (Christy Bench)…three-time recipient of the C-USA Athlete of the Week Award (Sept. 4, Sept. 30, Oct. 14) …Won the Johnny Morriss Invitational 3,200-meter race with a time of 11:13, helping the women’s team capture first in the event…finished third at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic with a time of 18:04 in the 5K race…Won the women’s 6K race with a time of 21:21.70 at the LSU Cross Country Invitational, adding another first-place finish for the women’s team…took second at the Walt Disney World Cross Country Classic in the 5K with a time of 5:37.40…got her fifth consecutive top-three finish with her second-place victory at the Sam Houston Invitational with a time of 14:24.20…received the Conference USA Freshman of the Year award after finishing in 9th-place at the Conference USA Championships in the 5K with a time of 17:38…finished 19th at the South Central Regional with a time of 21:31.83 in the 6K…she also honored with U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region Team…finished 215th at NCAA Men and Women’s Cross Country Championships…finished 13th at the Junior Canadian Cross Country Championships with a time of 18:57.10. High School Graduated from St. Anne Secondary in 2008...coached by Scott Moncur...Finished third at the All Ontario Championships in the 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter. Personal Born on Feb. 1, 1990 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada...full name is Stephanie Samantha Aldea...daughter of Terry and Jasna Aldea...chose Houston because it has great athletics and a wonderful business program... also recruited by IPFW and Windsor...hobbies include running...intends to major in business. FR GRECIA BOLTON Ñ Ñ Ñ HS Katy, Texas Cypress Springs HS Sprints High School State Champion - 100 Meters High School Ran track at Cypress Springs High School in Katy, Texas for head coach Ashley Accardo...was a state and district champion in the 100m in 2007...was a membr of the Panther track and field team that finished as District Champions in 2007. Personal Born on Oct. 2, 1989, in Katy, Texas to parents Zavier and Gregory Bolton...chose to attend the University of Houston because of the program’s proud tradition, it’s closeness to home and the coaching staff...habbies include shopping, competing and having fun...brother Jarred played football...also recruited by Kansas State, Texas Tech and SMU. 58 uhcougars.com 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM Ñ Ñ Ñ Ñ TR Bay City, Texas Texas State Van Uleck HS Jumps FR RAVYN GRAY RS Ñ Ñ Ñ Prior to Houston Competed for the Bobcats in the long jump and triple jump at the Southland Conference Indoor Championships ... placed eighth in the triple jump to score points for Texas State ... had a triple jump mark of 11.47 meters (37-07.75). High School Class 2A state champion in the triple jump as well as the Class 2A silver medalist in the long jump ... also a district and regional champion in both events ... established school records in both the long jump (18-8) and triple jump (39-9). Dallas, Texas Desoto High School Distance High School Graduated from Desoto High School in 2007 and coached by Coach Jones...Texas scholar and won the English Academic Excellence Award. MEET THE COUGARS JR ALAYSHA FORD Personal Born on Aug. 14, 1989 in Dallas, Texas...full name is Ravyn Mieschel Gray...daughter of Willie Gray and Jerry Boyd...chose Houston because of its business school...hobbies include shopping and hanging out with friends and family...major is undecided...worked with handicap as a peer leader and peer mentor. Personal Born in Bay City, Texas on October 6, 1987...daughter of Bernard and Teresa Ford...brother D’Korian Ford also runs track at the University of Houston...goes by the nickname of Laysha...hobbies include shopping, eating and texting...chose UH because of the coaching staff, the program, the academics and because her mother graduated from the university...also recruited by Texas State, North Texas, Sam Houston State, Georgia Southern and Texas Tech. FR STARLA GARCIA Ñ Ñ Ñ HS Pharr, Texas PSJA North High School Distance 2008 All C-USA Cross Country Third Team 2008 Cross Country: Finished second in the Johnny Morriss Invitational with a time of 11:55 to help the women finish in first-place…finished sixth in the 5K at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic with a time of 19:27…helped the women to a first-place victory with her fifth-place finish in the 6K with a time of 22:28.44 at the LSU Cross Country Invitational…finished 30th of 353 participants at the Walt Disney World Cross Country Classic with a time of 18:47.10… won the Sam Houston Invitational with a time of 14:23.80 in the 4K race…finished 21st at the Conference USA Championships receiving All-Conference USA Third Team honors…finished in the 50 spot at the South Central Regional with a time of 22:40.70 in the 6K race. FR WHITNEY HARRIS Ñ Ñ Ñ HS College Station, Texas Texas A&M Consolidated Sprints High School State Champion - 200 Meters High School Ran track for head coach Wellman at Texas A&M Consolidated in College Station, Texas...ran the 400m, 200m and 100m...received the Most Valuable Runner Award...also honored with the Most Dedicated Award... played on the basketball team for two years...also competed for