Wolverines Finalize 2006 Freshman Class with 11 Additions
7/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's track and field team added 11 names to its incoming freshman list, head coach Ron Warhurst announced on Thursday (July 14), giving the Wolverine program one of the top recruiting classes in the nation.
A two-time Michigan state champion and four-time placewinner, Andre Barnes (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) blazed a time of 48.87 to capture the 400-meter title at the 2005 state meet, adding to a 1,600-meter relay crown from 2004. Barnes also claimed fourth and seventh in the 200-meter dash at the 2004 and 2005 meets, respectively, and owns a personal-best 21.40 in the event.
Bolstering an already strong U-M throws group, Vince Belitsos (Leonard, Mich./Oxford HS) comes to the Wolverine program with personal bests of 56-5 in the shot put and 167-0 in the discus. He earned runner-up honors at the 2005 Michigan state championship in the shot put and claimed sixth in the dicus.
A half-mile specialist, Roger Billhardt (Elmhurst, Il./York HS) claimed 10th place in the 800-meter run at the 2005 Illinois state meet and anchored York's 4x800-meter relay to the state title. He owns personal bests of 1:55 in the 800m, 1:23 for the 600m and 9:30 for the two mile. Along with fellow U-M recruit Sean McNamara (Elmhurst, Ill./York HS), Billhardt was also a member of the York cross country team that captured three consecutive Illinois state titles as well as the inaugural Nike Team Nationals last December. Individually, he placed 10th in the Illinois meet and 56th at the Nike Nationals.
A Texas high school finalist in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, Marc Cooks (Arlington, Texas/Juan Seguin HS) owns a personal best of 38.43 in the event as well as a 14.67 in the high hurdles. Also a standout football player, Cooks earned academic all-state honorable mention honors as a senior.
Brandon Fellows (Mercer Island, Wa./Mercer Island HS) placed third in the 1,600-meter run and sixth over 3,200 meters at the 2005 Washington state meet, helping Mercer Island claim 11th place on the showings of just two runners. During the cross country season, he garnered all-state honors after placing fifth in the Washington state meet with a personal-best 16:00. Fellows' older brother, Donnie, was an All-Big Ten runner at Purdue University (1999-2002).
Robert Fiorillo (Holly, Mich./Holly HS) won the 110-meter high hurdle title at the 2004 Division I Michigan state championships and owns a personal-best 14.16 in the event.
A three-time Michigan state placewinner in the high jump, John Kipf (Monroe, Mich./St. Mary Catholic Central) earned all-state and all-region honors during his junior and senior campaigns with a personal best clearing of 6-6. Kipf also qualified for the 2005 Michigan state meet in the 110-meter hurdles -- in which he owns a personal-best 15.0 -- and the 1,600-meter relay. An outstanding all-around athlete, Kipf also served in starting roles for his high school football and basketball teams and will look to transition into the multi-events for Michigan.
Clocking 15:53.90 to place seventh at the 2004 Michigan state cross country meet, Tony Nalli (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) contributed to a first-place finish by the Dexter squad in the team competition. On the track, Nalli claimed fourth place in the 3,200-meter run at the 2005 Michigan state meet with a personal-best 9:28.14.
Highlighting a stellar senior year, Lex Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) shattered a trio of Dexter school records, registering personal bests of 1:54.43 (800m), 4:09.98 (1,600m) and 8:57.16 (3,200m). At the 2005 Michigan Division II state champioships, he blazed a time of 9:07.88 to break the meet record en route to capturing 3,200-meter title. Williams also claimed runner-up honors in the 1,600-meter event, missing the first spot by just 0.53 seconds. During the cross country season, Williams claimed fourth at the 2004 state meet to lead the Dexter to the team trophy. He is the younger brother of current Wolverine Kalli Williams, a member of the U-M women's cross country and track teams.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
A two-time Michigan state champion and four-time placewinner, Andre Barnes (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) blazed a time of 48.87 to capture the 400-meter title at the 2005 state meet, adding to a 1,600-meter relay crown from 2004. Barnes also claimed fourth and seventh in the 200-meter dash at the 2004 and 2005 meets, respectively, and owns a personal-best 21.40 in the event.
Bolstering an already strong U-M throws group, Vince Belitsos (Leonard, Mich./Oxford HS) comes to the Wolverine program with personal bests of 56-5 in the shot put and 167-0 in the discus. He earned runner-up honors at the 2005 Michigan state championship in the shot put and claimed sixth in the dicus.
A half-mile specialist, Roger Billhardt (Elmhurst, Il./York HS) claimed 10th place in the 800-meter run at the 2005 Illinois state meet and anchored York's 4x800-meter relay to the state title. He owns personal bests of 1:55 in the 800m, 1:23 for the 600m and 9:30 for the two mile. Along with fellow U-M recruit Sean McNamara (Elmhurst, Ill./York HS), Billhardt was also a member of the York cross country team that captured three consecutive Illinois state titles as well as the inaugural Nike Team Nationals last December. Individually, he placed 10th in the Illinois meet and 56th at the Nike Nationals.
A Texas high school finalist in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, Marc Cooks (Arlington, Texas/Juan Seguin HS) owns a personal best of 38.43 in the event as well as a 14.67 in the high hurdles. Also a standout football player, Cooks earned academic all-state honorable mention honors as a senior.
Brandon Fellows (Mercer Island, Wa./Mercer Island HS) placed third in the 1,600-meter run and sixth over 3,200 meters at the 2005 Washington state meet, helping Mercer Island claim 11th place on the showings of just two runners. During the cross country season, he garnered all-state honors after placing fifth in the Washington state meet with a personal-best 16:00. Fellows' older brother, Donnie, was an All-Big Ten runner at Purdue University (1999-2002).
Robert Fiorillo (Holly, Mich./Holly HS) won the 110-meter high hurdle title at the 2004 Division I Michigan state championships and owns a personal-best 14.16 in the event.
A three-time Michigan state placewinner in the high jump, John Kipf (Monroe, Mich./St. Mary Catholic Central) earned all-state and all-region honors during his junior and senior campaigns with a personal best clearing of 6-6. Kipf also qualified for the 2005 Michigan state meet in the 110-meter hurdles -- in which he owns a personal-best 15.0 -- and the 1,600-meter relay. An outstanding all-around athlete, Kipf also served in starting roles for his high school football and basketball teams and will look to transition into the multi-events for Michigan.
Clocking 15:53.90 to place seventh at the 2004 Michigan state cross country meet, Tony Nalli (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) contributed to a first-place finish by the Dexter squad in the team competition. On the track, Nalli claimed fourth place in the 3,200-meter run at the 2005 Michigan state meet with a personal-best 9:28.14.
Highlighting a stellar senior year, Lex Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) shattered a trio of Dexter school records, registering personal bests of 1:54.43 (800m), 4:09.98 (1,600m) and 8:57.16 (3,200m). At the 2005 Michigan Division II state champioships, he blazed a time of 9:07.88 to break the meet record en route to capturing 3,200-meter title. Williams also claimed runner-up honors in the 1,600-meter event, missing the first spot by just 0.53 seconds. During the cross country season, Williams claimed fourth at the 2004 state meet to lead the Dexter to the team trophy. He is the younger brother of current Wolverine Kalli Williams, a member of the U-M women's cross country and track teams.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
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