Star-Studded Recruiting Class Set to Join Wolverine Women in 2019-20
8/6/2019 11:05:00 AM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Head coaches James Henry and Jerry Clayton of the University of Michigan track and field and cross country program announced Tuesday (Aug. 6) the full group of 15 student-athletes that makes up one of the nation's top recruiting classes for the 2019-20 academic year.
Led by the nation's top-ranked distance recruit in Ericka Vanderlende, the newest additions to the Michigan track and field and cross country programs will boost the Wolverines in events across the board.
Joining VanderLende are first-year collegians Grace Alley, Paige Chapman, Madison Eaton, Lauren Fulcher, Amber Gall, Colleen Megerle, Samantha Tran, Cate Visscher, Ameia Wilson and Peyton Witt. Transfers Corinne Jemison (Miami [Ohio]), Emma Sloan (Brown), Annie Taylor (Cornell) and Kayla Windemuller (Baylor) also are being added to the Michigan roster.
Talent in the class is drawn from as far east as New Jersey and as far west as New Mexico with a total of six states represented.
"When we look at this class from top to bottom and across all the different events, we think we are bringing in a group of student-athletes who can make a difference for our program," Henry said. "All of our event groups are improved by these recruits, and we are excited to have them as part of the Michigan track and field family."
Between the 11 first-year collegians and four transfers, they combined for 38 state titles between track and field and cross country during their prep careers.
Vanderlende is the most accomplished among them, claiming a de facto national title at the 2019 Brooks PR Invitational in the two mile on her way to sweeping the 2018-19 Ms. Michigan honors for both track and field and cross country.
She also has a top-five New Balance Nationals finish to her credit, an accomplishment she shares with classmates Fulcher, Megerle and Windemuller. Jemison was sixth in a pair of events in 2018.
Fellow transfer Taylor comes to Ann Arbor with significant NCAA experience as a former Ivy League champion in the indoor mile, an All-Region cross country runner and a two-time NCAA East Preliminaries qualifier in the outdoor 1,500 meters.
Information on all 15 incoming recruits can be found below. More detailed information on each can be found by clicking through to their MGoBlue.com biography pages.
Grace Alley -- Distance | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Albuquerque Academy HS
Four-time NMAA 5A State Champion ... Nine-time NMAA 5A State Championships top-five finisher ... Won three consecutive NMAA 5A state titles at 800 meters, in addition to anchoring the winning 4x400 relay in 2019 ... Top-ranked New Mexico high schooler at 800 meters, and ranked No. 7 at 1,600 meters
Paige Chapman -- Sprints/Hurdles | Detroit, Michigan | Detroit Renaissance HS
Two-time MHSAA Division 1 State Champion (4x100 and 4x200 relays in 2018) ... Three-time MHSAA Division 1 State Championships top-five finisher ... Finished seventh in the 100-meter hurdles state finals in 2019 ... Ranked No. 10 among Michigan high school girls in the 100-meter hurdles in 2019
Madison Eaton -- Sprints/Hurdles | Lake Orion, Michigan | Lake Orion HS
Five-time MHSAA Division 1 State Championships top-five finisher ... Finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdles and 15th in the 300-meter hurdles at the 2019 state championships ... Runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles at the Midwest Meet of Champions and third in the 300-meter hurdles ... Ranked No. 8 among Michigan high school girls in both the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles in 2019
Lauren Fulcher -- Hurdles/Distance | Troy, Michigan | Troy HS
2019 MHSAA Division 1 State Champion in the 300-meter hurdles ... Member of four MITS State Champion relay teams ... Four-time top-eight finisher in the state championships 300-meter hurdles final, including a state title and a runner-up finish ... Three-time state championships qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles, including an eighth-place finish in 2019 ... Finished 14th in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2019 New Balance Nationals ... Ran on four relay teams that finished top-10 at New Balance Nationals ... Top-ranked Michigan high schooler in the 300-meter hurdles, and No. 12 in the 100-meter hurdles
Amber Gall -- Distance | Shepherd, Michigan | Shepherd HS
Five-time MHSAA Division 3 State Champion ... 11-time MHSAA Division 3 State Championships top-five finisher ... Won both the 800- and 1,600-meter titles at the 2019 state championships, in addition to anchoring the winning 4x800 relay and the fourth-place 4x400. Also won both the 800 and the 4x800 in 2017 ... Won the 2019 Midwest Meet of Champions 800 meters ... Four-time top-five finisher at the MHSAA Division 3 Cross Country State Championships ... Ranked No. 2 among Michigan high schoolers at 800 meters in 2019, fourth at 1,600 meters and fifth at 3,200 meters.
