Bronx, N.Y. – (June 12, 2014) – Fordham cross country/track & field coach Tom Dewey announced his recruiting class on Wednesday with the addition of 11 student-athletes for the 2014-15 season.  The group includes six men and five women.
 
The men's recruiting class includes Nik O'Brien (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta), Brian Cook (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River), Louis Santelli (Huntington, N.Y./St. Anthony's), Thomas Slattery (Garden City, N.Y./Chaminade), Michael Campbell (Fredon, N.J./Pope John XXIII), and Fritz Heinrich (Millburn, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep).
 
The women's recruiting class features Brynna Harum (Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan), Laura Jaeger (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City), Jennifer Boerke (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville), Stephanie Leo (Huntington Station, N.Y./St. Anthony's), and Christina Perrier (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East).
 
"The team is very excited to welcome these student-athletes into the Ram family," said Dewey. "It is an exceptionally talented group that will continue to move the team forward."


 

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O'Brien, a 6-0 distance runner, was a four-year varsity runner for the cross country and track teams at North Augusta High School in South Carolina.  He was a two-time State champion in the 3200 meters for track, while being the State runner-up in the 1600 meters (2013 & 2014) and in cross country (2013).  He earned All-Region accolades for track and cross country all four years of high school, while being All-State three straight years in both sports.  A three-time MVP for cross country and a two-time MVP for track, O'Brien finished second at the 2014 FSU Relays in the 3200 meters and finished in the top 20 at the Foot Locker South Region XC Meet.
 
In the classroom, O'Brien was a three-year member of the BETA Club for students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and a four-year member of the Student Council.  He worked on the yearbook staff for two years and was a volunteer for the Special Olympics for three years.
 
Cook, a 5-11 distance runner, was a varsity cross country/track athlete at Pearl River High School in Pearl River, N.Y., where he set school records in the 1000 meters, mile, 3200 meters, 2000 meter steeplechase, and the 3000 meter steeplechase.  A team captain for cross country, he earned All-American and All-State status twice each, All-Section honors six times, All-County honors seven times, and All-League accolades eight times.  Cook won the NYS Federation cross country championship and was selected by the Journal News as its Athlete of the Season for cross country twice (2012 & 2013), indoor track once (2012-13) and outdoor track once (2013).
 
Santelli, a 6-1 middle distance runner, was a varsity cross country/track athlete at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, N.Y.  A team captain for both squads, he helped the 4x400 relay team win the State Championship for indoor track, while winning the sprint medley relay at the 2014 New Balance Indoor Nationals.  He was a part of the school records for the sprint medley and 4x800 relay teams.  Individually, Santelli was a three-time All-League selection for both indoor and outdoor track, while also earning All-League honors for cross country.
 
In the classroom, Santelli is a recipient of the Dun Scotus Award for having an average between 89.5 and 94.4.
 
Slattery, a 5-11 distance runner from Chaminade High School, joins his older brother, William, on the Fordham cross country & track teams.  He comes to Rose Hill after a successful career at Chaminade, where he set the cross country 5K record for a junior, as well as the cross country 4K and 5K records for a senior.  He was a part of the winning 4x800 relay at the New Balance Nationals and State Championship, while earning All-American status in the indoor distance medley relay.  A three-year captain of both the cross country and track teams, Slattery was the NSCHSAA and CHSAA cross country champion, while being the Federation cross country runner-up to fellow Fordham recruit Brian Cook.  He was a two-time First Team All-Long Island selection for cross country and was named Second Team All-State NXR for cross country.
 
In the classroom, Slattery was a member of the National Honor Society and a Class Alumni representative.

 

Michael Campbell" alt="Michael Campbell" src="/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=12&image_path=/images/2014/6/12/Campbell_Pic.jpg" />

Campbell, a 6-1 distance runner, competed on the varsity cross country and track teams at Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta, N.J.  A team captain for both squads, he was an NJAC First Team All-Conference selection for both cross country and track.  He was named the Most Valuable Runner for the 2014 indoor track season, and received the Pope John Spirit Award for the 2013 cross country season.  At the New Balance Nationals, he helped the 4x800 meter relay team earn 12^th place overall. 
 
In the classroom, Campbell is an AP and National Merit Commended Scholar, and received All-Academic Team honors from the NJAC, as well as the Pope John Service Award.
 
Heinrich, a 6-4 distance runner, competed for both the varsity cross country and track teams at Saint Peter's Prep in Jersey City, N.J.  A team captain for both teams, he earned All-Hudson County honors seven times over his career, which included three times for cross country, twice for the 1600 meters, and twice for the 3200 meters.  He also finished his career with school records for the indoor 1600 meters, mile run, and 4x800 relay.
 
In the classroom, Heinrich is a member of the National and French Honor Societies.
 
Harum, a 5-4 middle distance runner, was a four-year varsity runner for both the cross country and track teams at Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, Massachusetts.  A team captain for both cross country and indoor track, she was the Massachusetts Eastern Division 3 Outdoor Mile runner-up as well as the Eastern Athletic Conference champion in the 800 meters.  She earned EAC All-Star status in each of her four years, as well as being a Boston Globe All-Star for cross country and indoor track as a junior.  Harum was named to the Massachusetts All-State cross country championship team twice in 2011 and 2012, and set two school records in the distance medley and 4 x mile relay events.
 
Away from the track, Harum is a member of the National, Science, and History Honor Societies, as well as the honor roll. She also won the Silver Key Scholastic Writing Award.
 
Jaeger, a 5-5 sprinter, was a varsity track runner at Garden City High School in Garden City, N.Y.  She earned All-American status as a part of the 4x400 and sprint medley relay teams in 2012.  A four-time All-County selection, she was named All-State as a part of the 4x400 relay three times from 2011-13.
 
Boerke, a 5-6 sprinter/hurdler, was a part of the varsity cross country and track teams at Washingtonville High School in Washingtonville, N.Y.  A team captain for both squads, she was named the Scholar Athlete of the OCIAA for 2014 and picked up her third straight Most Valuable Runner award for track.  She set school records in the 400 meter hurdles, 4x100 relay and 4x200 relay, and qualified for the New York State Indoor Championship in the 300 meter dash.

 

Away from the track, Boerke is a member of the National, Math, and Science Honor Societies, and earned All-State and All-Eastern honor as a vocal musician.
 
Leo, a 5-4 distance runner, was a varsity cross country/track athlete at St. Anthony's High School.  She served as team captain of both squads and was a four-year All-League selection for both cross country and track.  She set school records in the 2000 meter steeplechase as well as in the 4 x mile relay event.  Leo also finished runner-up in the 3000 meter run at the CHSAA Championship.
 
In the classroom, Leo is a member of the National Honor Society.
 
Perrier, a 5-6 middle distance runner, was a four-year varsity runner at Half Hollow Hills East in Dix Hills, N.Y.  She served as team captain of both the cross country and track teams, setting school records in the 400 meter dash and 600 meter dash.  She won the NYS Section 11 400 meter title in 2013 and helped her squad to the Long Island Championship twice (2013-14).  She earned All-State honors twice (2013-14), All-County honors four times (2011-14), and All-League accolades over her four-year career.
 
In the classroom, she is a member of the National, National French, and National Art Honor Societies