Huskies Sign Six In Early Period
December 05, 2017 | Track & Field
SEATTLE – The start of the 2018 Husky track and field season is just over a month away, but UW already has a good start on next fall with six new commitments for the 2018-19 class. The group signed during the early signing period this fall, with more commitments possible in the spring signing period in April.
The first six signees include five women and one man; three women's mid-to-long distance runners, a pair of sprinters/hurdlers, and one thrower. Two come from California, one each from Washington and Oregon, one from Missouri, and one from British Columbia.
"This first group of fall commitments immediately addresses some key needs on our roster," said Head Coach Greg Metcalf. "Our women's team has been fourth at the Pac-12 Championships the past two years and these are five women who can help us maintain that level or rise even higher as our women's sprints and throws groups become even bigger factors at the conference level. Our lone men's signee right now, Cass Elliott, is also a talent that we just have not had in some time in the hurdles. I can't wait to watch their senior track seasons and for them to arrive on campus."
Coming to Seattle from Portland, Oregon is mid-distance state champion Kelly Makin. Last spring, Makin won both the 800-meter and 1,500-meter 6A state titles on the track, winning the 800-meters in 2:10.99 and then going on to set a PR of 2:09.07 at the Brooks PR Invite. She set a 1,500-meters PR of 4:28.96 at the Portland Track Festival last June. As a sophomore, Makin was fifth in the 800m and second in the 1,500m at the state meet, with a time of 4:30.94 in the 1,500-meter finals. She was also fifth at state in the 1,500m as just a freshman. On the cross country course, this fall Makin was the 6A-2 Metro League Champion and runner-up at the 6A state meet for the second straight year. She was 11th at the Nike Cross Northwest Regionals on Nov. 11.
Hailing from Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Madison Heisterman is another talented mid-distance runner. She ran the 800-meters last spring at the Mt. SAC Relays in 2:12.80 and at the Bryan Clay Invite in 2:11.83, and set a career-best time of 2:09.83 in 2016. She also owns a best 1,500-meter time of 4:30.34. In February of 2016, Heisterman visited UW's Dempsey where she ran the mile at the UW Indoor Open in 4:55.52. She took fourth at the recent B.C. High School Cross Country Championships.
The third new member of the women's distance crew is Olivia O'Keeffe from Davis, California. O'Keeffe won the 2016 CIF D-I State Cross Country title and this fall she captured the Delta League title and the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section title and took 11th at the state meet. On the track, O'Keeffe has a pair of top-three finishes at the California State Meet in the 1,600-meters. She was third as a sophomore in a PR of 4:48.66 and as a junior in 2017 she was the runner-up in 4:51.02. O'Keeffe will get to compete against her older sister Fiona who currently runs at Stanford.
A big addition to the sprint squad is Aaliyah Wilson out of Bakersfield, California. Wilson has pure 100-meter speed while also happening to be one of the top hurdlers in the country. She was the 100-meter and 100-meter hurdles champion last year in the CIF Central Section, also winning South Area and Yosemite League titles in both events. Wilson was fifth in the CIF state 100-meter dash finals in 11.85 seconds after running 11.75 in the prelims. She had a slightly wind-aided 100-meter best of 11.67 last year. In the hurdles, Wilson ranked 28th nationally in the 100m hurdles last year and 12th among returners with a 13.72 second PR.
Local product Cass Elliott made headlines in the spring when he broke the Washington 3A state record in the 300 hurdles by more than half a second, posting a time of 37.11 seconds to win the 2017 state title. That time ranked 26th in the nation and fifth among all juniors. The West Seattle High School athlete also stepped up to the 400-meter hurdles on several occasions, taking ninth at the 2017 U.S. Junior Championships in a PR of 52.07 seconds and also taking second at the 2017 Junior Olympic Championships in 52.14. Elliott has also shown his all-around athleticism by completing multiple decathlons, winning the Washington State Multi-Events title last year and posting a decathlon PR of 6,235 to win the Junior Olympic Regional title.
MaKayla Kelby adds talent to the Husky throwers in both the discus and shot put. Kelby was eighth at the 2017 New Balance Outdoor Nationals in the discus and she won the Missouri Class 5 State Championship last year with a personal-best throw of 163-9 that ranked 17th in the nation. Kelby was fifth at the 2017 National Junior Olympics meet at 155-3. She also traveled to, and won, the 2017 Arcadia Invite discus at 158-9 and won the Kansas Relays at 155-4. Kelby also had a shot put PR last year of 46-2 ½. She won her first state discus title as just a freshman at 145-8.
