New Additions at Semester for Cyclones

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State track and field head coach Corey Ihmels is pleased to welcome Josh Koglin and Emily Nugent to the Iowa State track and field family. The addition of these two athletes will strengthen an already deep throws squad headed by assistant coach Grant Wall. Wall acted as the head coach at Saginaw Valley State last season, where he coached Koglin and Nugent. While the two athletes have only been on campus for a short time, the transition was seamless.

"Both showed interest in coming (to Iowa State) and I thought both of them would fit in perfectly with the group we already have in place," Wall said. "When they got here and we started practicing it was a seamless transition, as if they were here last fall."

ISU head coach Corey Ihmels is pleased with the additions to the throws group. While the Cyclones return several throwers for the upcoming season, the experience of both new throwers will aid the team.

"I think with Josh and Emily, we have two athletes that are going to come in athletically and make an impact right away," Ihmels said. "Probably more importantly than that, they bring in a lot of leadership and a little bit of seniority, even though they are new to the team. I think they've been through the battles before and I think they are going to raise the level of the expectation for the throws group."

Koglin, a Division II two-time All-American, and Nugent, a two-time regional qualifier at the Division II level, enter their third year of collegiate competition, and will have two years of eligibility at Iowa State. Koglin had an eighth-place finish in the weight throw (62-10) at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships, earning All-American honors.

"I think (Josh) can be one of the top throwers in the hammer and the weight and score some points for us," Wall said. "He also brings in a lot of experience from last year being a two-time All-American at the D-II level. We are trying to garner a national mentality, and his work ethic is perfect for that mentality."

Coming from a Division II school Koglin is steadily adjusting to the size of the campus, and his classes.

"Now that we're here we are doing a lot of similar things that we were doing at (SVSU)," Koglin said. "It's really nice to have Grant focusing solely on the throws group. The days are busy with having two practices, but I like it and I'm getting used to it."

Nugent holds personal records in the weight throw (52-06) and the hammer throw (162-00), and finished 12th in the weight throw (50-09.50) at the GLIAC Indoor Championships.

"Emily fits in right where our throws group is at on the women's side," Wall said. "Being in a situation where she can train with the girls we have will just help her take that step up and make our group even strong and deeper."

Nugent has also been adjusting well to the campus, and is excited for the opportunity to compete in the Big 12 at the Division I level.

"Coming from a Division II school and jumping to the Big 12, everything is just a lot bigger," Nugent said. "The level of people that I am throwing with here has helped me to throw a lot better."

Both Koglin and Nugent competed unattached at the Holiday Preview in December, and will be officially making their Cyclone debut at the ISU Open this Friday and Saturday at the LIED Recreational Center. Results will be posted on cyclones.com.