Jenkins Announces Six Student-Athletes in 2013 Signing Class
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU head track and field coach Erik Jenkins unveiled his 2013 signing class Monday morning, a group that features six nationally and regionally ranked student-athletes.
Jenkins’ class includes a pair of signees from both Florida and Georgia, and one signee from the states of Indiana and Massachusetts.
"I am pleased with the initial signing group we've had for this season," said Jenkins. "We made a commitment to address the areas where we will be losing outstanding students to graduation. This group is talented and has the ability to score in several events at the conference level. They also have the capacity to be national qualifiers."
Jenessa Jackson of Marietta, Ga. inks with the Lady Toppers after high levels of success at Marietta High School and with the Throw1Deep club. Jackson is currently ranked No.6 in the nation in the weight throw and No.10 in the shot put, with personal records of 52-feet-11 inches in the weight and 43-feet-6 inches in the shot put. She notched two top 10 finishes at the 2012 5A Georgia High School Association Girls Outdoor State Championships, earning runner-up honors in the shot put and placing sixth in the discus.
Columbus, Ga. native Ventavius Sears (Northside Columbus HS) hails from the Peach State as well and will bring his versatility to the Hill this fall. Sears was ranked as the 27th best high school triple jumper in 2012 while placing third at the AAU Club Nationals with a personal-best leap of 49-feet-1 ½ inches. At the Georgia Olympics in May 2012, Sears posted a second-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 47-feet-4 inches and earned fourth-place honors in the 400-meter dash with a personal-record clocking of 48.14 seconds. At last year’s AAU Club Nationals, Sears notched a personal-best 400-meter hurdle time of 56.32 seconds, good enough for 12th-place honors. Sears also excels in the long jump and 200-meter dash, where he holds personal records of 22-feet-10 inches and 21.85 seconds, respectively.
Jenkins hauled in versatility for the Lady Toppers as well, starting with Tampa, Fla. product Sandra Akachukwu (Freedom HS). A sprinter-jumper hybrid, Akachukwu tallied four medals at the 2012 Florida High School Athletic Association Outdoor State Finals. She placed third in the high jump, fifth in the long jump, seventh in the 200-meter dash and eighth in the 100-meter dash. She holds personal records of 7.44 seconds in the 55-meter dash, 12.18 seconds in the 100-meter dash, 24.88 seconds in the 200-meter dash, 5-feet-8 inches in the high jump and 18-feet-3 inches in the long jump. Akachukwu currently holds Freedom High School records in both the 200-meter dash and high jump events.
The Lady Toppers get more speed with Tampa, Fla. sprinter Carrol Hardy (King HS). Hardy finished second in the 200-meter dash at the 2012 Florida High School Athletic Association Outdoor State Finals with a 24.25 clocking. Her personal best time of 24.15 seconds in the 200 came in the preliminary round of what is considered one of the fastest state championships in the country. Hardy was also a 100-meter dash finalist at the Golden South Classic, an international track and field meet for the most elite high school athletes around the world. Hardy captured seventh place in the event, clocking 11.94 seconds (.01 seconds off her PR).
Katie Brown of Lake Central High School in St. John, Ind. comes to the Lady Toppers as a pole vaulter. Brown becomes just the second pole vaulter on the WKU women’s roster, joining all-Sun Belt Conference vaulter Karleigh Parker. Brown holds a personal-record vault of 11-feet-6 inches.
Rounding out the class is Seekonk, Mass. thrower Nathan Robitaille (Seekonk HS). Robitaille is one of the top heavers in the state of Massachusetts, placing seventh in the shot put and 10th in the discus at the 2012 Massachusetts All-State Outdoor Championship. Robitaille holds personal records of 55-feet-5 inches in the shot put and 151-feet-1 inch in the discus. He will join a young corps of Hilltopper throwers for the 2013-14 season.
"My staff did a excellent job of identifying students that will be able to compete in major competitions against the best in the NCAA," said Jenkins. We will continue to recruit dynamic student athletes to join this group throughout the year."