U-M Assembles Deep, Well-Rounded Recruiting Class During Early Signing
11/16/2017 1:30:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan track and field co-head coaches Jerry Clayton and James Henry welcomed to the Wolverine family 10 standout male student-athletes from around the nation who signed their National Letters of Intent during the early signing period that ran Nov. 8-15.
Jack Boyle, Ian Davis, Anthony Giannobile, Asani Hampton, Cole Johnson, John Meyer, Job Mayhue, Gabriel Mudel, John Tatter and Nick Trevisan are the first 10 members of a 2017-18 recruiting class that will make history as the first Michigan track and field / cross country cohort that will practice and compete exclusively in the University's brand-new, state-of-the-art complex set to open later this month.
"This is by far, not only in terms of quality but also quantity, the best early signing class since we've been here," Clayton said. "With many of our great seniors now in their final seasons of eligibility, we have a lot of scholarships opening up this year, and we filled a lot of the spots we were looking to replace in a big way.
"The way we recruit is we recruit the top athletes we can get, and if it doesn't work out in one event area then we move to another event area; we don't move down. They have to be at a certain level if they're going to compete here at the Big Ten level and, ideally, at the national level, and this class lives up to that."
Johnson (No. 32) and Hampton (No. 39) are both listed among Milesplit's top-50 boys high school recruits for this season, making Michigan one of just seven programs in the country with multiple top-40-ranked additions to their rosters.
Few programs in the nation will have brought in as deep a class of early signees as Michigan, with student-athletes from five states -- Michigan, Florida, California, North Carolina and Illinois -- who have combined for eight state championship titles, 39 top-10 state finishes, and numerous appearances at national-level and regional-level competitions.
Seven among them are the top-ranked seniors from their respective states in at least one event, and three -- Johnson, Meyer and Tatter -- are ranked top-10 nationally among seniors in at least one event.
JACK BOYLE
Throws | Roscommon, Mich. | Roscommon High School
• Top-ranked senior in the state of Michigan in both the indoor and outdoor shot put (No. 32 and No. 41 nationally, respectively)
• No. 2-ranked senior in the state of Michigan in the weight throw (No. 47 nationally)
• State runner-up in the shot put at the 2017 MHSAA D3 Championships and third place in 2016
Clayton's Analysis: "Jack has good body type in terms of size and height. He's out of a smaller town so he's pretty much self-coached, and I think there's a big upside talentwise once we get him in the program and teach him some technical things. He's really excited about that opportunity to learn, and we think he is a great addition that we can work with."
High School Personal Bests:
Shot Put (outdoor) -- 17.24m (56-6.75)
Shot Put (indoor) -- 16.28m (53-5)
Weight Throw (indoor) -- 14.68m (48-2)
Discus (outdoor) -- 43.20m (141-9)
IAN DAVIS
Sprints | Davie, Fla. | Western High School
• No. 4-ranked senior in the state of Florida over 400 meters and No. 13 nationally
• Runner-up over 400 meters at the FHSAA 4A State Championships in 2017
• Sixth as a sophomore over 400 meters at the FHSAA 4A State Championships in 2016
Steve Rajewsky's Analysis: "Ian jumped out at us with his late-season performances his junior year. He is a very involved student at Western as student body president and is active in his church youth group as well as his track and field team. Ian is battle-tested as a south Florida sprinter and will help raise the level of our sprints and relays group."
High School Personal Bests:
100m (outdoor) -- 11.04
200m (outdoor) -- 22.00
400m (outdoor) -- 47.12
ANTHONY GIANNOBILE
Distance | Ann Arbor, Mich. | Skyline High School
• Ranked seventh among seniors in the state of Michigan outdoors over 1,600 meters and eighth over 800 meters
• Won the 1,600-meter state title as a sophomore at the 2016 MHSAA D1 State Championships and has competed at states in the event all three years of his career
• Finished 11th as a senior at the 2017 MHSAA D1 State Cross Country Championships
Kevin Sullivan's Analysis: "He was on everybody's radar after he won the state title at 1,600 meters as a sophomore, but he kind of got derailed last year with an injury. It took a little bit longer to get back last year, and I think he went from on the radar to being a bit under the radar. All the while, we were excited to have someone in our own back yard who we know is extremely talented and has shown that at a young age, so we're excited to see that continued improvement and get him in the mix of great Michigan middle-distance athletes."