2017 Early Period Commitments with quotes from assistant coaches Anita Campbell, Jason Drake, Eric Metcalf, and Jason Schutz.
Cass Elliott – Sprints/Hurdles – Seattle, Wash. (West Seattle High School)
Coach Drake: "Cass is one of the top returning intermediate hurdlers in the country and smashed the Washington state record by half a second last season. He has also stepped up from the 300 to the 400 hurdles and has run times that make the Pac-12 final almost every year. He has some strong decathlon scores as well but we think working with Coach Macdonald's hurdles group he can tap into his huge potential in the hurdles."
Madison Heisterman – Mid-Distances – Nanaimo, B.C., Canada (Brentwood College School)
Coach Campbell: "Madison was meant to be a Dawg from day one. She has spent a lot of time at our indoor meets over the past few years and has been excited about UW and our program since she stepped foot on campus. It has been fun to see Madison develop into the athlete she is today. She had a fantastic sophomore year, but was forced to shorten her season last spring due to injury. With a healthy year of training and racing under her belt I'm excited to see what she accomplishes in her senior year of high school. Between athletics, academics and proximity to family and friends back home, I don't think there's a better place for Madison and we can't wait to have her join our group next fall."
MaKayla Kelby – Throws - Lee's Summit, Mo. (Lee's Summit West High School)
Coach Schutz: "We are thrilled to welcome MaKayla into the Husky family! MaKayla is a tremendous all-around athlete and is going to be a great fit for our culture. Her high level of athleticism and massive potential for improvement are very exciting but the attribute that excites us the most is her competitive mentality. MaKayla is a tough competitor and has won numerous Missouri state championships since her freshman year, to go along with her Arcadia Invitational title last spring against many of the best discus throwers on the West Coast. MaKayla has all of the tools to be a force for us at the NCAA level for years to come and we are extremely excited for her future here as a Husky!"
Kelly Makin – Mid-Distances – Portland, Ore. (Sunset High School)
Coach Campbell: "Kelly has improved every year of her high school career and we are excited about her potential both on the track and the cross country course as she takes the next step up to the NCAA level. She is a two-time NXN competitor and has shown her ability on the track with PRs of 2:09 and 4:28. Watching Kelly compete at the Brooks PR Meet last June, we knew we needed to add her to our group. She has all the tools needed to be great at the next level and we're excited about working with Kelly in the coming years."
Olivia O'Keeffe – Distances – Davis, Calif. (Davis High School)
Coach Campbell: "We're extremely excited to add Olivia to our group next year. Along with her fantastic athletic achievements, she is an outstanding student in the classroom and is everything we look for when adding student-athletes into our program. After watching Olivia compete at the CIF State Meet the past two years it was obvious that she is one of the toughest competitors when the stakes are high. From cross country to the track, she has great range, from State Champ in cross country her junior year to a second-place CIF State Meet finish in the 1,600m this past spring. We look forward to working with her in the next phase of her athletic career."
Aaliyah Wilson – Sprints/Hurdles – Bakersfield, Calif. (Stockdale High School)
Coach Metcalf: "What's special about her is she is a true 100-meter sprinter and at the same time a true hurdler. She brings a lot to the table and is one of the top returners in the country. I'm just really looking forward to her becoming a part of this group and making us better."
The first six signees include five women and one man; three women's mid-to-long distance runners, a pair of sprinters/hurdlers, and one thrower. Two come from California, one each from Washington and Oregon, one from Missouri, and one from British Columbia.
"This first group of fall commitments immediately addresses some key needs on our roster," said Head Coach Greg Metcalf. "Our women's team has been fourth at the Pac-12 Championships the past two years and these are five women who can help us maintain that level or rise even higher as our women's sprints and throws groups become even bigger factors at the conference level. Our lone men's signee right now, Cass Elliott, is also a talent that we just have not had in some time in the hurdles. I can't wait to watch their senior track seasons and for them to arrive on campus."
