University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Track & Field Starts Signs 14 Standouts
February 04, 2011 | Track & Field
Feb. 4, 2011
ATHENS, Ga. --- Georgia's track and field teams have signed 14 student-athletes during the latest signing period, including two of the nation's top-ranked high school competitors in their events.
Head coach Wayne Norton announced that Morgann Leleux, Allison Updike, Carly Hamilton, Tynia Gaither, Brooke Koblitz, Quintunya Chapman, Sarah Perry, Maya Thomas , Anna Bowles, Rashan Brown and Taylor Hollingsworth had each sent in a National Letter of Intent to join the Lady Bulldogs for the 2012 season.
For the men's team, Wade Voyles, Chris Foster and Brendan Hoban signed with the Bulldogs for next season.
Both Leleux in the pole vault and Updike in the javelin finished with two of the country's top high school marks following the 2010 season during their junior campaigns. Both are expected to be near the top of the nation's ranks again in 2011.
Leleux, a native of New Iberia, La., who attends Catholic High School, is a four-time National Junior Champion in the pole vault and finished fifth at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy. She set a National Scholastic Juniors record and captured titles at the 2010 Nike Indoor, National Scholastic Indoor and the New Balance Outdoor meets. Leleux reached a personal-best mark of 14 feet during her junior season in 2010 and is one of only seven American high school girls to ever clear the 14-foot mark. She also led the nation as a junior indoors with a top mark of 13-7 in 2010 and is a multiple-time LHSAA state champion.
Updike, a native of Tamaqua, Penn., who attends Tamaqua Area High School, won the 2010 USA Junior Championships in Des Moines with the sixth-longest high school javelin throw all-time (a personal-best 167 feet, 2 inches). She had an eighth-place finish at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada, with a mark of 164-4 and finished second at the 2010 New Balance National Championships. Updike recorded a top throw of 148-4 as a sophomore in 2009 and was fifth at the World Youth Trials before winning the 2010 PIAA state championship after reaching 161-2.
Hamilton, a native of Springboro, Ohio, who attends Springboro High School, finished second at the 2010 OHSAA state cross country meet after crossing the finish line in 17:53.10. She was a qualifier for the Nike Cross Country Nationals where she placed 27th after taking fourth at the Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional. Hamilton managed a third-place finish in the 1600 at the 2010 OHSAA state meet and has personal-best times of 4:54.58 in the 1600-meter run, 2:14.58 in the 800 and 10:59.45 in the 3200.
Gaither, a native of Kissimmee, Fla., who attends Osceola High School, is one of the more dominant women's sprints signees in recent history for the Lady Bulldogs. She was the Silver medalist at the 2010 World Youth Games in Singapore in the 200-meter dash while also being a leg on the sprint medley team that won a Gold medal. Gaither finished sixth in the 100 at the 2010 Carifta Games after clocking an 11.70 in the prelims and took seventh in the 200 at the 2009 Nike Outdoor Nationals with a time of 24.13. She also swept the 100 and the 200 at the 2010 FHSAA A state championships. Gaither won the 100 at the 2009 state meet and was part of the state champion 4x100 relay. Gaither has personal-best times of 11.58 in the 100 and 23.58 in the 200.
Koblitz, a native of Roswell, Ga., who attends Centennial High School, earned runner-up honors in the 5k at the 2010 GHSA state cross country meet. She ran a personal-best time of 18:33.00 at the Foot Locker South Regional and is also a standout basketball player at Centennial.
Chapman, a native of Hinesville, Ga., who attends Bradwell Institute, finished second at the 2010 GHSA AAAAA state meet in the long jump. She was also the runner-up in the 400-meter dash at the 2008 GHSA state meet and has captured three Region 3-AAAAA titles. Chapman has personal-best times of 25.00 in the 200 and 55.46 in the 400 and a top effort of 18 feet, 5 ¾ inches in the long jump.
Perry, a native of Snellville, Ga., who attends Brookwood High School, clocked a personal-best time of 5:05.15 in the 1600-meter run to finish third at the 2010 GHSA state championship. She also won the Pepsi Florida Relays with a career-best mark of 2:20.21 in the 800.
Thomas, a native of Duluth, Ga., who attends Duluth High School, was a member of 4x400-meter relay team that finished fifth in the national finals at the 2009 USATF Junior Championships. She is a two-time Most Valuable Female Varsity Runner (2008, 2010) at Duluth and clocked a career-best 100 finish of 12.27 at the 2010 GHSA state meet. Thomas also has a personal-best time of 25.29 in the 200.
Bowles, a native of Evans, Ga., who attends Lakeside High School, won back-to-back GHSA state cross country championships in 2009 and 2010, winning the 2010 crown with a time of 18:34.96. She captured a 2010 GHSA state title in the 3200 with a personal-best time of 10:46.19 and took second in the 1600 at the same meet. Bowles was also the runner-up in the 1600 and 3200 at both the 2008 and 2009 state meets. She finished second at the 2008 GHSA state cross country meet as a sophomore.
Brown, a native of Grand Bahamas, clocked a personal-best time of 53.63 to take fourth in the 400-meter dash at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore. She was also was a leg on the medley relay team that won a Gold medal at the Youth Olympics. Brown captured the 400 title for the 2010 Junior National Track & Field Championships and joined three other teammates from the Bahamas to record a National Junior Record time of 3:33.43 in the 4x400 relay for fourth place at the World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada. She was ranked in the top 15 on IAAF 2010 World Top Lists.
Hollingsworth, a native of Columbus, Ga., who attends Brookstone, posted a runner-up finish in the 400-meter dash at the 2010 GHSA A state meet after clocking a career-best 57.04. She has a personal-best time of 25.46 in the 200 after taking third in the event at the 2010 state meet.
Voyles, a native of Douglasville, Ga., who attends Chapel Hill High School, is a member of 2007 GHSA AAAA cross country championship team and has personal-best times of 4:11.21 in the mile, 1:53.82 in the 800-meter run and 15:19 on a 5k cross country course. He also had a personal-best time of 4:00.48 in the 1500 at the 2010 New Balance Outdoor Nationals. Voyles took fifth in the 800 at the 2010 Music City Distance Carnival with a career-best finish and is the brother of current Bulldog Travis Voyles.
Foster, a native of Marietta who attends Walton High School, won the 2010 USATF Georgia Junior Olympics in the 400-meter dash after clocking a 48.45. He also took third in the 400 with a career-best 48.21 at the Georgia Olympics and has a personal-best 200 time of 21.95 and career-best long jump mark of 23 feet, 4 ¼ inches.
Hoban, a native of Duluth who attends St. Pius High School, was the runner-up at the 2010 GHSA state cross country meet after registering a time of 15:48.34. He also clocked a personal-best 5k cross country time (15:06.71) to win the 2010 Westover Invitational.
Norton is also expecting another series of NLIs to come in over the next couple days to add to his program's class.
Georgia travels to Blacksburg, Va., to compete at the Virginia Tech Elite meet Friday, and Saturday. Live results and a recap from both days of action will be located at georgiadogs.com.
