DETROIT -- Wayne State University women's cross country and track & field head coach Grant Lofdahl, who will enter his third year at the helm this fall, has doubled his recruiting class.  After signing five high school kids last fall for the Fall of 2019, coach Lofdahl and his staff have added seven additional recruits.

Joining the Warrior cross country and track programs will be Thailyia Christensen (Flushing, Mich.), while the six others will be on the indoor and outdoor track and field squads.  They are Brittany Barnett (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson), Allie Eriksen (Clarkston, Mich.), Yveloute Rea (Petoskey, Mich.), Maddie Schmoker (Kellogg, Minn. / Wabasha-Kellogg / Iowa Central Community College), Mikayla Williams (St. Charles, Mich.) and Morgan Witzgall (Auburn, Mich. / Bay City Western). 

Barnett is a 2019 graduate of Stevenson High School.  She attended Center Line High School as a freshman and sophomore.  Barnett was a three-year track letterwinner.  She competed for Titan coaches Elijah Williams and Luis Roseni.  Barnett earned All-Region and First Team All-Macomb Area Conference honors.  She participated in the 2019 MHSAA Division 1 State Meet for 200m and 400m.  Her top performances were 12.88 (100m), 26.23 (200m) and 58.98 (400m).  Barnett also lettered in basketball and served as a track team captain.

Personal:  Full name--Brittany L. Barnett ... born June 16, 2001, in Warren, Mich. ... daughter of Robyn Giles ... has two brothers, Anthony and Tyler, and four sisters, Markayla, Mariah, Maleah and Hailey ... plans to major in either Social Work or Special Education.














Coach Lofdahl on Brittany Barnett:
"One of the cornerstones of a great track team are 400-meter runners, and we were very pleased to get Brittany as our final signee for 2019. She has both good natural speed and endurance, and mental toughness as well. She is a very competitive student-athlete, who we believe will blossom once she's surrounded by talented and dedicated people every day on the track, in the weight room, and in all of her training."

Christensen is a 2019 graduate of Flushing High School.  She finished second at the Flint Metro League Championship and earned All-County accolades in cross country.  Christensen placed ninth at the 2018 Regional Meet (18:53.3), then finished 55th at the 2018 State Cross Country meet in a time of 19:09.8.  She also ran at the 2016 MHSAA State meet (20:04.9 / 79th).  Christensen was fourth at the 2019 MHSAA Regional Track meet in the 1600m (5:19.02) and was a member of the runner-up 4x400m relay.  She competed at the 2016 State Track meet in the 1600m race.  Christensen also earned four letters in basketball and one in golf.  She was recognized as First Team All-League in cross country, basketball and track.  Christensen made a triple in the 2017 MHSAA State Championship game win (49-38) over East Kentwood and was a three-sport captain (cross country, basketball and track) at FHS.  She received academic honors.

Personal:  Full name--Thailyia R. Christensen ... born April 30, 2001, in Flint ... daughter of Nicolasa Morales-Nunez and Lance Christensen ... plans to major in Pharmacy ... has three sisters, Annisa, Marissa and Stella ... first name is pronounced THA-lee-yuh.

 

Coach Lofdahl on Thailyia Christensen:
"Thailyia was the final addition to our cross country and distance class, and she's a runner with a high ceiling.  She had some significant improvements during her senior year, in everything from the 4x400 relay to cross country.  She is a very good athlete who played for an outstanding basketball program at Flushing, and has a great attitude.  She is a solid all-around student-athlete who will likely have a chance at being a key contributor for us right away."

Eriksen is a 2019 graduate of Clarkston High School.  She was a four-year varsity letterwinner for coach Kevin Breen and earned Team MVP honors in 2018 for the Wolves.  Eriksen led off two relays (4x200m and 4x400m) at the 2019 MHSAA State Track meet after leading off two second-place relays (4x200m and 4x400m) at regionals in 2019, plus placed third individually in the 400m (1:01.02) race.  She ran the second leg of the fifth place 4x200m relay at the 2018 State Track meet.  Eriksen also competed in the 4x200m relay at the 2016 State Track meet and finished seventh in the 400m at the 2019 Hershey Nationals.  She was a national outdoor qualifier in both the 4x400 relay and the 4x100m relay.  Her top high school times were 12.6 (100m), 26.3 (200m indoor), and 59.2 (400m indoor).  Eriksen earned academic honor roll status all four years.

Personal:  Full name-- Allie G. Eriksen ... born December 30, 2000, in Clarkston ... daughter of Mark and Lauryn Eriksen ... father was a golfer at Western Michigan ... has two older brothers, Ian and Nolan, and an older sister, Emma ... plans to major in Business.



Coach Lofdahl on Allie Eriksen:
"Allie is a true quarter miler, which means she is both mentally and physically strong and willing to do whatever her team needs.  She was part of an all-state 4x400m relay competing for an excellent Clarkston team and ran for a good club program in the winter, so she already has experience training at a pretty high level.  We expect her to step in and make a smooth transition to the collegiate level, and probably contribute right away."

