July 22, 2011

Bronx, N.Y. - Fordham cross country/track & field coach Tom Dewey announced the team's recruiting class for the upcoming 2011-12 season today, which includes four transfers and 12 freshmen coming to Rose Hill.

The men's team will add graduate student Matthew Stewart, sophomores David Fajoyomi, Sean Collins, and Marco Siragusa, and freshmen Jonathan Annelli, Jack Bandazian, and William Slattery.

The women's team will add freshmen Jillian Brooks, Danielle Drummond, Sarah Glockenmeier, Melissa Higgins, Mara Lieberman, Emily Osman, Kristen Stuart, Brianna Tevnan, Hailey Cox, and Elise Tigani.

Here's a breakdown of each new addition:

Matthew Stewart - Graduate Student - Brookline, Mass./Brookline (Columbia)

- Ran at Columbia University... Qualified for the 2009 East Regionals in the 800m run... 2010 Ivy League champion in the outdoor 4x800m relay... Member of the DMR squad that finished second at the 2008-09 Indoor Heptagonal Championships, earning second-team All-Ivy League honors... 2009 Outdoor Heptagonal Championship finalist in the 800m run, placing third overall... Finalist in the 800 meter run at the 2008-09 Indoor Heptagonal championships, placing third overall... Finalist at the 2010 Indoor Ivy League championships in the 800m run, placing fifth... member of the school-record holding indoor 4x800m relay squads (7:30.37). High School: Earned nine varsity letters in cross country (2), indoor track (4) and outdoor track (3) at Brookline High School... Captained cross country and indoor and outdoor track teams as senior... Placed first in 600m at state meet... 800m Class "A" champion... Boston Globe All-Scholastic Honor... Boston Herald All-Scholastic... League all-star for indoor track (twice), outdoor track and cross country.

David Fajoyomi - Sophomore - Budapest, Hungary/Greater Grace International School (St. Francis (N.Y.))

- Competed for one season at St. Francis College in Brooklyn... Competed at the 2011 NCAA East Regional, tying for 16th place, clearing 6' 11"... Named NEC Rookie of the Meet at the Outdoor Championship, after capturing the gold medal in the high jump with an effort of 6' 10 ¾"... He also took a bronze in the 100 meters (11.13) and fifth in the 200 meters (22.27) at the NEC Outdoor Track & Field Championship... Placed third in the Eastern Division of the high jump at the Penn Relays, clearing 6' 9 ¾"... Set the St. Francis school record in the 200 meters at 21.76 seconds... Named NEC Rookie of the Week five times as a freshman... Won the high jump title at the Outdoor Metropolitan Championship, and earned bronze in the 200 meters... Finished second in the high jump at the NEC Indoor Track & Field Championship, clearing 6' 7".

Sean Collins - Sophomore - Oakland Gardens, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy (Northeastern)

- Ran one season at Northeastern University... Indoor: Began his collegiate career with a top ten finish in the 55-meter hurdles at the Jay Carisella Invitational, his time of 8 seconds flat nabbing tenth place and missing finals qualification by just .09 seconds... Helped Northeastern grab second place in the 4x400m at the Dartmouth Relays, running the second leg... Qualified seventh and finished sixth in the 60-meter hurdles at the Yale Invitational, with respective times of 8.66 and 8.57; also took the second leg for the `A' 4x400m relay team, which finished sixth... Qualified and finished sixth in the 55-meter hurdles at the Boston Indoor Games, finishing in 8-flat and 8.05, respectively; also ran the first leg for the Huskies' 4x400m relay team, which finished fourth. Outdoor: Took third place in the 400-meter hurdles at the Seahawk Invitational with a time of 55.29... His 15.21 in the 110-meter hurdles earned sixth place at the FSU Relays; also ran seventh in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 54.05... Finished ninth in the 400 meter hurdles in 53.80 at the Duke Invitational; also claimed 12th in the 110 meter hurdles in 15.28... Victorious in the 110 meter hurdles with a winning time of 15.21 at the Solomon Invitational; also took fourth in the 800 meter run in 1:58.85... Soared to a second-place finish in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 54.52 at the Stonehill Invitational and also took third in the 110 hurdles in 15.29. High School: Four-year member of track & field team... Ran cross country for two years... Served as captain of cross country and track team senior year... Named Team MVP and All-American in 2010... Earned All-New York State honors in 2009 and All-City honors 2008-10... Two-time City Champion... Named to All-American relay team...Helped Molloy to City Championships in 2007... Honor student all four years of high school, and a member of the National Honors Society.

Marco Siragusa - Sophomore - Sacramento, Calif./Sacramento Country Day School (St. Mary's (Calif.))

