Wolverines Welcome 12-Man Recruiting Class
7/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Coach Jerry Clayton
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan men's track and field head coach Jerry Clayton announced today (Tuesday, July 28) the addition of nine signees and one transfer student to the program. The athletes will join early signees Brandon Piwinski and Ben Hill and will begin competing for U-M in the upcoming 2015-16 seasons for cross country, track and field or both.
"From an athletic perspective, we are adding a pretty strong group to our pair of early signees," said Clayton, "and we feel comfortable with the team chemistry aspect of this group as well."
"To come to Michigan you have to be a special person and have to be willing to do the things that are necessary to be successful here both on and off the track. We need individuals who are focused in the classroom, and we are changing the culture. We have come a long way, and we feel that these 12 individuals will continue that and will help to get this program back to where it belongs."
MEET THE INCOMING WOLVERINES (Click on name for complete bio)
| Name | Previous School | Hometown |
| Sprints/Hurdles | ||
| Taylor McLaughlin | Union Catholic Regional High School | Dunellen, N.J. |
| Blake Washington | Southfield Christian High School | Southfield, Mich. |
| High Jump | ||
| Brandon Piwinski | Warren De La Salle High School | Harrison Township, Mich. |
| Pole Vault | ||
| Nick Burkhalter | South Lyon High School | South Lyon, Mich. |
| Throws | ||
| Andrew Liskowitz | Christian Brothers Academy | Middletown, N.J. |
| Middle Distance/Distance | ||
| Jason Ferrante | Northville High School | Northville, Mich. |
| Ben Hill | Royal Oak High School | Royal Oak, Mich. |
| Garrett Mcpeek | Brighton High School | Brighton, Mich. |
| Jon Phillips* | Cornell University | Oak Hill, Va. |
| Matt Plowman | York Community High School | Elmhurst, Ill. |
| Keenan Rebera | Lansing Catholic High School | Mason, Mich. |
| Jon Russell | Skyline High School | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
* = Incoming Transfer
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Taylor McLaughlin -- Dunellen, N.J. -- Union Catholic Regional High School
The most decorated recruit of the Jerry Clayton era so far, McLaughlin brings a loaded résumé to Ann Arbor. A seven-time New Jersey Meet of Champions event winner, he owns state records in the outdoor 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay in addition to the national 15-year-old record in the hurdles race.
McLaughlin is the second-ranked 400-meter hurdler (50.20) in the nation according to DyeStat.com, and he currently sits at No. 6 on the worldwide performance list for the 400m hurdles junior division with a time of 50.20. That time is just outside the top 100 among senior men, but it qualifies him as No. 25 in the U.S. in the older division.
Among national high school ranks, McLaughlin is No. 2 at 400m indoors (46.80) and No. 39 at 200m outdoors (21.30). Among his peers, recently graduated seniors, he is No. 2 at 400m hurdles outdoors (50.20), No. 5 at 200m indoors (21.37), No. 2 at 300m indoors (33.62), No. 27 at 400m outdoors (47.37) and No. 30 at 110m hurdles (13.94).
McLaughlin was named New Jersey Boys Gatorade Male Track Athlete of the Year for Track and Field in 2015, and was also a Wendy's Male Athlete of the Year State Finalist in 2014. He has proven success against elite competition, collecting eight event titles in a variety of relays at New Balance Indoor and Outdoor National meets, including three consecutive 4x400m titles from 2013-15. At those meets, McLaughlin collected 19 total top-five finishes, including 14 instances in which he or his relay team was the champion or runner-up.
McLaughlin graduated Union Catholic Regional High School as the owner of eight school records in total, and with 14 State Group Champion titles in the following events: indoor 400m, (2013, '15) and 4x400m (2013-15); outdoor 200m (2015), 400m (2013-15), 110m hurdles (2015), 400m hurdles (2013, '15) and 4x400m relay (2013-14).
The five-time all-conference honoree and Star Ledger State and Union County Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year is a star in the classroom, too. He graduated with honors and served his peers as a Student Ambassador while collecting four varsity letters as a member of the National Honor Society and National Language Honor Society. The Courier News also honored him as the Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year for the indoor (2014-15) and outdoor (2013, '15) seasons.
