William and Mary Director of Track and Field and Cross Country
Stephen Walsh announced the addition of 18 women to the Tribe rosters today, spread across every event group. Seven come from the state of the Virginia, and the 11 out-of-state recruits come from as far away as Australia.
Following is a brief look at each member of the class:
Ashley Anderson - Fr., Mid-DistanceKing of Prussia, Pa./Upper Merion Area800m (o) - 2:20
Mile (o) - 5:21
Prep: Earned first-team all-league mention on UMA's 4x800 each of the past two years ... Second-team all-league in the 800m as a senior ... Also a second-team member in the 4x400 as a sophomore and as a junior ... Part of the Student Council her final two years of high school, serving as class treasurer ... Member of the Model UN, the Spanish Club, and two community service clubs.
Personal: Daughter of Tracy and Mark Anderson ... Father ran cross country and track at Penn State ... Enjoys reading, writing, and playing frisbee and soccer Has wanted to come to W&M since she was 13 ... Plans to major in English, with an emphasis in education.
Molly Briedenbaugh - Fr., DistanceMechanicsville, Va./Trinity EpiscopalMile (i) - 5:02.93
3200m (o) - 10:44.01
Prep: Footlocker XC National Finalist ... Named First-Team All-Metro by the
Richmond Times-Dispatch all 12 seasons in high school ... Picked as the Richmond Area Indoor Track Runner of the Year as a senior ... Won both the conference and state titles in cross country each of the past two years ... Added state titles indoors in the 3,200m as a junior and as a senior, as well as 1,600m her senior year ... State champion outdoors at 3,200m in 2013 ... Did her first two years of high school at Hanover High, earning all-state honors in cross country and outdoor track both years ... AP Scholar ... Was Trinity's school coordinator for the Special Olympics of Virginia running program ... Member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta ... One of 10 finalists for the
Richmond Times-Dispatch Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2013-14 ... Invited to the American Legion's Girl's State program in 2013.
Personal: Daughter of Christine and Philip Breidenbaugh ... Brother, Drew, played basketball at Bridgewater ... Brother, Marc, is a senior at W&M ... Enjoys working with the Special Olympics, playing tennis, reading, and traveling ... Plans to major in biology.
Jessica Destry - Fr., Hurdles/SprintsRichmond, Va./Armstrong55m Hurdles (i) - 8.79
55m Dash (i) - 7.65
Prep: Four-time all-state athlete, earning honors in the long jump, triple jump, 4x400m relay, and the 55m hurdles ... Named the MVP of her conference indoors ... Selected as April's Scholar-Athlete of the Month by the
Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Personal: Daughter of A. JaNette Destry and John Jefferson ... Enjoys reading ... Undecided as to her collegiate major.
Audrey Gordon - Fr., DistancePittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon1,600m (o) - 4:58.25
3,200m (o) - 11:08.20
Prep: Led Mt. Lebanon to back-to-back district team championships in cross country ... Finished 10th as a senior, and went on to a 28th-place showing at the state meet ... Earned a pair of ninth-place state finishes in track as a senior, in the 1,600m and as part of the 4x800m relay ... Helped Mt. Lebanon win that relay at the district meet ... Earned highest honor roll all four years ... Member of the National Honor Society.
Personal: Daughter of Mary Beth and William Gordon ... Father played football at Carnegie Mellon ... Enjoys cooking and spending time with family and friends ... Plans to major in marketing.
Abby Jones - Fr., JumpsWoodbury, Conn./CanterburyHigh Jump (o) - 5-6
Prep: Won the New England Prep Championship in the high jump each of the last two years ... Added New England titles in the 4x400m in 2013 and the 300 hurdles in 2014 ... Did her first three years at Nannewaug High before two final years at Canterbury ... At Nannewaug, was a three-time all-state honoree, including the high jump in 2012 and both cross country and the 4x800m in 2009-10 ... Also earned all-league honors in basketball in 2010-11 ... Honor roll or High Honor Roll every year of high school.