- Competed for one season at St. Mary's University in California... Competed in four cross country meets in 2010... Top finish was 33rd at the San Francisco Invitational... Placed 51st at the WCC Cross Country Championship. High School: Attended Sacramento Country Day School... Helped his cross country team to three Sacramento Metro League Championships... Had personal-best time of 16:42 in the 5K and 16:22 in the three-mile run.

Jonathan Annelli

- Three-year varsity cross country & track runner at Xavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut... Team captain for cross country... All-State performer in cross country (2010) and the 3,000 meter steeplechase, in which he was the 2011 State Champion... Named All-Area twice for cross country by The Middletown Press, Hartford Courant, and the New Haven Register Times... Selected All-SCC for cross country twice (2009-10) and indoor track once (4x800 relay)... 2010 All-New England selection for cross country... Named team MVP for indoor track (2010), outdoor track (2010), and cross country (2010)... Part of the SCC, LL, and State Open Championship cross country team at Xavier... Honor Roll Student.

Jack Bandazian - Freshman - Franklin Lakes, N.J./Ramapo

- Will also be a freshman on the Fordham football team... Graduate of Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, N.J., where he lettered in football, wrestling and track... Named First Team All-Bergen County in 2009... First Team All-League selection at running back in 2010 (missed six games)... Four-year varsity player who started as a freshman... Holds school record in the 200m (22.6)... Served as a track team captain... Rated second in the country for the sprint medley relay... Received the school's Most Athletic award.

William Slattery

- Member of the varsity cross country and track teams at Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York... Served as team captain of the cross country squad... Part of the school record distance medley and 4 x 1600 relay teams... Named All-State for cross country in 2010... Three-time All-League pick for cross country (2008-10)... Earned All-League for indoor track in the 3,200 meters (2010) and the 4 x 800 relay (2010, 2011), as well as for outdoor track in the 3,200 meters (2008-10) and 4 x 800 relay (2011)... Earned five MVP awards over his time at Chaminade... Two-year member of the National Honor Society.

Jillian Brooks - Freshman - Kingston, N.Y./Kingston

- Graduate of Kingston High School in Kingston, New York... Earned varsity letters in outdoor track, indoor track, lacrosse, and soccer... Served as team captain for the soccer and indoor and outdoor track teams... 2011 Kiwanis Scholar-Athlete of the Year... 2009 Section I 1,000 meter champion... Finished her high school career with seven records... 2009 Daily Freeman Sportswoman of the Week... Four-time Indoor State Championship qualifier... Four-time National Scholastic Indoor Championship team qualifier in the distance medley relay, sprint medley relay, and 4 x 800 relay... Member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies... Member of the High Honor Roll, the Varsity Club, and the Key Club... Recipient of the 2011 Kiwanis Scholarship and the Ray Caddy Track Memorial Scholarship.

Hailey Cox

- Graduate of Holyoke Catholic School in Chicopee, Massachusetts... Earned varsity letters in outdoor track, swimming & diving, and soccer... Served as team captain for the soccer and diving teams... Two-time outdoor track MVP (2010 & 2011)... Named All-League and Second Team All-Western Massachusetts in 2010... School record holder in wins in a single season, triple jump, 4 x 100 relay, and 4x200 relay... New Hampshire Gazette and Western Massachusetts All-Star for diving in 2011... Record holder for a six-dive meet, set in 2010... Served as vice president of the National Honor Society... National Merit Commended Scholar... Scholar-Athlete Award.

Danielle Drummond - Freshman - Wappingers Falls, N.Y./John Jay

- Graduate of John Jay High School... Earned varsity letters in cross country, indoor and outdoor track, and field hockey... Team captain for track... 2011 All-League and All-County selection... Set school records in the 4 x 1600 relay (2009), the 2000 meter steeplechase (2010), and the 5,000 meters (2011)... Member of the National Honor Society.

Sarah Glockenmeier

- Four-year varsity member of the cross country and track teams at Mount St. Mary Academy... Team captain for cross country... Two-time All-League and All-County selection for indoor and outdoor track (2010-11)... Named MVP of all three teams for the 2010-11 season... Received the 2010 Coaches Award for cross country... Was a three-time participant at the New Balance Nationals in the 5,000 meter run (indoor - 2011, outdoor - 2010-11)... Member of the National Honor Society, National Music Honor Society, National Latin Honor Society, and the National English Honor Society... Served as editor-in-chief of the Mount St. Mary Newspaper, Peeks.