High School Personal Bests
Indoor
55m hurdles -- 7.58
200m --21.37
300m -- 33.62
400m -- 46.80
Outdoor
110m hurdles -- 13.94
200m -- 21.30
400m -- 46.81
400m hurdles -- 50.20
"There is no question the standout for this class is Taylor McLaughin," Clayton said. "If you look at the various athletes that this program has signed over the last decade, you probably have to go back to Alan Webb (2002) to find a better signee than Taylor McLaughlin. He is very highly ranked, not only within high school, but in the world rankings for his age group."
"A focus for our program is always the intangibles a student-athlete brings. With all these individuals, they are going to contribute to our program, but just like in Taylor's case they are outstanding students who are going to bring a lot to the classroom as well as the track, and those are the kind of contributors we are always looking to add at Michigan.
"It's a credit to Coach Steve Rajewsky and the hard work he has put in since he's been at Michigan that we were able to land an athlete of Taylor's caliber. He did an outstanding job to help us bring Taylor into this program; we are already seeing the benefits of his work with our sprints group, and we look for that to continue."
For video of McLaughin's second leg (around 0:55) of the national title-winning 4x400m relay from the 2014 New Balance Indoor Nationals, click here.
Blake Washington -- Sprints -- Southfield, Mich. -- Southfield Christian High School
Washington graduated Southfield Christian Summa Cum Laude with high honors each semester. He served his peers as Student Body President on the Executive Council and was named a State of Michigan Interscholastic Coaches' Association Academic All-State honoree for his efforts in the classroom.
Washington found team success as an Eagle, winning team conference and regional titles as a senior (2015) and had plenty of individual success as well. He collected state championships in the 4x100m (2014) and 400m (2015) and earned 10 all-state honors in total throughout his career. As a junior (2014), he became USATF Midwest Regional champion at 200m and also became an AAU Junior Olympic All-American with a fourth-place finish in the 4x100m relay.
Southfield Christain's Athlete of the Year for 2015 owns program records in the 200m (22.27) and 400m (48.95) races and is a member of the record-holding 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams.
He was named Team MVP in his junior and senior seasons (2014-15) and conference MVP during the same years, collecting 11 total conference titles in addition to seven regional crowns. Washington also won back-to-back state titles (2013-14) as a member of Southfield Christain's basketball program.
High School Personal Bests
60m (Indoor) -- 7.10
200m (Indoor) -- 22.42
100m (Outdoor) -- 10.97
200m (Outdoor) -- 22.27
400m (Outdoor) -- 48.66
HIGH JUMP
Brandon Piwinski -- Harrison Township, Mich. -- Warren De La Salle High School
The second half of U-M's duo of early signees, Piwinski has been recognized as one of the premier high jumpers in the country and opted to keep his talents in-state after pursuit from several national powers. He is a two-time Dream Team member (2014-15) and was recognized as his team's Most Valuable Field Athlete in 2014. As a senior, he rose to the No. 4 ranking in the nation during the indoor season after clearing 6-10.5 ft. (2.09m) and also achieved a top-25 national ranking during the outdoor season, maintaining the No. 1 position in the state of Michigan.
Piwinski closed his career with back-to-back state titles (2014-15) and cleared 6-9.5 ft. (2.07m) to finish third in the nation in his final national meet (2015), bringing him All-America honors. In addition to his two state titles, Piwinski earned back-to-back county titles (2014-15) amidst a three-year stretch as regional champion (2013-15).
He did not limit his athletic accomplishments to just track and field, either. Piwinski was a state and regional champion in 2014 with the Purple Pilots' nationally ranked football program and earned All-Catholic League honors for all four seasons he played soccer (2011-14).
Piwinski also qualified for the state meet and was an all-county and All-Catholic League performer as a diver. His father, Peter, competed at Michigan State University, and Brandon's personal-best jump that won him the 2014 county title also broke a 35-year-old record held by his father. He graduated De La Salle with honors and as a Principal's Honor Roll member.
High School Personal Bests
High Jump -- 7-0.25 ft. (2.13m)
POLE VAULT
Nick Burkhalter -- South Lyon, Mich. -- South Lyon High School
Nick Burkhalter
A three-year varsity competitor, Burkhalter was awarded Most Valuable Athlete honors by his teammates and coaches as a senior after capping his career with an MHSAA Divison 1 State Title, vaulting 15-6 ft. (4.72m) at the state meet with his next-closest competitor, clearing 14-7 ft. (4.44m). Burkhalter competed at New Balance Indoor Nationals as a junior and senior and tied for fifth place at the 2015 Midwest Meet of Champions, clearing 15 ft. (4.57m).