Track Houston coached by Earl Thomas. Personal Born on November 6, 1989, in Seguin, Texas....daughter of Cheryl and Johnny Harris...goes by the nickname of Shey...hobbies include reading...also recruited by TCU, Tulane, Fresno State and Ohio State. High School Graduated from PSJA North High School in Pharr, Texas...coached by Yesenia Cuellar and Monica Valle...Fourtime State Finalist in cross country...member of the Region IV Team Champions...2007 All-Region...team went to four District Team Championships...two-time District Champion in 3,200-meter...District Champion in 1,600-meter...regional qualifier and state finalist in 3,200-meter...member of NHS, where she served as a secretary...Junior and Senior class officer...member of UIL Science, Cheerleading, DAP, and Pharr Rotary Student of the month (Jan.)...was eighth in her class. Personal Born on Jan. 2, 1990 in McAllen, Texas...full name is Starla Marie Garcia...daughter of Ed and Odilia Garcia...chose Houston because of its athletic and academic programs...also recruited by HBU, Incarnate Word, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UTPA and Texas A&M...hobbies include watching movies, cooking, reading and painting...nickname is Star...volunteers at Edinburg Regional Hospital as well as San Juan Nursing Home... intends to major in Biology. 2009 houston TRACK & FIELD 59 MEET THE COUGARS 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM FR CIERA JOHNSON Ñ Ñ Ñ HS Baton Rouge, LA. Redemptorist HS Distance Ñ Ñ Ñ 2008 Cross Country: Finished 13th at the Johnny Morriss Invitational with a time of 12:56 to help the women finish first in the 3,200-meter race…finished 36th at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic with a time of 22:36…finished 28th at the LSU Cross Country Invitational…finished 30th at the Sam Houston Invitational, with a time of 15:49.3 where the women finished first with 18 points. High School Graduated from Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge, La in 2008...participated in basketball, cross country and track. Personal Born on July 19, 1990 in Baton Rouge, La...daughter of Lamonica Antoine and Edmond Donald...hobbies include running, listening to music and hanging out with family...nickname is Cee Cee...major is undecided. JR KRYSTAL LUX Ñ Ñ Ñ Ñ Ñ TR Angleton, Texas Texas Tech McNeese State Angleton HS Sprints, Middle Distance Prior to Houston Ran cross country at McNeese State before transferring to Texas Tech were she competed for the track team. High School Ran track at Angleton High School for Coach Cants....reached the Regional finals in the 800m...also raced in the Junior Olympics in the 800m, 1500m and as a member of 4X800m relay teams...also was a Honor Roll student and a Merit Scholar...volunteered for Peer Assistant and Leadership (PALs). Personal Born August 8, 1987 to Perry Lux Sr. and Valarie Lux ... has five siblings Michael, Perry Jr., Andrew, Kanetta, Kanena ... enjoys running, gospel singing, reading, learning and going to church ... majoring in geophysics. 60 FR MEGAN MUNOZ HS Kingwood, Texas Kingwood HS Distance 2008 Croos Country: Finished third in the Johnny Morriss Invitational with a time of 12:03 to help the women finish first in the event…took seventh at the UTSA Ricardo Romo Invitational with a time of 19:28, to help the women finish first…the women captured their third consecutive first-place victory at the LSU Tiger Festival, where she took 10th with a time of 23:03.3…took 31st at the Walt Disney World Classic with a time of 18:48.0…finished 5th in the Sam Houston Invitational to help the women to a fourth first-place victory on the year…finished 28th at the Conference USA Championships with a time of 18:31…finished 64th at the South Central Regional with a time of 23:05.2. High School Graduated from Kingwood High School in 2008 and coached by Coach Burleson. Personal Born on June 28, 1990 in Kingwood Texas...full name is Megan Leigh Munoz...daughter of Jetta Walzel and Gerald Munoz...chose Houston because it was the perfect fit for her...hobbies include running and attending church...brother, Matthew ran cross country at UT and Arkansas...major is undecided. FR CLARISSA PAYTON Ñ Ñ Ñ HS San Antonio, Texas Judson HS Distance High School Graduated from Judson High School in 2008...coached by Renee Gerbich...Team Captain (2007-07)...won the Senior Athlete Award...had the highest GPA on the team...All-State Academic Team...also played volleyball and basketball...member of NHS, Science National Honor Society, FCA and Z-Club. Personal Born on July 28, 1990 in San Antonio, Texas...full name is Clarissa Chantel Payton...daughter of Michelle and Demetrius Payton...chose Houston because of its track program...also recruited by Texas State, North Texas, Louisiana-Monroe and Oklahoma State...hobbies include reading...nickname is Ce Ce...intends to major in sociology...sister Felicia also competes on the track & field team for the University of Houston. uhcougars.com 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM Ñ Ñ Ñ HS San Antonio, Texas Judson HS High Jump Ñ Ñ Personal Born in San Antonio, Texas on July 28, 1990 to parents Michelle and Demetrius Payton...twin sister Clarissa also competes on the track & field team at the University of Houston...Fee Fee is her nickname...hobbies include listening