Personal: Daughter of Alice and Curtis Jones ... Enjoys cooking, reading, hiking, and knitting ... Plans to major in international relations.
Minna McFarland - Fr., JumpsFredericksburg, Va./Colonial ForgeHigh Jump (o) - 5-4
Prep: Earned all-conference honors both indoors and outdoors as a senior ... In 2012-13, helped Colonial Forge win the district title both indoors and outdoors ... Member of HOSA and the Multicultural Club.
Personal: Daughter of Saeko and Marvin McFarland ... Enjoys photography and sightseeing ... Plans to major in neuroscience.
Leia Mistowski - Fr., ThrowsNarragansett, R.I./NarragansettWeight Throw (i) - 54-11
Hammer Throw (o) - 175-3
Prep: Two-time prep All-American in the weight throw ... Added another All-American honor outdoors in the hammer ... Runner-up at the 2013 Junior Olympics in the hammer throw ... Won the Rhode Island state championship in the hammer as a senior ... All-state in both the weight throw and the hammer the last two years, after earning discus accolades as a sophomore .... Won the weight at the Dartmouth Relays (indoor) in both 2013 and 2014 ... New England Prep champion in the hammer in 2012 ... Member of the Rhode Island Honor Society, and the World Language Honor Society.
Personal: Daughter of Christine Patric ... Enjoys crocheting, kayaking, clamming, and going to the beach with friends ... Plans to major in kinesiology.
Ilissa Morris - Fr., Sprints/JumpsRichmond, Va./Highland SpringsHigh Jump (o) - 5-2
Long Jump (o) - 18-2
200m (o) - 26.27
400m (o) - 59.48
Prep: Earned all-state honors outdoors as a junior, and added indoor all-state awards as a senior ... Won the long jump in 2013 at the USAT&F Virginia Junior Olympics meet ... Advanced to the national Junior Olympics, where she was fourth in the long jump ... Was also the MVP of the Highland Springs cross country team as a freshman and again as a junior ... Member of the National Honor Society ... Also a member of the Spanish Honors Society and the National Science Honors Society ... Member of the BETA Club (community service).
Personal: Daughter of Penelope and Hiram Morris ... Enjoys drawing, reading, and mentoring young people ... Plans to major in chemistry.
Lindsay Myers - Fr., DistanceCincinnati, Ohio/Princeton1600m (o) - 5:11.11
3200m (o) - 10:57.07
Prep: Named the Conference Track Runner of the Year as a senior ... Won the district title at 3,200m in 2014 as well ... All-Conference in both cross country and track all four years of high school ... Was selected as a 2014 Presidential Scholar ... Academic all-state in cross country as a senior ... Earned academic all-conference honors each of her last three years ... Co-editor of the school newspaper ... Secretary of the National Honor Society.
Personal: Daughter of Melinda and William Myers ... Father played basketball at Radford ... Brother, Brian, ran cross country at Denison ... Enjoys ice cream, watching old movies, and hanging out with friends ... Is very active with her dog, who she trained as a therapy pet, at local nursing homes and libraries ... Undecided as to her collegiate major.
Michaela Quinn - So., DistanceWorrigee, NSW/St. John's the Evangelist (Mississippi)1500m (o) - 4:35
3000m (o) - 10:00
5000m (o) - 16:22
2013-14 (at Mississippi)Ran twice for Ole Miss in cross country before choosing to leave the program ... Led the Rebels at both the Panorama Farms Invitational and at the Pre-National Invitational ... Was seventh overall at UVA to earn SEC Runner and Rookie of the Week honors ... Repeated as SEC Rookie of the Week after taking 17th at Pre-Nationals.
Prep: Ran for Team Australia at the 2013 World Junior Cross Country Championships, placing 25th overall ... Qualified for the world championships after taking second at the Australian National Championships ... In the spring of 2014, finished third at the Australian Junior Track and Field Championships with a World Juniors-qualifying time of 16:22 in the 5,000m ... Won the New South Wales Senior Women's Cross Country Championship in 2014 ... Also won NSW state championships in the road 5K four times, including each of the last three years ... Won the Pierre de Coubertin AWard from the Australian Olympic Committee her senior year.
