University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Track & Field Signing Day
November 13, 2015 | Track & Field
LOS ANGELES – UCLA director of track & field Mike Maynard announced the class for the early signing period. Follow along here for all of the future Bruins that put ink to paper.
Women
Khalifa St. Fort
Preps at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. … Rated as the top female sprint recruit in the nation … Won gold in the 100 meters at the Pan-American Junior Athletics Championships in Edmonton, Canada and silver at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia … Has clocked a personal best of 11.19 in the 100m and 23.50 in the 200m … Became the youngest female sprinter in history and first U.S.-based high schooler to medal at the senior-level world championships this past summer when she earned a bronze medal for her efforts in the 4x100-meter trials this past summer at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China … Is coached by UCLA great and four-time Olympic medalist Ato Boldon.
Mikella Lefebvre-Oatis
A high jumper from Chateauguay, QC … Holds a personal best of 5-10 (1.78m) … Placed ninth at the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships … Was the No. 1 ranked high jumper in the world at her age in 2012 … Earned a bronze medal at the Canadian Junior Championships in 2013 … Was the 2012 Canadian Midget Champion.
Kelly Bernd
Attends Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, Calif. … Finished seventh at the California State Championships in the 1,600m with a personal best time of 4:51.39 … Placed 10th at the state meet in the 1,600m as a sophomore and was a qualifier as a freshman … Posted a meet record 10:45.99 in the 3,200m at the Escondido Invitational … Finished seventh at the CIF State Cross Country Championships last season with a 5k time of 18:13 … A state qualifier in cross country as a sophomore and freshman as well … Won the Div. III San Diego Section Championship as a junior … Team captain of both the cross country and track teams.
Cassie Durgy
Runs at Huntington Beach High School in Huntington Beach, Calif. … A two-time CIF State Track & Field Championship qualifier in the 800m … Clocked a personal best 2:08.85 in the prelims last season at the state meet … That time was the fastest in the state by a junior and the 10th fastest in the country … Won the Orange County Championships, the Sunset League Finals, and the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Finals in the 800m … Broke the Huntington Beach HS school record in the 400m with a time of 56.90 … Also holds school records in the mile (4:58), the 1,600m (4:56) and the indoor mile (5:14) … Also competed on the cross country team for three seasons.
Men
John “Carter” Blunt
Attends Frisco Independence in Frisco, Texas … Named the Gatorade State Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2014-15 … Won the Class 5A state title in cross country with a time of 15:22.2 … Earned All-American honors by placing 13th at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and finished 20th at the Nike Cross Nationals Final … Won the 1,600m 5A state title with a personal best time of 4:10.35 … Also won the 3,200m 5A state title with a time of 9:02.98 … Won the UIL Class 4A state 1,600-meters as a sophomore … Has clocked personal bests of 8:57.01 in the 3,200m and 14:45.12 in the 5,000m.
Tyler Janes
Preps at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Riverside, Calif … Placed eighth that the California State Track & Field Championships in the 1,600m with a time of 4:13.36 … Has clocked a personal best of 4:10.71 in the 1,600m … Posted his personal best at the CIF-SS Finals … Posted a 14:24.90 in the 3-mile race this season during cross country at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic … That time is the fifth fastest in the state this season at that distance.
Isaiah Holmes
Attends Oakmont High School in Roseville, Calif. … A versatile athlete that has a personal bests of 7-0 in the high jump, 23-9 in the long jump, 48-3.25 in the triple jump and 14.6 in the 110m hurdles … A state qualifier in the high jump, long jump and triple jump … Holds the school record in the high jump.
Nathan Esparza
Preps at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, Calif. … Competes in the shot put and discus … Placed 12th at the California State Championships in the shot put with a throw of 55-0.50 … Holds a personal best of 60-6.25 … Placed 14th at the state meet in the discus with a toss of 163-1 … Has a discus best of 177-7 that won him the CIF-NCS Meet of Champions.