Rea is a 2019 graduate of Petoskey High School.  She attended Bend (Ore.) High School as a freshman and Boyne City High School as a sophomore and junior.  Rea earned four letters in track and one in cross country.  She won both the 100m (13.54) and 200m (27.36) races at the 2019 Big North Conference Championship, and ran anchor on the runner-up 800m relay.  Rea ran a personal-best 13.12 for 100m at the Petoskey/Alpena/Sault Ste. Marie triangular meet.  She finished third at the 2019 MHSAA Division 2 Regional meet in both the 100m (13.23) and 200m (26.93) races, after running a personal-best 26.76 in the prelims.  Rea missed qualifying for the state meet by .03 (100m) and .01 (200m).  She competed at the 2018 MHSAA Division 3 state meet for BCHS in the 100m dash (ninth at 13.02) and two relays (4x100m and 4x200m).  Rea received Academic Honor Roll recognition all four years and served as a track team captain as a senior.  She was a finalist for the Michigan High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Award.

Personal:  Full name--Yveloute C. Rea ... born September 5, 2000, in Montrouis, Haiti ... daughter of Gary and Maria Rea ... plans to major in Biochemistry ... name is pronounced eve-loot ray.



Coach Lofdahl on Yveloute Rea:
"Part of recruiting is looking for what are sometimes called diamonds in the rough, and we feel that Yveloute can be one of those.  In other words, she has raw talent and has the potential to really develop as a sprinter.  She has good natural speed and power, but the most important thing we have seen from her are intangibles.  She is an excellent student, with great work ethic and an all-around top-notch attitude. She will add many positives to our team."

Schmoker competed for two years (2017-18 and 2018-19) at Iowa Central Community College and was selected as the 2019 ICCAC (Iowa Community College Athletic Conference) Indoor Female Athlete of the Year.  Schmoker earned All-American accolades in both the weight throw and shot put for the Tritons.  She was an outdoor All-American (fourth place nationally) in the hammer with a career-best throw of 52.28m (171-06).  Schmoker finished ninth in the shot put at the 2019 NJCAA nationals with a toss of 13.09m (42-11.5) and was the regional runner-up in the shot put with a career-best throw of 13.42m (44-00.5).  She placed third in the discus at the regional championship with a career-best toss of 35.14m (115-03).  Schmoker was the 2019 regional champion in both the hammer (49.03 outdoor) and weight throw (17.00m indoor) ... TFRRS Results.

Personal:  Full name--Maddie S. Schmoker ... born December 20, 1998, in Kellogg, Minn. ... daughter of Matt and Jodie Schmoker ... has three sisters, Olivia, Abby and Julia ... plans to major in Mortuary Science ... last name is pronounced SHMOH-kur.



Coach Lofdahl on Maddie Schmoker:
"Maddie is a very talented, very experienced thrower and we are extremely excited to add her to our roster.  Her attitude and work ethic will help our younger student-athletes take their training to a higher level.  Maddie saw major improvements from her freshman to sophomore year at Iowa Central, which is one of the premier track and field programs in the NJCAA.  She is joining us as a national-caliber athlete in shot, weight and hammer, and we have high hopes for her over the next two years."

Williams is a 2019 graduate of St. Charles High School.  She was a four-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs.  Williams won the long jump (17-02) at the 2019 MHSAA Division 3 state meet, and placed fifth in both the high jump (4-11) and pole vault (9-06).  She totaled 17.5 points in helping SCHS to a runner-up team finish (37.5 points).  Williams finished second in the long jump (17-00.75) in 2018, and anchored the champion 4x100m relay (49.57), which set a Division 3 record.  She garnered 12.5 points at the 2018 state meet helping the Bulldogs tie for the state title.  Williams placed seventh in the long jump (16-07) at the 2017 state meet.  She competed at the state meet in multiple events all four years.  Williams, who was coached by her father, also played volleyball for SCHS.  She earned First Team All-Tri Valley West Division honors for volleyball in 2018.

Personal:  Full name--Mikayla B. Williams ... born May 4, 2001, in Saginaw ... daughter of Andre and Julie Williams ... has two older brothers, AJ and Tre, and an older sister, Kelsie ... plans to major in Business (Actuarial Science).



Coach Lofdahl on Mikayla Williams:
"The sky is the limit for Mikayla, and she's a highly versatile athlete who can do big things in many events.  She seems to be at her best in pressure situations, as evidenced by her two state titles in triple jump and long jump.  She is a solid high jumper as well, and has plenty of speed to potentially contribute on our relays.  She is someone who can make a splash at the conference level as a freshman and we are excited about her potential."

Witzgall is a 2019 graduate of Bay City Western High School, where she was a four-year varsity letterwinners for the Warriors and coaches Mike Nesbit, Rich Syring and Stephanie Wilson.  She won four events at the 2019 Bay County Track and Field Championships - 100 dash (12.68), the 200 dash (26.58), the long jump (15-9) and as a member of the 800 relay (1:50.08).  Witzgall was a four-time Division 1 state qualifier in the long jump and 200m.  She also earned four letters in volleyball and soccer and served as a team captain in both soccer and volleyball.  Witzgall finished third in the state for blocks in volleyball and was the Michigan State Cup MVP and top scorer.

Personal:  Full name--Morgan K. Witzgall ... born November 14, 2000, in Saginaw ... daughter of Gary and Amy Witzgall ... has three brothers, Cody, Wade and Garrett ... plans to major in Nursing ... last name is pronounced wits-gull.
 
 

Coach Lofdahl on Morgan Witzgall:
"We saw Morgan compete at the state finals as a junior, and were impressed with her strength and athleticism.  She has been a consistent long jump performer for years, as well as a state qualifying sprinter, and we feel that triple jump may be a good event for her as well.  Her senior season was up and down, but she's looking forward to working with Coach Miller and training as well as competing at the collegiate level."