Personal: Daughter of Gillian and Michael Quinn ... Enjoys cooking, swimming, bush walks, and going to the beach ... Undecided as to her collegiate major.
Regan Rome - Fr., DistanceDallas, Pa./Dallas1600m (o) - 4:58
3000m (o) - 9:37
3200m (o) - 10:31
Prep: Two-time Footlocker XC National Finalist ... Finished third at the Penn Relays invitational 3,000m as a senior ... Medalist at the state championships all four years in cross country and outdoor track, and each of the last three years indoors ... As a senior, finished second in the state in cross country, 3,000m indoors, and 3,200m outdoors ... Swept the district and conference cross country titles all four years ... Added three district titles in the 3,200m and two in the 1,600m outdoors ... Led Dallas High to the PIAA State Championship in cross country in 2013 ... Member of the National Honor Society.
Personal: Daughter of Amy and Craig Rome ... Mother ran cross country and track at Penn State ... Father wrestled at Wilkes University ... Enjoys doing anything outdoors (especially hiking), reading, and taking her dog for walks ... Plans to major in mathematics.
Annie Sadler - Fr., Mid-DistanceMechanicsville, Va./Hanover800m (o) - 2:18.91
1000m (i) - 3:02.15
1600m (o) - 5:16.00
Prep: Captained Hanover in all three seasons as a senior ... Third in the state outdoors at 800m ... Also earned all-state honors indoors, taking sixth in the 1,000m ... Won the district title in the 1,000m as a senior, and the outdoor 800m as a junior ... Also played on the soccer team for three years, earning all-district honors her junior year ... Named to the academic all-state team multiple times ... AP Scholar ... Member of the National Honor Society and the Beta Club ... Editor of the school paper each of the last two years ... Spent two years on the Student Council, as class secretary (sophomore) and class treasurer (senior).
Personal: Daughter of Sarah and John Sadler ... Enjoys reading, watching movies, and hanging out with friends ... Plans to major in public policy.
Alexis Shelton - Fr., JumpsVirginia Beach, Va./Norfolk CollegiatePole Vault (o) - 11-6
Prep: Won the Virginia state championship in the pole vault outdoors as a senior ... Vaulted a meet-record height of 11-6 ... Helped lead Norfolk Collegiate to a tie for the team title ... Runner-up indoors as a junior ... Qualified for the AAU National Championship in the pole vault the summer after her junior year ... Member of the National Honor Society ... Named the Norfolk area Teen Athlete of the Year by Jack and Jill of America ... Has served variously as President, Vice President, and Secretary of the Norfolk Chapter ... Also a member of the Interact Club and the Model UN ... Volunteered with Operation Smile and the Foodbank of America.
Personal: Daughter of Karen Fitzgerald-Shelton and Darryl Shelton ... Brother, Andrew, graduated from W&M in 2014 ... Enjoys photography ... Deciding between either biology and pre-med; or English and history and pre-law for her collegiate major.
Maggie Sullivan - Fr., Hurdles/JumpsHagerstown, Md./Boonsboro400m Hurdles (o) - 1:00.49
100m Hurdles (o) - 14.28
55m Hurdles (i) - 8.28
High Jump (i) - 5-0
Prep: Won the 400m hurdles "Emerging Elite" section at the New Balance Nationals with a meet-record time ... Won nine Maryland state titles, eight in the hurdles and one on Boonsboro's 4x400m relay ... Won the 55m hurdles indoors each of the last three years ... Outdoors, won the 100m hurdles twice and the 300m hurdles three times ... Swept both events as a freshman, and again as a senior ... Holds the state championships record in the 300m hurdles ... Also was runner-up in the 200m dash outdoors as a senior, and in the high jump twice (indoors in 2012, and outdoors in 2013) ... AAU National qualifier in the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, and the heptathlon her junior year ... State Finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award ... President of the National Honors Society ... Has won several awards for art excellence ... Served on the review board of the Boonsboro Literary and Arts Magazine ... Volunteered weekly in the Brain Injury Unit at Western Maryland Hospital.
