Women's Track & Field Adds Nine To Stellar Class

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State track and field program announced today the addition of nine women to ISU's 2016 recruiting class. The Cyclones continue to reel in and develop the top prep athletes from the state of Iowa, as well as highly sought-after talent from across the nation and abroad.

To learn more about the Cyclone newcomers, read their bios below:

2016 SPRING SIGNEES
Larkin Chapman – Middle Distance – Muscatine, Iowa / Muscatine High School
400 meters: 55:91
800 meters: 2:09.90
5k (XC): 19:08.40
Chapman is among a number of talented in-state prospects set to join the Iowa State track and field program as a member of the 2016 class. The Muscatine, Iowa native set herself apart as one of the top middle distance runners in the state. At the IAHSAA 4A State Championships, Chapman placed second in the 400m (56.63) and third in the 800m (2:13.03). On June 11, Chapman took home the 800m crown at the Midwest Distance Classic while clocking a 2:10.8.

Tasha Frazier – Hurdles / Jumps – St. Louis, Mo. / Barton County CC
Long jump: 20-6.25
100m hurdles: 13.81
Triple jump: 39-3.25
NJCAA Long Jump Champion
Frazier comes to Iowa State from Barton County Community College, where she had a tremendous career as a Cougar. The St. Louis, Mo. native won the 2016 NJCAA Outdoor national title in the long jump with a PR of 20-6.25 to take home the crown. She also came up with a second-place finish in the meet's 100-meter hurdles to be named national runner-up.

Tessa Krempel – Throws – Columbus, Ind. / Western Kentucky
Hammer: 160-6
Weight: 50-4.75
Shot put: 45-7.75
Discus: 145-0
Krempel comes to Iowa State from Western Kentucky where she competed for two seasons and will look to make her mark as a Cyclone starting in 2016. Krempel had a pair of top-15 finishes at the 2016 Conference USA Outdoor Championships in May, where she finished 13^th in the discus and 14^th in hammer throw. Krempel also placed 16^th at the meet in shot put.

Ariana Kuhn – Throws – Marshall, Ill. / Vincennes University / Western Kentucky
Hammer throw: 188-5
Weight throw: 57-3.75
NJCAA Academic All-American
Ariana Kuhn joins the Iowa State track and field program as an athlete ready to make an immediate impact for the Cyclones. At Vincennes, Kuhn qualified four times for the NJCAA outdoor nationals in three different events, including twice in discus. In 2015 at NJCAA nationals, she finished 11^th in discus and 14^th in hammer before spending one season at Western Kentucky.

Branna MacDougall – Distance – Kingston, Ontario / Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic HS
3,000 meters: 9:20.87
5,000 meters: 16:10.87
6k (XC): 21:32
MacDougall comes to Iowa State from Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where she established herself as an elite prep runner and one of the top high school runners in North America. MacDougall was recently named to the Canadian national team headed to Poland for the U-20 World Championships in the 5,000 meters. She made it to the event by clocking a 16:10.87 (personal best) at the qualifying meet. MacDougall, who came to Iowa State largely through her connection to Iowa State's Manitoba-born coach Andrea Grove-McDonough, will certainly be among the blue-chip recruits to watch in ISU's 2016 class.

Aleenah Marcucci – Jumps / Hurdles / Multi-event – Clinton, Iowa / Northeast Goose Lake
100m hurdles: 14.08
Long jump: 19-5.25
2016 Quad-City Times Female Athlete of the Year
Marcucci, a highly sought-after prep athlete from Clinton, Iowa, will stay in her home state and be a Cyclone in 2016. She racked up six IAHSAA 2A State titles, including three in 2016 (100m hurdles, 400m hurdles and long jump). A tremendous all-around athlete, Marcucci was a 4-time all-state selection in softball.

Christabel Okeke – Throws – Carrolton, Texas / Coffeyville CC
Hammer: 168-3
Weight: 57-8.5
After a strong two-year stint at Coffeyville CC in Kansas, Okeke comes to Iowa State with the pedigree to help bolster the Cyclones right off the bat. The Carrolton, Texas native qualified for the 2016 NJCAA Outdoor National Championships in the hammer throw with a second-place finish at the Region VI qualifying event. Okeke also placed 13^th in hammer at the 2016 Kansas Relays.

Carsyn Spurgeon – Sprints / Jumps / Multi-event – Vinita, Okla. / Vinita High School
200 meters: 24.32
400 meters: 55.66
Long jump: 20-5.25
4.0 GPA
Carsyn Spurgeon's prep credentials speak for themselves, as she joins Iowa State following a phenomenal high school career in Vinita, Oklahoma. Spurgeon is a 15-time Oklahoma 4A State Champion, and was twice named the state's Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year. In 2015, Spurgeon expanded her skill set to include field events and won her first heptathlon at the USATF Hershey Youth Outdoor Championships. She was also an all-state basketball player for Vinita.

Gwynne Wright – Distance – Packwood, Iowa / Pekin High School
800 meters: 2:14.68
1,500 meters: 4:43.92
3,000 meters: 10:15.09
5k (XC): 18:38.00
Wright hails from Packwood, Iowa, where she had a tremendous prep career as a Pekin Panther. At the 2016 IAHSAA 2A State Championships, Wright placed second in both the 800m and 1,500m races, both while runner personal best times. She also had a pair of runner-up finishes at the Iowa State Girls Indoor meet in the 800m (2:18.26) and 3,000m (10:39.79). At the 2016 Drake Relays, Wright took fifth in the 3,000m and sixth in the 800m.

Iowa State University Athletics

Women's Track & Field Adds Nine To Stellar Class

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