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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Track Signs Six to National Letters-of-Intent
5/20/2011 12:00 AM | Track & Field
May 20, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY-University of Utah track & field head coach Kyle Kepler announced the signing of six prospects to National Letters-of-Intent today. The commitments included four of the top distance runners in the state of Utah in Susannah Hurst (Salt Lake City/East HS), Alex Shaw (Ogden, Utah/St. Joseph's HS), Andrea Chavez (Ogden, Utah/St. Joseph's HS),and Macee Nielson (Monticello, Utah/Monticello HS).
Kepler also announced the commitments of Billings, Mont., native Nicole Rietz (Billings West HS) and Ali Eisenbeiss (Bishop Kelly HS/Boise, Idaho).
Junior college transfer Alanna Nulph (Shasta CC/ Hoopa, Calif.) already joined the team in the spring for the 2011 indoor season.
The new recruits have earned a combined total of 11 state championships.
"We are excited about the addition of these young women to our team as we move to the Pac-12 next year," said Utah head coach Kyle Kepler. "We feel very good about each of these young women and what we believe they can bring to our program. Each of them is dedicated to excelling in the classroom and reaching their potential as athletes."
Hurst is a four-time state qualifier in track and a four time state qualifier in cross country. In her junior season, she placed fourth overall in the 1600m and fifth place in the 3200m at the 4A State Championships. In her senior season of cross country, Hurst won the region championship and placed third place at the state championships. She made the Footlocker All-West Second Team and finished 22nd overall at the national meet. Among other accomplishments, Hurst broke the indoor state record in the 3200m with a time of 11:01.
"Hurst has developed into one of the finest cross country and distance runners in the nation. Her 22nd place finish at the Footlocker high school meet is proof of that," stated Kepler. "Her time in the 3200 this spring already ranks her among the best in the country. We think she will be able to make an immediate impact in the fall as well as in the longer distances on the track."
Rietz is a four-time state qualifier in cross country. The Billings, Mont., native, finished fourth at the State Cross Country Championships in her junior and senior seasons. Rietz comes from Billings West High School, where she earned the team's MVP award three years straight. Through her junior season, Rietz has received All-State accolades 12 times (eight in track and four in cross country) as well as eight Academic All-State awards. In her junior track season, Rietz finished third place in the 400m, fourth in the 800m, fifth in the 1600m, and third in the 1600m relay at the 2A State Championships.
"Rietz is another well-rounded runner who will enter our program," commented Kepler. "She prefers the mid-distance events, but has the strength to be a contributor in cross country as well. The short seasons in Montana limit the number of chances she has to compete in good conditions so we know she is tough and loves to compete. She has a terrific blend of speed and strength that will allow her to continue to improve at the collegiate level."
Nielson will be a valuable piece in the distance group for the Utes. The Monticello native, is a two-time state champion in cross country. On the track, Nielson is a four-time state champion including three in the 3200m and one in the 1600m.
"Nielson is a six time state champion both cross country and track including three titles in the 3200 meter run. She will try to join a very elite group when she attempts to win the same event four times in a career," said Kepler. "She has done most of her training on her own and she has been limited in the quality competitions she is able to get to during the regular season. We think our team and family atmosphere will only bring out the best in her at the next level. She is another runner who we expect to excel in cross country and the longer races on the track."
Shaw will also add depth to the Utah distance runners. Shaw, an Ogden, Utah native, competed at St. Joseph's High School that won four straight cross country and three straight track & field state championships. In her junior season, Shaw finished first at the cross country state championships and was the State Champion in the 1600m. She has received All-State recognitions 16 times (four cross country and 12 track & field) as well as academic all-state honors through the first half of her senior season. Shaw's personal-bests include: 3200m (11:24), 800m (2:23), and the 1600m (5:18).
"Alex is a multi-sport star who also played soccer during the fall season in high school," remarked Kepler. "She won the state cross country title as a junior and was second to Nielson last fall. On the track she has also experienced a great deal of success as well winning multiple 1A 1600 meter titles thus far. Being committed to running full time should allow her to really begin to find out how good she can be. Her athleticism could allow her to be a good steepler."
St. Joseph's star Chavez has also signed with the Utes. Chavez was a member of the four-time 1A Utah state champion cross country team. In her senior season, she finished in the fifth spot at the state championship cross country meet. In 2010, she set a 1A state record in the 800m to win the individual state championship of the event. Chavez ran the anchor leg of the state championship 1600m relay team. In her junior season, Chavez finished second to Shaw in the 1600m run at the state championships.
"Andrea had a breakthrough season as a junior," stated Kepler. "She knows what success feels like and it drives her to continue to improve. I believe she has a lot of potential at the collegiate level. How quickly she can see that potential develop will depend on her ability to handle a higher training load that is required. She has a lot to learn, but is a very determined student athlete and that will help her make the transition."
The sprints group will be strengthened by the addition of Eisenbeiss. The Boise, Idaho native is a five-time state champion (4x400 twice, 400m twice, and sprint medley relay). Through her junior season at Bishop Kelly High School, Eisenbeiss holds three state record times: 400m (56.59), 4x400m relay (3:59.76), and Sprint Medley (1:47.81). Eisenbeiss also broke seven school records and four Invitational records. At the Jr. Olympics, she won the Mountain Region U-11 400m Championships. Eisenbeiss is a member of the National Honor Society, VP History Club, and the three-time state championship soccer team.
"Eisenbeiss is the whole package when you talk about being a student-athlete," said Kepler. "She is a terrific student and her potential in the long sprints is really unlimited. She is another multi-time state champion as an individual and a member of several relays. She can drop down and run a 200m or move up to the 800m if needed. That versatility will really aid her development at the collegiate level."
Junior college transfer Nulph, joined the Utes in spring and has added depth to the throws group in the indoor season. Nulph transferred to Utah from Shasta Community College, where she ranked fourth nationally in the junior college shot put (45-2.50) and was 10th nationally in the discus (147-7). In 2010, Nulph received Junior College All-American status for her efforts in the shot put. At the 2011 Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships, Nulph finished seventh place and scored team points in the shot put with a new personal-best mark of 46-10.00. After the 2011 indoor track season, Nulph is redshirting the 2011 outdoor season due to an uneven number of indoor/outdoor seasons available after the transfer.
"Nulph is going to make big contributions to our team as we move into the Pac-12," said Utah throws coach Tapio Kuusela. "I am very excited about the potential she has in the shot put and discus. She wants to be good and sets her goals very high. I would not be surprised to see her name in the school record books by the time she is done here."
 Macee Nielson and Susannah Hurst will join the Utes this fall.  | |
 Alex Shaw will add depth to the Utes in the distance events. | |
 Ali Eisenbeiss will compete in the sprinting events for the Utes next spring. | |
 Salt Lake City native, Susannah Hurst will join the distance group this fall. | |
Players Mentioned
Throws
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