He owns South Lyon's program record, twice matching a personal-best height of 15-7 ft. (4.74m) and also set or tied records while winning the county, conference and regional meets in 2015.
Burkhalter's value to his teammates and coaches extended beyond his vaulting accomplishments. He is a two-time recipient of the team's Most Dedicated Award (2013-14) and graduated South Lyon High School as a four-year member of the Honor Roll on the Principal's List. Burkhalter was also recognized with his team's Leadership Award as a senior.
High School Personal Bests
Indoor -- 15-3 ft. (4.64m)
Outdoor -- 15-7 ft. (4.74m)
"We filled some other areas by adding a pole vaulter, Nick Burkhalter, who was the top vaulter in the state," Clayton said.
"He jumped 15-7 and was very consistent over 15-6, so we added him in an area where we wanted to fill in, and of course in the high jump we are adding early signee Brandon Piwinski, who we are very excited about. The high jump is an event area that has not been as strong in recent years, both at the Big Ten and national levels, so to add someone with Brandon's abilities in that area will be a great help to us."
THROWS
Andrew Liskowitz -- Middletown, N.J. -- Christian Brothers Academy
Liskowitz earned four varsity letters and served as team captain during his senior year. He broke the academy's 35-year-old program record in the discus with his career-best throw of 183-10 ft. (56.03m) and picked up third team all-state honors for shot put during the indoor and outdoor 2015 seasons.
During his senior season, Liskowitz rose as high as No. 27 in the U.S. rankings for indoor shot put (58-5.75 ft.) and finished No. 6 in the state of New Jersey for discus (175-4 ft.). He spent time outside the circle as a member of the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club and also as a member of Lasallian Youth Ministry.
High School Personal Bests
Indoor Shot Put -- 58-5.75 ft. (17.82m)
Outdoor Shot Put -- 59-10 ft. (18.23m)
Outdoor Discus -- 183-10 ft. (56.03m)
"We added Andrew Liskowitz to the throws, and he will be a good addition," Clayton said of the lone thrower in this year's class. Clayton sees potential in Liskotiwz, who has shown the athleticism and rapid improvement to add to an area of growing strength for the Maize and Blue.
"He had a pretty strong senior year and improved a lot," Clayton continued, "He has not been a thrower for that many years, coming from a background where he played hockey and other sports, so we are looking for him to develop and turn into a contributor."
"We were able to add to the distance group, which is an area where we want to maintain strength," Clayton continued.
"With our early signee Ben Hill and the later additions, we have added quite a few athletes to that group. We are looking for them to really contribute. We have Jon Phillips, who is a transfer, and quite a few incoming freshmen, including Matt Plowman, who we think will add a lot to that area as well."
DISTANCE/MIDDLE-DISTANCE
Jason Ferrante -- Middle Distance -- Northville, Mich. -- Northville High School
Jason Ferrante (L)
Ferrante contributed to both the cross country and track and field programs at nearby Northville High School, which has produced many Wolverines in the past, including recent graduate, two-time team captain and four-time USTFCCCA All-American Ali Arastu.
In cross country, Ferrante helped the Mustangs to two regional championships (2012, '14) in addition to three conference titles (2011-12, '14). He owns the program's third-fastest 5K time at 15:43.39 and also competed in the cross country Nike Midwest Regional last fall (2014). In addition to being three-time all-conference performer, including two as a first team honoree, Ferrante was Wayne County champion in 2013.
On the track, he specialized at 800m and 1,600m, earning all-state honors in both events while also contributing to Northville's school record-setting 4x400m relay squad. Ferrante ran at the New Balance indoor and outdoor events over his final two seasons, finishing as high as 11th in the Emerging Elite 800m category (2014). He was a two-time regional champion at 800m (2013) and in the 4x400m relay (2015) and also collected four conference championships.
Ferrante graduated Northville High School Suma Cum Laude and was a four-year Student Congress Representative. He was a cross country captain as a senior and earned four varsity letters during both seasons.