Corinne Jemison -- Throws | Kentwood, Michigan | East Kentwood HS / Miami (Ohio)
Returns to track and field after playing collegiate volleyball her first year at Miami (Ohio) ... Finished sixth in both the discus and shot put at the 2018 New Balance Nationals ... Two-time MHSAA Division 1 State Champion ... Five-time MHSAA Division 1 State Championships top-five finisher ... Won the state title in the shot put in 2018 and the discus title in 2017 ... Four-time top-four finisher in the discus at the state championships ... Top-ranked shot putter in the state of Michigan in 2018, and ranked No. 2 in the discus
Colleen Megerle -- Distance | Colts Neck, New Jersey | Colts Neck HS
Two-time NJSIAA Group 3 State Champion in the relays ... Seventh at 800 meters indoors in 2018 at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions ... Finished runner-up at the 2016 NJSIAA Group 3 Cross Country Championships ... Two-time top-30 finisher at the NJSIAA Cross Country Meet of Champions ... Ran a leg of the ninth-place 4xMile relay at the 2018 New Balance Nationals
Emma Sloan -- Distance | Franklin, Tennessee | The Ensworth School / Brown
Has one year of eligibility remaining in cross country and track and field ... Scored as a member of Brown's eighth-place distance medley relay at the 2019 Indoor Ivy League Heptagonal meet ... Won the 2014 TSSAA DII AA State Cross Country Championships individual title, and finished runner-up in 2013 and third in 2012
Annie Taylor -- Distance | Charlottesville, Virginia | Western Albermarle HS / Cornell
Has eligibility remaining for the 2020 indoor and outdoor track and field seasons ... 2018 Indoor Ivy League Heptagonal champion in the mile ... Four-time individual scorer at Ivy League Heptagonal meets on the track ... All-Northeast Region performer during the 2018 cross country season ... 2014 VHSL Group 3A State Champion at 1,600 meters ... 11-time VHSL State Championships top-five finisher on the track ... Three-time VHSL State Championships top-10 finisher in cross country
Samantha Tran -- Distance | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern HS
Fifth-place finisher in the 1,600 meters at the 2019 MHSAA Division 1 State Championships ... Finished 13th at the 2018 MHSAA Cross Country State Championships ... Has qualified for the state championships at 800 meters, 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters in her career ... Ranked 10th among Michigan high school girls over 1,600 meters in 2019 and 12th over 3,200 meters
Ericka VanderLende -- Distance | Rockford, Michigan | Rockford HS
Member of the 2019 USA Today All-USA Girls Track and Field Team ... Third girl in state history to sweep MITCA's Ms. Michigan title for both cross country and track and field ... 2019 Brooks PR two-mile champion with the sixth-fastest time in U.S. high school history (9:53.00) ... Fifth in the two-mile at both the 2018 Brooks PR Invite and New Balance Nationals Indoors ... Finished 10th at Foot Locker Nationals and eighth at Nike Cross Nationals during the 2018 cross country season ... Four-time MHSAA Division 1 State Champion on the track, and two-time cross country champ ... Seven-time MHSAA Division 1 State Championships top-five finisher ... Won state titles at 1,600 and 3,200 meters in 2019, and finished runner-up at 800 meters ... Top-ranked high school girl nationally in the two-mile in 2019, and ranked No. 4 for 1,600 meters. ... High school state record-holder in the 3,000, 3,200 and two-mile, and also ranked No. 5 at 1,600 meters. ... Top-ranked Michigan high school girl both at 1,600 and 3,200 meters in 2019, and also ranked No. 4 at 800 meters
Cate Visscher -- Pole Vault | Livonia, Michigan | Livonia Churchill HS
Finished fourth in the pole vault at the 2019 MHSAA Division 1 State Championships ... Runner-up in the "Emerging Elite" pole vault at the 2019 New Balance Nationals ... Took fourth in the pole vault at the 2019 Midwest Meet of Champions ... Top-ranked Michigan high school girl in the pole vault for 2019 ... Tied for 12th in Michigan high school state history for the pole vault
Ameia Wilson -- Jumps/Sprints | Danville, Illinois | Danville HS
Two-time Illinois Top Times Champion indoors ... 13-time top-five finisher between outdoor IHSA 3A State Championships and indoor Illinois Top Times Championships ... Finished runner-up at 100 meters and 200 meters and in the long jump at the 2019 outdoor state championships ... Finished 11th in both the 200 meters and long jump at the 2019 USATF U20 Championships ... Finished 16th in the long jump at the 2019 New Balance Nationals, and 17th at 200 meters ... Ranked eighth nationally among high schoolers in 2019 in the long jump, and ranked No. 22 at 200 meters and No. 23 at 100 meters ... Second-ranked Illinois high schooler in the long jump and at both 100 meters and 200 meters
Kayla Windemuller -- Distance | Hamilton, Michigan | Holland Christian HS / Baylor
Has four years of remaining eligibility in cross country, and three for both indoor and outdoor track and field ... Scored in the Big 12 Indoor Championships mile with an eighth-place finish ... Two-time top-10 finisher at New Balance Nationals Indoors in the two-mile, including fourth in 2018 ... Eight-time MHSAA Division 2 State Champion, including five individual wins on the track and one in cross country ... 12-time MHSAA Division 2 State Championships top-five finisher, including three in cross country ... 11th-fastest Michigan high schooler ever at 3,200 meters
Peyton Witt -- Distance | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Portage HS
Finished fifth in the 2018 MHSAA Division 1 State Championships 3,200 meters and 10th at 1,600 meters ... Finished 11th at 3,200 meters at the 2017 state championships ... Three-time top-30 finisher at the MHSAA Division 1 Cross Country State Championships
