Of the 20 high school seniors who have agreed to come to Seattle U, 12 (seven women and five men) will join the cross country squad in August and plan to also compete in both indoor and outdoor track and field in the distance events. The other eight student-athletes will concentrate on the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons when they arrive on campus in September.
"We have a very strong class of distance runners joining us this fall," Steidl said. "I'm thrilled about the talent and the drive of this group and what that means for our overall team in terms of competitiveness, depth, and team synergy. This is going to be an exciting cross country season."
On the women's side, Meghan Arigo (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) has posted personal best times of 11:59.68 in the 3200 meter run and 20:35 in the five-kilometer cross country race. After finishing ninth in the Hawaii state cross country meet, Sophie Curatilo (Honolulu, Hawaii) finished second in the 3000 meter run (10:43.12) and third in the 1500 meter run (4:49.04) at the state outdoor track and field championships.
"Meghan has only scratched the surface of what she's capable of achieving. She's going to have a lot of growth in the coming year and will add great depth to our women's distance team," said Steidl. "Sophie has a terrific work ethic and an impressive resume to prove it. She's just coming into her own in this sport, and the next year is going to be exciting in terms of what she can do on our team."
Madison Davis (Camano Island, Wash.) finished eighth in the 800 meter run at the Washington state track and field championships and has posted personal best times of 2:17.69 in the 800 meter run and 5:23.70 in the 1600 meter run. Haley Kruell (Portland, Ore.) comes to Seattle U from Saint Mary's Academy, where she was a member of the cross country squad.
"Madison had an incredible track season, capping it off with a huge PR at the state meet. She made a lot of improvements her senior year, which is a stepping stone towards what she's capable of at the collegiate level," Steidl remarked. "Haley comes from a multi-sport background, including competitive Irish dance. She's very competitive and driven and I'm looking forward to seeing what she can do now that she'll be focusing all her energy on one sport."
Meghan Manwill (Eugene, Ore.) competed in the Oregon 5A state cross country championships and has posted a time of 61.81 seconds in the 400 meter dash. Kimberly Pugliese (Mililani, Hawaii) finished fifth in the Hawaii state cross country championships before posting top-ten performances at the state outdoor track and field championships in the 1500 meter run (seventh - 5:05) and the 3000 meter run (fourth - 10:58).
"Meghan's had some injuries which have contributed to a frustrating senior year. She's got good speed and a great energy which I believe will come together well for her to see success in the 800. Kim is extremely driven and competitive. She is one of the top high school runners in Hawaii and has broken many records. I'm looking forward to working with her and focusing on the longer distances," commented Steidl.
Amy Tolentino (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) finished 13th at the Nike Pre-National cross country meet and has posted a personal best cross country mark of 20:09.5 over five kilometers along with a time of 5:27.13 in the 1600 meter run. Tolentino and the other newcomers will look to break into the top seven of the Seattle U lineup as the women's cross country team hopes to improve on its fifth-place finish at last year's Great West Conference Championships.
"Amy is going to thrive at Seattle U. I think she is going to surprise herself with what she can achieve at the college level," said Steidl.
Baxter Arguinchona (Spokane, Wash.) continued a solid senior high school year after finishing 24th at the state cross country meet and 29th at the Nike Regionals, posting personal best times of 4:25.83 in the 1600 meter run and 9:22.77 in the 3200 meter run, placing fifth in the regionals in that event. Miles Hille (Woodinville, Wash.) finished 36th in the Washington 4A state cross country championships with a time of 16:17.9, followed by a 12th place finish in the 1600 meter run at the state championships in 4:22.13.
"Baxter had a break-out year in both cross country and track, and this is just the beginning of what's yet to come for him. He's going to be a contender right away," Steidl said. "Miles is an all-around solid runner. I believe he will thrive in the college setting and continue to make big improvements."
Colton Misono (Newcastle, Calif.) finished 17th in the California state outdoor track and field championships in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:53.33, plus he has posted a five-kilometer cross country time of 16:35. Collin Overbay (Spokane, Wash.) finished 18th at the Junior Olympic National cross country meet, also competed at the Foot Locker West Regionals, and has posted personal bests of 1:58.08 in the 800 meter run, 4:19.81 in the 1600 meter run, and 9:59.70 in the 3200 meter run.