High School Personal Bests
800m (Indoor) -- 1:54.95
800m (Outdoor) -- 1:54.23
1,600m -- 4:21.01
Cross Country 5K -- 15:43.9
Ben Hill -- Royal Oak, Mich. -- Royal Oak High School
Hill committed to U-M during the early signing period. He overcame injury late in the fall cross country season to finish strong this spring and even that could not prevent him from earning MLive's Detroit Cross Country Athlete of the Year for 2014. Hill was a top-30 nationally ranked recruit across four events on the track, including peaking at No. 14 in the 1,600m race (4:08.17) as a senior, and was ranked No. 2 and 3 in the state of Michigan for cross country over his final two seasons.
Hill earned Team MVP honors in three consecutive seasons (2012-14) while serving as a two-year captain (2013-14) in cross country. He picked up all-state honors in each of his first three seasons, finishing as high as third place. Hill earned a league title in 2013 and won back-to-back regional championships (2012-13) in addition to a pair of county championships (2013-14), setting the Oakland County Meet record as a senior (15:32.20).
On the track, he was all-state six times in the 1,600m, 3,200m and 4x800m relay, including a third-place finish in Division I State meet the 1,600m run as a senior, and added seven all-region honors through his four-year varsity career. Hill was named Team MVP each season and served as a team captain his final two years as a Raven. He also racked up five regional titles, including three consecutive wins in the 3,200m race (2013-15) and five league titles among 13 All-League honors.
Outside of competition, Hill has many interests, including music. He plays guitar and piano and has been involved with the A Capella Choir at Royal Oak since his freshman year. As a senior, Hill earned the opportunity to be student director of the concert choir. He has played on the soccer and basketball teams at Royal Oak as well.
Academically, Hill graduated from Royal Oak High School Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He was a four-year Scholar Athlete and MHSAA Scholar Athlete of the Year Finalist in 2015 and has been academic all-state on five occasions (twice in cross country and three times in track). In addition, he was named an OAA Scholar Athlete seven total times (four in cross country; three in track) and earned academic all-conference recognition each year in both sports.
High School Personal Bests
Cross Country 5,000m -- 15:06
400m -- 51.8
800m -- 1:55.63
Mile -- 4:11.17
1,600m -- 4:08.17
2 Mile -- 9:08.66
3,200m -- 9:06.89
800m Relay Split -- 1:54.19
"Ben stands out in this year's class for a couple of different reasons," explained cross country head coach and track and field assistant coach Kevin Sullivan.
"He is a very well-rounded student-athlete, and that is something we are always looking for at Michigan. On the track, you're talking about a guy that ran a 4:08 mile this year off of very limited training after coming off a cross country season where he was injured. He's shown great potential."
Hill's impressive return to form since his injury last fall has only strengthened Sullivan's faith in his top recruit.
"He was one of the top sophomore runners in the country a couple of years ago and has now gotten himself back to the point where he is definitely a national-caliber recruit," he said. "We couldn't be happier having an athlete like Ben here at Michigan."
Garrett McPeek -- Middle-Distance -- Brighton, Mich. -- Brighton High School
Garrett McPeek
A middle-distance specialist, McPeek found the most success at 800m but competed for both Brighton's cross country and track and field programs, collecting seven total varsity letters. He was named 2015 Male Track Athlete of the Year by the Livingston County Press & Argus after earning all-state honors in the 800m with a seventh-place finish and followed with top-10 finishes at New Balance Nationals (10th) and the Midwest meet of Champions (sixth).
McPeek was an all-conference and all-county athlete in the 800m as a junior (2014) and senior (2015) and won an Argus Regional title in the event during his final season. During the fall, McPeek was named honorable mention all-conference for cross country.
An Academic All-County honoree, McPeek served his peers as a BKOM Mentor and was a member of Brighton High School's Academic Wall of Fame.
High School Personal Bests
400m -- 51.51 (Outdoor)
800m -- 1:53.73 (Outdoor)
1,600m -- 4:26.32 (Indoor)
Cross Country 5K -- 16:54
Jon Phillips -- Distance -- Oak Hill, Va. -- Cornell University
As the first incoming transfer under Michigan Cross Country Head Coach and Assistant Track and Field Coach Kevin Sullivan, Phillips joins the Maize and Blue after a finishing his career and earning a physics degree at Cornell University.