to music and watching movies...also recruited by Hardin Simmons University. Ñ Ñ Ñ HS Ñ High School Competed at Judson High School for head coach Renee Gerbich...member of the Regional Champion team in 2008...finished fifth in the high jump in the State Championships...also finished seventh as a member of the 4X400m relay team at the State Championships...a second-team All-District selection in both volleyball and basketball...scored a 1590 on the SAT. FR TAI’SHEA REESE FR ERIN ROUSE HS Kilgore, Texas Kilgore HS Jumps, Sprints Houston, Texas Cy Fair HS Throws High School Competed at Cy-Fair High School for head coach Gregory Hershman in the shot put and hammer throw... finished second in the district three times...also was a three-time regional finalist...also worked as the women’s basketball team manager. Personal Born on June 28, 1990, in Houston, Texas...daughter of Dianna Forney and Edward Rouse...chose the University of Houston because of its closeness to home and its excellent business program...also recruited by TCU... hobbies include dancing, singing, poetry and counseling friends and family...has the nickname Suga-Lulu. FR NADIRAH SHAKIR Ñ Ñ Ñ HS San Antonio, Texas John Paul Stevens HS Jumps High School Attended Kilgore High School and competed on the track & field team for head coach Kerry Strong...was a sprinter and long jumper...named Athlete of the Year and Best All-Around student at Kilgore High School... was team MVP and a first team all-district selection as a member of the school’s basketball team. High School Competed for John Paul Stevens High School for coach Hesson...school record holder in the 4X400m, long jump and triple jump...selected Athlete of the Year...also was captain of the volleyball team and three-time district champion as a member of the school’s basketball team. Personal Born on Nov. 10, 1989, in Good Shephard, Texas...daughter of LaSandra Pee...Tashy is her nickname...hobbies include shopping, eating and watching movies...chose to attend UH because of the program’s proud tradition. Personal Born on Oct. 10, 1989, in San Antonio, Texas...daughter of Omar and Zarinah Shakir...chose to attend the University of Houston because it was a great school with a great track & field tradition...also recruited by Chicago State University...nickname is Dee...hobbies include dancing and singing. 2009 houston TRACK & FIELD MEET THE COUGARS FR FELICIA PAYTON 61 MEET THE COUGARS 2009 WOMEN’S TEAM SR CRYSTA SWAYZER Ñ Ñ Ñ Ñ TR Houston, Texas Notre Dame Westbury HS Middle Distance FR BRANDI WITTE Ñ Ñ Ñ Prior to Houston Graduated from Notre Dame in 2008...member of the 2007 Outdoor Championship team...two-time letter winner...All Big East in 2007...member of the Big East Academic All Star Team in 2007. High School Graduated from Westbury High School in 2004...four-time state-qualifier...team captain in 2003 and 2004... member of Spanish Honor Society. Personal Born on April 7, 1986 in Houston, Texas...full name is Crysta Dawn Swayzer...daughter of Carolyn and Clausell Stokes...she is attending graduate school while finishing her track career at UH...hobbies include roller skating...major is Human Resource Development. HS Richmond, Texas Brazos HS Distance 2008 Cross Country: Finished sixth (12:19) in the Johnny Morriss Invitational to help the women take first for the event…finished ninth in the UTSA Ricardo Romo Invitational on Sept. 19 with a time of 19:35…took 11th at the LSU Tiger Festival with a time of 23:17 to help the women capture their third-consecutive firstplace victory…finished 38th at the Walt Disney World Classic with a time of 18:56.4…one of five to finish in the Top 10 (eighth) at the Sam Houston Invitational with a time of 14:38.2…finished 44th at the Conference USA Championships with a time of 19:18….finished 83rd in the NCAA South Central Regional with a time of 23:14.8. High School Graduated from Brazos High School in Wallis, Texas in 2008...coached by Eric Stenssel...Most Valuable Player, District Champions and Regional Runner-Up...state-qualifier and medalist...also a member of the volleyball team and golf team, where she was a regional-qualifier. Personal Born on Aug. 6, 1990 in Richmond, Texas...full name is Brandi Noel Witte...daughter of Gerry and Melinda Witte...also recruited by West Texas A&M and SFA...hobbies include hunting, fishing, golf and running...her uncle, Gary Knesek played football at UH...cousin Erin Litvik played softball at Arkansas and currently plays at UH-Victoria...major is undecided. FR SAMANTHA VILLACIN Ñ Ñ Ñ HS College Station, Texas Texas A&M Consolidated Pole Vault High School Competed at Texas A&M Consolidated in College Station, Texas, for head coach Rodney Wellmann...fouryear letterwinner...named Most Valuable Field Eventer...also ran track in addition to competing in the pole vault...ran hurdles...member of the National Honors Society and enshrined in the school’s Hall of Fame. Personal Born on Feb. 17, 1990, in the Phillipines...daughter of Victoria Binamira...chose to attend the University of Houston because of the school’s proud athletic tradition...hobbies include shopping...cousin Angela Soriaga is a basketball player at Dartmouth University...also recruited by Rice and Sam Houston State. 62 uhcougars.com
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