Personal: Daughter of Caroline and Daniel Sullivan ... Mother played volleyball at Delaware ... Father ran track at Harvard ... Aunt, Marian LeMay, played volleyball at American ... Four uncles played college sports; one in football at Northeastern, two in track (at Arizona State and at Bowling Green), and one in baseball at Colby who went on to play minor league baseball for the Cleveland Indians ... Enjoys knitting, drawing, hiking, kayaking, and cooking ... Plans to major in neuroscience.
Megan Tynan - Fr., SprintsMonroe, Conn./Masuk55m (i) - 7.46
100m (o) - 12.39
200m (o) - 26.05
Prep: Four-time all-state honoree at Masuk, twice each indoors and outdoors ... Named first-time all-conference three years in a row ... All-New England outdoor as a sophomore ... Captained both track teams and the cross country team as well ... AP Scholar ... Secretary of the National Honor Society ... Also a member of the Foreign Language National Honor Society ... Founder and President of the Creative Writing Club ... Editor of the school literary magazine.
Personal: Daughter of Jacqueline and Robert Tynan ... Father played football at American International ... Enjoys travel, ceramics, writing, and foreign languages ... Plans to major in French.
Steph Urbancik - Fr., Mid-DistanceDowners Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North400m (o) - 58.42
800m (o) - 2:15.64
1600m (o) - 5:22
Prep: Five-time state medalist in Illinois ... Started her career off with a state title on Downers Grove's 4x800m relay ... As a senior, was fourth in the 4x800m and ninth in the open 800m ... Won six sectional titles and 12 conference titles ... Named academic all-state ... Member of the French National Honor Society ... Part of the Student Council.
Personal: Daughter of Julie and Steven Urbancik ... Enjoys art, music, biking, baking, and traveling ... Undecided as to her collegiate major.
Kacey Wheeler - Fr., Long SprintsFairfax, Va./Robinson200m (o) - 25.75
300m (i) - 41.54
400m (o) - 58.20
500m (i) - 1:18.36
Prep: Helped Robinson earn all-state honors in the 4x400m relay both indoors and outdoors as a junior ... Won the district title in both the 300m and 500m indoors her last two years ... Also won the district outdoors in the 400m and the 200m in 2012 and 2013 ... Helped lead Robinson to the district team title outdoors her senior year ... Also played club soccer for a several years, making the area select team twice ... Named All-Academic and to the Academic Honors list her senior year.
Personal: Daughter of Ruthann and Mark Wheeler ... Enjoys reading, volunteering, soccer, and baking ... Plans to major in psychology.
Kathleen Wirshup - Fr., Throws/MultiGlenmoore, Pa./Bishop ShanahanJavelin - 113-5
Heptathlon - 3,223
Prep: Won both the heptathlon and the javelin at the 2013 AAU Region 2 National Qualifier ... Only competed three years of high school track and field, and was MVP for two of them ... Named second-team all-area her senior year ... Also a standout in basketball, twice earning honorable-mention all-league honors ... Earned Commended status in the National Merit Scholar program ... Won the Chester County Research Competition in 2013 ... Played the double bass in the string orchestra all four years ... Volunteered with the Special Olympics her final three years of high school ... Also a member of the Academic Bowl team for three years, including President her senior year.
Personal: Daughter of Mary and Philip Wirshup ... Mother graduated from W&M in 1981 after playing basketball and running cross country ... Father also graduated from W&M, Class of 1980 ... Aunt, Eileen Evans, ran cross country at Niagara ... Enjoys art, reading, and baking cupcakes ... Plans to major in anthropology and pursue a pre-med track.