The Big Red letterman won the Coach's Award in 2015 and made the team's IC4A squad for the Ivy League postseason for the first time as a sophomore, competing at 10,000m. Phillips owns the program's No. 9 all-time indoor 5,000m time (14:23), which earned him sixth place at IC4A's, and also the program's No. 12 all-time outdoor time at that distance (14:18).
Phillips was a three-year Dean's List member and also joined the exclusive 400 Club at Cornell for athletes with a 4.0 grade-point average, which he achieved in the fall of 2013. Phillips was also honored as the John S. Reif Award recipient in back-to-back years (2013-14), given for athletic and academic pursuits. He plans to pursue a degree in Energy Systems Engineering while studying in Ann Arbor.
Collegiate Personal Bests
5K -- 14:18
8K -- 24:53
10K -- 30:02
Matt Plowman -- Elmhurst, Ill. -- York Community High School
Adding to a strong middle-distance class is Plowman, who competed as a member of York Community High School's cross country and track and field programs. He ran at national Nike meets during both seasons; at the 2012 Nike Cross Country Qualifiers as well as the 2014 Nike Festival of Miles, where he finished sixth in 4:09, as well as running at the 2015 Adidas Dream Mile, where he finished 11th.
Plowman was named York's Junior Athlete of the Year during 2013-14 seasons and collected six all-state honors in the 800m (2013-14), 1,600m (2015) and 4x800m relay (2012-13, '15). He graduated York with high honors in each semester and was a National Technical Honors Society Member.
High School Personal Bests
800m (IN) -- 1:56
1,600m (IN) --4:23
3,200m (IN) -- 9:28
800m (OUT) -- 1:54
1,600m (OUT) -- 4:11
Mile (OUT) -- 4:09
Cross Country 3-mile -- 14:47
Keenan Rebera -- Middle-Distance -- Mason, Mich. -- Lansing Catholic High School
Keenan Rebera
Rebera was an AAU Junior Olympics champion at 3,000m as a junior (2014) and also competed at the New Balance National Outdoor meet in 2014, when he ran both the 1,600m and 3,200m races at the Emerging Elite level. He also won a pair of Footlocker Midwest Meet of Champions titles (2011-12) and collected four state titles at 1,600m (2014-15) and 3,200m (2013-14).
As a Lansing Catholic Cougar, Rebera set the school record at 1,600m (4:21.0) and was twice named his team's Distance MVP (2012-13). He was named Runner of the Year by the Lansing State Journal (2014).
As the program's 5K school record holder (15:27) in cross country, he was named a second team NXC Midwest Regional honoree and collected back-to-back state titles (2013-14). Rebera also participated in Peer Assistant Leadership group at Lansing Catholic.
High School Personal Bests
800m -- 1:55.5
1,600m -- 4:17.0
Cross Country 5K -- 15:17
Jon Russell -- Distance -- Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Skyline High School
Jon Russell
A graduate of nearby Ann Arbor Skyline High School, Russell was a three-time academic all-state honoree (2013-15). He began his Hornet career by breaking the school record in the 3,200m run (10:29) as a freshman and improved the mark by more than a minute throughout his career, finishing at 9:18. In addition, Russell was a member of the school record-setting 4x800m relay (8:05) team. He was a three-year captain (2013-15), during which he earned a regional runner-up finish in 3,200m (2014) and was named the team's Most Valuable Distance Runner (2013).
In cross country, Russell owns the program 5K record at 15:27. He was a three-year captain (2012-14) and two-time Most Valuable Runner (2012-13) and also won the team's Rookie of the Year award as a freshman (2012). He won a regional title and was the conference runner-up in 2014, the final year of his three-season stretch as an all-conference honoree (2012-14) and was also named an all-state honoree in the same year.
Russell also competed on Skyline's swim team, which he captained as a senior, and was a two-time second-team all-state honoree in the 500m freestyle (2014-15) and four-time state meet qualifier. His accomplishments extended outside the pool, as he won the Team Spirit Award in 2012 and the Hardest Worker Award the following year.
High School Personal Bests
4x800m relay -- 8:05
3,200m run -- 9:18
Cross Country 5K -- 15:27
• Hill, Piwinski Commit to Michigan During Early Signing Period (Dec. 15, 2014)
Communications Contact: Chad Shepard (734) 764-4423
Players Mentioned