High School Personal Bests:
800m (outdoor) -- 1:56.15
1,600m (outdoor) -- 4:11.48
Mile (outdoor) -- 4:18.97
Mile (indoor) -- 4:23.19
3,200m (indoor) -- 9:20.43
3,200m (outdoor) -- 9:47.73
5K (XC) -- 15:25.2
ASANI HAMPTON
Sprints | Yucaipa, Calif. | Yucaipa High School
• Top-ranked senior in the state of California at 200 meters (38th nationally)
• No. 2-ranked senior in the state of California at 100 meters (13th nationally)
• Two-time top-six finisher over 100 meters at the CIF Championship Finals, placing fourth in 2017 and sixth as a sophomore in 2016
Rajewsky's Analysis: "We really liked Asani and his outgoing personality. He can be an instant impact sprinter in the Big Ten with a future at the NCAA level. He's a team guy at Yucaipa High School in California, which is what our program at Michigan is really about. He connected well with our sprint group and shares the values and culture of our program. We are excited to see his senior year unfold and to have him in Ann Arbor in the fall."
High School Personal Bests:
100m (outdoor)-- 10.40
200m (outdoor) -- 20.94
COLE JOHNSON
Distance | Rockford, Mich. | Rockford High School
• National champion in the mile at New Balance Nationals Outdoors and Gatorade Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year for Michigan
• Top-ranked senior in the state of Michigan in four events, including the outdoor 800 meters, 1,600 meters and mile, and the indoor 1,600 meters
• Ranked fifth nationally among seniors at both 800 meters and 1,600 meters outdoors, as well as seventh in the indoor 1,600 meters and ninth in the outdoor mile
• Ranked fifth among seniors in the state of Michigan at 3,200 meters
• On the all-time Michigan high school list, is ranked 13th in the mile and 15th at 1,600 meters
• Two-time state champion at the MHSAA D1 level with a 1,600-meter title in 2017 and a 4x800 relay title in 2016, to go along with an MITS indoor title at 1,600 meters in 2017
• Three-time top-16 finisher at the MHSAA D1 Cross Country State Championships, including a runner-up finish in 2017 and a third-place showing in 2015
• Four-time competitor at New Balance Nationals in relay events
Sullivan's Analysis: "He's a Michigan-based student-athlete, and I think it's great for the flagship school in the state to get the top recruit in the state. He's got great range from 800 through cross country, he's very academically minded, he does a lot of things away from the track, and he's a very well-rounded person who I think fits perfectly into our program."
High School Career Bests
800m (outdoor) -- 1:50.72
1600m (outdoor) -- 4:08.60
1600m (indoor) -- 4:17.97
Mile (outdoor) -- 4:11.09
3200m (outdoor) -- 9:16.25
5K (XC) -- 15:12.0
JOB MAYHUE
Sprints/Hurdles | Kentwood, Mich. | East Kentwood High School
• Finalist in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2017 New Balance National Outdoor meet, finishing seventh overall. Also finished 19th in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2017 New Balance National Indoor meet
• Top-ranked senior in the state of Michigan in the 110-meter hurdles and the 60-meter hurdles; ranked No. 12 and No. 23 in those events in Michigan high school history
• Ranked No. 12 nationally in the 60-meter hurdles and No. 80 in the 110-meter hurdles among seniors
• Runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2017 MHSAA D1 State Championships and fourth in 2015. Also finished fourth in the 300-meter hurdles in 2015
• MITS indoor state champion in the 60-meter hurdles in 2017
Rajewsky's Analysis: "The top returner in the state of Michigan and a top 15 senior nationally, we couldn't be happier that Job Mayhue is staying at home. Job comes from one of top boys high school programs in Michigan and truly bleeds maize and blue. He already feels like one of the guys and can't wait to be teammates with our guys. I know that Job is going to have a great senior year and add to our rich hurdle history here at Michigan."
