By: By Hunter McKay
KENNESAW, Ga. -- The Kennesaw State track and field programs added 10 talented individuals to their 2017 signing class,
Andy Eggerth, director of track and field and cross country, announced on Friday (Aug. 4).
Omar Diaz, Jordan Hewing, Danielle Burnett and Destiny Jackson will join the sprints group. Karl Jõeäär and Da'Yonna Henry will join the jumps group. Olympia High and Jessie Zali will join the hurdle group. Allison Steele will join the women's pole vault group, while John Tyler Blalock with joins the men's throws group.
"Our spring signing class has bolstered the great talent that signed early with us," Eggerth said. "Our men's throwers have dominated the ASUN for some time now. I expect that Tyler will not only be a conference champion as a freshman but will continue our throws representation at the NCAA Championship. Omar and Jordan are two great additions to our sprints crew. With their help, I would be shocked if our men's 4x100m relay team is not at the NCAA Championships. Karl adds even more depth to the incredibly strong jumping tradition that we've had at KSU and is another one who should surely be competing at NCAA's as a freshman."
Blalock (Cedartown, Ga. /Cedartown HS) was a three-sport athlete in high school competing in football, track and field and wrestling. He was a four-year member of the track team where he threw the shot put and discus. As a senior, Blalock had a career-best discus toss of 43.38m (142'4) at the Class AAAA Sectionals and won the Class AAAA state championship in the shot put. His career-best throw in the shot put came at the 2017 Georgia Olympics, making a throw of 17.98m (59'0).
Diaz (Johns Creek, Ga. /Chattahoochee HS) was a four-year letter winner at Chattahoochee HS where he participated in multiple sprint events. He won the Class AAAAAA state championship in the 100m with a time of 10.86 seconds and the 4x100m relay. He posted a career-best 100m time of 10.58 seconds in the prelims at the Class AAAAAA state championships. He also won a bronze medal in the 200m at the Class AAAAAA State Championships with a time of 21.67 after recording a personal-best time 21.62 in the prelims. He is a two-time Class AAAAAA Region 6 Champion in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.
Hewing (Marietta, Ga. / Walton HS) competed for four years at Walton HS. He recorded career-best times of 7.03 in the 60m and 22.17 in the 200m at the 2017 Vanderbilt HS Indoor Invitational. As a senior, he qualified for the Class AAAAAAA state championships in the 100m and 200m. Hewing earned his team's Most Outstanding Sprinter Award in 2016 and the Most Valuable Sprinter Award in 2017. He turned in personal-best times of 10.74 in the 100m at the Georgia Meet of Champions and 21.61 at the Cobb County Championship.
Jõeäär (Pärnu, Estonia / Pärnu Sütevaka High School of Humanities) was a jumper and sprinter at Pärnu Kalevi KJK. He won multiple metals in the long jump and triple jump at the Estonian U-18,U-20 and U-23 Championships, and finished third at the Baltic Championships with a jump of 14.93m (48'11.75). Jõeäär's posted career-best indoor marks of 7.01m (23'0") in the long jump and 14.78m (14'4.5") in the triple jump. In outdoor track, he personal-best marks of 6.96m (22'10") in the long jump and 15.20m (49'10.5") in the triple jump.
"We're excited to have six more signees from the spring recruiting season," Eggerth said of his women's signees. "Danielle is a proven commodity and is a needed addition for our long sprints crew. If our returners take care of business, our 4x400m relay will qualify for NCAA's for the first time. Destiny brings quality depth to our short sprints group, replacing key 4x100m relay legs on the quest to make it back to NCAA's. Da'yonna has big shoes to fill, replacing a couple of our graduating jumpers, but she has the talent to do so. Allison Steele adds nice depth to our pole vault crew that will help us score points at the ASUN Conference Championships. Jessie and Olympia strengthen our hurdle gang which should make for a great shuttle hurdle relay."
Burnett (Kennesaw, Ga. / Charleston Southern) will have one season of outdoor track remaining after competing in four seasons of indoor three years of outdoor at Charleston Southern. While at CSU, she captured the silver medal after posting a career-best time of 54.82 in the 400m at the 2016 Big South Conference Outdoor Championships. She earned a spot on both the 2017 Big South Conference Track indoor and outdoor all-academic teams. As a junior, she won the 2016 CSU Athletics Sportsman of the Year award. Burnett ran a career-best time of 24.48 to finish fifth in the 200m at the 2016 Big South Conference Outdoor Championships. She won the 2013 4-AAAAAA regional championship in both the 200 and 400-meter races, and was named the team's Most Valuable Player while at North Cobb High.
While a four-year member of the track team at Statesboro HS, Henry (Statesboro, GA / Statesboro HS) was a two-time bronze medalist in the triple jump at the Class AAAAA state championships. She won the 2017 Region 2-AAAAA championship in the triple jump, leaping 11.46m (37'7.5"). Her career-best triple jump mark of 11.88m (39'11) came during the 2017 Class AAAAA state championships.
High (Forsyth,Ga. / Mary Persons HS) was a two-sport athlete at Mary Persons HS where was a member of the track and field and volleyball teams. She collected five wins in the 100m hurdles during her senior season including the gold medal at the Class AAAA regional championships. High posted a career-best time of 14.37 to win the 100m hurdles at the Class AAAA sectional meet. She was undefeated in the in the 300m hurdles as a senior, including capturing the gold medal at the Class AAAA state championships. She competed for the Macon Striders and captured the 400m hurdles at the 2015 USATF Georgia Junior Olympic Championships.
Jackson (Buford, Ga. / North Springs HS) ran three years of track at Buford HS before transferring to North Springs HS for her senior year. While at North Springs HS, she qualified for the Class AAAAA state championships in the 100m, 200m, and 4x400m relay. Jackson's North Springs 4x400m relay team was No. 1 in the nation and recognized by Milesplit. She placed 11th in the 100m and eighth in the 200m at the Class AAAAA state championships. She ran her career-best times of 11.90 in the 100m and 24.39 in the 200m at Class AAAAA regionals.
While at Woodstock HS, Steele (Woodstock, Ga. / Woodstock HS) competed 32 times and collected 16 top 10 finishes. She recorded a sixth place finish at the Class AAAAAAA state championships as a senior. Steele won the 2017 Etowah Tri-Meet after clearing 2.59m (8'6) and had a personal-best vault of 3.20m (10'6) at the 2017 Class AAAAAAA sectional meet.
Zali (Le Lamentin, France / Acajou High School) turned in a career best times of 8.39 (60m hurdle) at the France U-18 Indoor Championships, and 11.77 (100m) and 13.44 (100m hurdles) at the France U-18 Outdoor Championships.
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