"Colton had an amazing track season, finishing things off by being part of the fastest prelims in California state history in the 800. He will be competitive in both the 800 and cross country, and can be a medal contender right away in track," commented Steidl. "Collin comes to us with impressive performances under his belt as well as a yearning to grow and improve. He has the ability to make an immediate, positive impact on our team."
David Strand (Seattle, Wash.) finished 62nd in the Washington 3A cross country championships and has posted personal best times of 4:34.48 in the 1600 meter run, 9:57.77 in the 3200 meter run, and 16:29 in the five-kilometer cross country race. The incoming men will be counted on to at least maintain the team's second-place standing in the last two conference championship meets.
"David has endless potential once he's in the college setting. He's just realizing what he's capable of and is hungry to continue to make improvements his freshman year," Steidl said.
For the track and field program, Evadine Codd (Spokane, Wash.) posted a time of 27.26 seconds in the 200 meter dash at the district championships. Cali Cull (Marysville, Wash.) will be competing in the jumps for Seattle U after posting marks of 17'1.25" in the long jump and 36'6.25" in the triple jump at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in 2010.
"Evie is looking to improve on what she has done by focusing on her needs and making them strengths. She is poised to make a move, earn a spot on the 4x400 relay this year, and help the team compete for a medal," assistant track and field coach Chad Pharis said. "Cali is coming off a year off, and is eager to get back into the sand pits. Her time off has given her a chance to reflect on what she needs to do, and she is looking to medal in both horizontal jumps this year."
Candice de Sauvage (Foster City, Calif.) competed in the 400 meter dash at the PAL varsity championships, crossing the finish line with a time of 59.38 seconds. Miriam Mboya (Shoreline, Wash.) finished first in the district championships and third in the state championships in the 100 meter dash, posting a personal best time of 12.29 seconds during her senior year at Shorewood High School.
"Candice is looking to continue the success she has had in high school. She will be a big boost to the 4x400 relay, as well as a strong 400 meter runner," Pharis remarked. "With the times Miriam has already run, learning more about the sport and herself will mean great things for her in the future. She is coming in looking to have an immediate impact in both the open sprints as well as the relays."
A javelin specialist, Renate Wescott (Puyallup, Wash.) comes to Seattle U with a personal-best throw of 108'9". Valerie Wu (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) comes from St. Margaret's Episcopal School with personal best marks of 12.56 seconds in the 100 meter dash and 17'2.5" in the long jump.
"Renate has not yet tapped into the level of performances she is able to give. With a year-round training program, and the dedication she is planning to devote, she is looking to have multiple big improvements this season," commented Pharis. "Valerie's success in both the sprints and in the jumps will be a great asset to our team. She will look to improve both her sprints and her long jump so that she can be a multi-event scorer at our conference meets."
On the men's side, Devonte Green (Kent, Wash.) posted personal best times of 11.16 seconds in the 100 meter dash and 22.55 seconds in the 200 meter dash at Foster High School. Mahmoud Hassanyn (Redondo Beach, Calif.) competed at Redondo Union High School, earning a top leap of 43'6" in the triple jump.
"Devonte has very solid speed in both the 100 and 200, but could make the transition to the 400 due to his great tenacity. He is in a position to not only surprise himself with what he is capable of, but many of the people he will compete against," Pharis said. "Mahmoud is looking forward to the structure of a competitive D-1 program to help him achieve the lofty goals in the jumps he has given himself. His hard work will be a staple for his progress moving forward."
"The track & field student-athletes we have joining the team this year will add greatly to the overall scope and depth of our team as well as filling some holes left behind by those who have graduated. This is a strong and motivated group of individuals and I'm certain they will rise to new levels in the coming year," added Steidl.
The Seattle University cross country and track & field teams will compete as affiliate members of the Great West Conference for the third and final year in 2011-12 before moving to the Western Athletic Conference July 1, 2012.