Melissa Higgins

- Graduate of Salem High School in Salem, New Hampshire... Four-year member of the varsity track & field team... Team captain from 2010 through 2011... Named Team MVP/Team Points Champion from 2008 through 2011 for both the indoor and outdoor seasons... Earned All-State honors twice for indoor track (2009 & 2011) and four times for outdoor track (2008-11)... Named Salem Outstanding Female Athlete at the Kiwanis Spring Meet twice (2008 & 2009)... Set school records in the 400 meters (58.0), 300 meters (40.93), and the 300 hurdles (44.52)... Also set the Class L record in the 300 meter dash, and the Kiwanis Meet record in the long jump (17' 4")... Dartmouth Relay Champion in the indoor 300 meter dash in 2009 and the indoor 400 meter dash in 2011...President of her chapter of the National Honor Society (2010-11)... Scholar-Athlete award winner (2007-11).

Mara Lieberman

- Graduate of Hamden High School in Hamden, Connecticut... Earned varsity letters in soccer, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track... Served as cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track team captain... Received All-New England, All-State, All-Area, All-Conference, and All-Division honors for cross country in 2010... Broke the school record in the 5K... Was also awarded All-New England, All-Area, All-Conference, and All-Division (three times) honors for indoor track... Set indoor track records in the 1,000 meters, the mile run, the distance medley relay, and 4 x 800 relay over her career... Named All-Division (twice) and All-Sectional for outdoor track... Set records in the 4 x 800 and distance medley relays, as well as the two-mile run... Raced at the New Balance Nationals in the distance medley relay (outdoor) and the mile (indoor)... Received the Leadership Award from the Women's Sports Federation... Named to the All-Academic team and won the Rotary Club Sportsmanship Award.

Emily Osman

- Four-year varsity member of the cross country and track teams at North Shore High School... Team captain for cross country and track teams... Named All-American, All-State, All-County, All-Conference, and All-Division for both cross country and track... Helped North Shore to the 2010 cross country state championship, the school's first ever state championship in any sport... Also a part of the first Long Island team to make the Nike Cross Country Nationals, which placed in the top ten in the country... Broke the existing distance medley relay record at the Penn Relays, and later broke the national U.S. record in the DMR at the New BalanceOutdoor Track Nationals, running 11:31, setting also the school and Long Island record... Recipient of the team MVP and coaches awards, as well as the U.S. Army Strong and MSG Varsity awards... Scholar-Athlete... Treasurer of the track club.

Kristen Stuart

- Graduate of Division Avenue High School... Earned varsity letters in outdoor track, basketball, and volleyball... Team captain for track... 2011 All-State selection in the 400 meter hurdles, after finishing second in the Federation in that event... County Champion in the 400 hurdles in 2010, and a two-time Division Champion in the 400 meters (2010-11)... Named All-County three times, including twice for the 400 meters (2009-10) and once for the 400 hurdles (2011) ... Finished her high school career with school records in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 400 hurdles, 100 hurdles, and long jump... Named MVP of the Nassau County Class A Playoff Series in 2010, helping lead Division Avenue to the Long Island and Nassau County Championships... Member of the All-State Top 10% Academic Team (2011)... Team Scholar-Athlete and All-Conference player in both basketball and volleyball... Awarded a National Scholar-Athlete honor by the U.S. Army Reserve in 2011.... Member of six different honor societies and the high honor roll... Recipient of the President's Award for Academic Excellence.

Brianna Tevnan - Boscawen, N.H./Merrimack Valley

- Graduate of Merrimack Valley High School... Earned varsity letters in cross country, outdoor track, and basketball... Cross Country captain... Two-time All-State and All-New England selection for cross country (2008-09)... Two-time cross country MVP... Helped Merrimack Valley finish runner-up at the 2008 and 2009 Class I Cross Country Championship, as well as at the 2009 Class I Outdoor Track & Field Championship... Three-time All-Class selection in cross country... Member of the National Honor Society and the honor roll... Received the Principal's Leadership Award... Named to the 2010-11 Basketball Coaches Organization Academic Honor Roll.

Elise Tigani

- Graduate of Georgetown Visitation High School... Earned varsity letter in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field... Team captain for all three squads... Independent School League (ISL) All-League selection in 2010 and 2011... Three-time team MVP (indoor - once, outdoor - twice)... Finished her career as the indoor record holder in the 500 meters, 800 meters, 4 x 800 relay, and distance medley relay, as well as the outdoor record holder in the 400 meters and 4 x 400 relay... Helped her team to three consecutive ISL Division Championship (2009-11)... Member of the honor roll... Received the St. Timothy Award for youth ministry from the Archdiocese of Washington... Earned cum laude standing on the National Latin Exam.