High School Personal Bests:
60m Hurdles (indoor) -- 8.06
110m Hurdles (outdoor) -- 13.98
300m Hurdles (outdoor) -- 40.98
60m Dash (indoor) -- 7.59
JOHN MEYER
Throws | Lockport, Ill. | Lockport Township High School
• Finished fourth in the shot put at the 2017 New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet
• Finished third in the shot put both in 2017 and 2016 at the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships
• Top-ranked senior shot putter (indoor and outdoor) and discus thrower in the state of Illinois
• Ranked second nationally among senior shot putters both indoors and outdoors, and is ranked seventh in the discus
• Back-to-back state champion in the shot put at the IHSA 3A Boys State Championships in both 2017 and 2016
• Runner-up in the discus at the 2017 IHSA 3A Boys State Championships in 2017
Clayton's Analysis: "I think John has the potential to be definitely a national-level thrower and perhaps a post-collegiate competitor depending on his focus and how he develops. He has the body type of an international-level competitor, he has the arm speed I was looking for in the shot put, and I think he has a lot of potential. He is one of the top five, if not top three, recruits I've signed in the throws over the years."
High School Personal Bests
Shot Put (indoor) -- 19.60m (64-4)
Shot Put (outdoor) -- 20.47m (67-2)
Discus (outdoor) -- 57.73m (189-5)
GABRIEL MUDEL
Distance | Novi, Mich. | Novi High School
• Ranked No. 2 among seniors in the state of Michigan over two miles and No. 4 at 3,200 meters
• Ranked No. 19 nationally among seniors over two miles
• Three-time competitor at the MHSAA D1 State Cross Country Championships, finishing sixth at the 2017 state meet
• Finished eighth over two miles at the 2017 New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet in the "emerging elite" section
• Took seventh over 3,200 meters at the 2017 MHSAA D1 State Championships
Sullivan's Analysis: "He made great improvements on the track last spring and that carried over into cross country this year as one of the top-ranked runners in the state over the course of the fall. He's planning on going into the engineering field, so he's keeping up the tradition of guys on this team who really want to challenge themselves athletically and academically."
High School Personal Bests:
1600m (outdoor) -- 4:23.30
3200m (outdoor) -- 9:14.48
2 Mile (outdoor) -- 9:29.41
5K (XC) -- 15:21.6
JOHN TATTER
Distance | Winston Salem, N.C. | Reynolds High School
• Top-ranked senior in the state of North Carolina in the indoor 3,200-meter event, and ranked second in the outdoor 3,200 meters and indoor 5,000 meters
• Ranked fifth nationally among seniors in the 5,000 meters indoors and 21st on the absolute North Carolina all-time high school list
• Won the 2017 state title at the NCHSAA 4A State Cross Country Championship
• Seven-time top-10 state championships between cross country and track and field, including three top-10 cross country finishes
• Runner-up over 3,200 meters at the 2017 NCHSAA 4A Indoor State Championship Meet
Sullivan's Analysis: "His father is a Michigan grad, and John is a guy who was maybe a little bit under the radar before we saw some explosive growth from him this fall in cross country, and I think we're going to see another big improvement from him on the track. I think he is going to bring some really great depth and experience to the longer-distance side of the program."
High School Personal Bests:
1000m (indoor) -- 2:37.30
1600m (outdoor) -- 4:23.5h
1600m (indoor) -- 4:27.93
3200 (indoor) -- 9:24.07
3200m (outdoor) -- 9:09.35
5K (indoor) -- 15:15.93
5K (XC) -- 15:00.7
NICK TREVISAN
Distance | Farmington, Mich. | Farmington High School
• Top-ranked senior in the state of Michigan over two miles outdoors and No. 2 over 3,200 meters outdoors
• Ranked 14th nationally over two miles among seniors after finishing 11th at the 2017 New Balance National Outdoor meet
• Three-time state cross country championships qualifier, finishing 17th as a senior at the 2017 MHSAA D1 State Championships
Sullivan's Analysis: "He has a family legacy here, with both of his parents having attended school here and his sister (Madeline) currently on the women's team, so it's exciting when you have a family tradition like that at a school. Nick has made some significant improvements last year on the track, and I think it is exciting to see that growth continue into this fall and have him as part of the squad starting next year."
High School Personal Bests:
1600m (outdoor) -- 4:21.06
3200m (outdoor) -- 9:11.35
2 Mile (outdoor) -- 9:26.19
5K (XC) -- 15:46.7
Players Mentioned
