University Southern California Trojans
USC Announces 2015 Track & Field Early Signings
November 20, 2014 | Track & Field
The USC track and field team has signed a talented group of six student-athletes to national letters of intent (NLIs) in the early signing period, it was announced by Director of Track and Field Caryl Smith Gilbert today (Nov. 20).
"I am very excited about this talented group of student-athletes," said Smith Gilbert about the early signees. "We believe these athletes can come in right away and be an integral part of our program and help us achieve our goal building young men and women and winning championships. I am happy that they have chosen to be part of the Trojan Family and look forward to working with them and helping them become the best student-athletes they can be."
"Our staff made a point to target the best and brightest student-athletes in the state of California," added Smith Gilbert. "I believe California is one of few states that possesses the majority of blue-chip talent nationwide and we feel it is important to have a stronghold in our state. We also targeted specific event groups based on NCAA and Pac-12 scoring in an effort to move closer to the goal of winning championships."
The following is a list of the newest Trojans and some of their athletic highlights:
MEN
Nathan Bultman of West Ranch HS in Stevenson Ranch, Calif. is one if the most gifted all-around throwers in the country. As a junior he was nationally ranked in the shot put, discus and hammer. He posted a PR of 62-4.00 (19.00m) in the shot put while placing first in the preliminary rounds at the 2014 CIF Southern Section Championship. He heaved the shot 60-11.25 (18.57m) to win the 2014 CIF Southern Section title. His high school best in the discus throw is 172-9 (52.66m) and 192-5 (58.64m) in the hammer.
Myles Valentine of Upland HS in Upland, Calif. has a 100m PR of 10.33w (+2.1) and a 200m best of 21.05. As a sophomore, he placed second in the 100m dash at the CIF State Championships with a time of 10.48 and was second in the 200m at the CIF State Champion- ships prelims with a time of 21.37. Valentine battled through a leg injury as a junior.
Eric Sloan of Delta College in Stockton, Calif. will transfer to USC with two years of eligibility remaining. After missing a season due to a patellar tendon injury, Sloan made his freshman season at Delta College special, beginning with a school record jump of 51-10 (15.80m) in his first meet and finishing with the California state title with a PR of 53-6.25 (16.31m). He also placed second in the long jump with a leap of 25-0.50 (7.63m), and twice during the season jumped 25-2.50 (7.68m). He is a 2012 graduate of Bear Creek HS in Stockton where he also was a receiver and defensive back on the football team.
WOMEN:
Jasmyne Graham of East Roosevelt HS in Corona, Calif. had a 100m hurdle time of 13.66 and a long jump of 19-8.25 (6.00m) as a junior last season. She also posted a wind-aided 100m HH time of 13.60 (+2.4) in placing second in the hurdles at the CIF Championships. Her long jump PR of 19-8.25 (6.00m) also came at the CIF Championships to earn fourth place. Graham also won the long jump at the 2014 California Indoor State Meet.
Margaux Jones of Redlands HS in Redlands, Calif. was US # 4 for high school in 2014 with a legal jump of 20-5.50 (6.23m) . She also had a wind-aided best of 20-9.00 (6.32m) last season. Jones won the 2014 California state long jump title as a junior with a leap of 20-4.75 (6.21m). She leaped over 6.00m seven times (with 5 wind legal marks) during the 2014 outdoor season.
Mikaela Smith of Clovis North HS in Fresno, Calif., ranks second in the U.S. among returning 800m runners with a time of 2:06.85. She ran that time in winning the 800m title at the CIF State Championships on June 7. It was the second consecutive year that Smith won the California 800m title as she won in 2013 with a time of 2:08.39. Smith also has an outdoor 400m best of 55.34 and a 1500m best of 4:55.14. Smith captured the 600-yard title with a time of 1:28.87 at the 2013 California Indoor State Meet.
Players Mentioned