Coming to Seattle from Portland, Oregon is mid-distance state champion Kelly Makin. Last spring, Makin won both the 800-meter and 1,500-meter 6A state titles on the track, winning the 800-meters in 2:10.99 and then going on to set a PR of 2:09.07 at the Brooks PR Invite. She set a 1,500-meters PR of 4:28.96 at the Portland Track Festival last June. As a sophomore, Makin was fifth in the 800m and second in the 1,500m at the state meet, with a time of 4:30.94 in the 1,500-meter finals. She was also fifth at state in the 1,500m as just a freshman. On the cross country course, this fall Makin was the 6A-2 Metro League Champion and runner-up at the 6A state meet for the second straight year. She was 11th at the Nike Cross Northwest Regionals on Nov. 11.
Hailing from Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Madison Heisterman is another talented mid-distance runner. She ran the 800-meters last spring at the Mt. SAC Relays in 2:12.80 and at the Bryan Clay Invite in 2:11.83, and set a career-best time of 2:09.83 in 2016. She also owns a best 1,500-meter time of 4:30.34. In February of 2016, Heisterman visited UW's Dempsey where she ran the mile at the UW Indoor Open in 4:55.52. She took fourth at the recent B.C. High School Cross Country Championships.
The third new member of the women's distance crew is Olivia O'Keeffe from Davis, California. O'Keeffe won the 2016 CIF D-I State Cross Country title and this fall she captured the Delta League title and the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section title and took 11th at the state meet. On the track, O'Keeffe has a pair of top-three finishes at the California State Meet in the 1,600-meters. She was third as a sophomore in a PR of 4:48.66 and as a junior in 2017 she was the runner-up in 4:51.02. O'Keeffe will get to compete against her older sister Fiona who currently runs at Stanford.
A big addition to the sprint squad is Aaliyah Wilson out of Bakersfield, California. Wilson has pure 100-meter speed while also happening to be one of the top hurdlers in the country. She was the 100-meter and 100-meter hurdles champion last year in the CIF Central Section, also winning South Area and Yosemite League titles in both events. Wilson was fifth in the CIF state 100-meter dash finals in 11.85 seconds after running 11.75 in the prelims. She had a slightly wind-aided 100-meter best of 11.67 last year. In the hurdles, Wilson ranked 28th nationally in the 100m hurdles last year and 12th among returners with a 13.72 second PR.
Local product Cass Elliott made headlines in the spring when he broke the Washington 3A state record in the 300 hurdles by more than half a second, posting a time of 37.11 seconds to win the 2017 state title. That time ranked 26th in the nation and fifth among all juniors. The West Seattle High School athlete also stepped up to the 400-meter hurdles on several occasions, taking ninth at the 2017 U.S. Junior Championships in a PR of 52.07 seconds and also taking second at the 2017 Junior Olympic Championships in 52.14. Elliott has also shown his all-around athleticism by completing multiple decathlons, winning the Washington State Multi-Events title last year and posting a decathlon PR of 6,235 to win the Junior Olympic Regional title.
MaKayla Kelby adds talent to the Husky throwers in both the discus and shot put. Kelby was eighth at the 2017 New Balance Outdoor Nationals in the discus and she won the Missouri Class 5 State Championship last year with a personal-best throw of 163-9 that ranked 17th in the nation. Kelby was fifth at the 2017 National Junior Olympics meet at 155-3. She also traveled to, and won, the 2017 Arcadia Invite discus at 158-9 and won the Kansas Relays at 155-4. Kelby also had a shot put PR last year of 46-2 ½. She won her first state discus title as just a freshman at 145-8.
2017 Early Period Commitments with quotes from assistant coaches Anita Campbell, Jason Drake, Eric Metcalf, and Jason Schutz.
Cass Elliott – Sprints/Hurdles – Seattle, Wash. (West Seattle High School)
Coach Drake: "Cass is one of the top returning intermediate hurdlers in the country and smashed the Washington state record by half a second last season. He has also stepped up from the 300 to the 400 hurdles and has run times that make the Pac-12 final almost every year. He has some strong decathlon scores as well but we think working with Coach Macdonald's hurdles group he can tap into his huge potential in the hurdles."
Madison Heisterman – Mid-Distances – Nanaimo, B.C., Canada (Brentwood College School)
Coach Campbell: "Madison was meant to be a Dawg from day one. She has spent a lot of time at our indoor meets over the past few years and has been excited about UW and our program since she stepped foot on campus. It has been fun to see Madison develop into the athlete she is today. She had a fantastic sophomore year, but was forced to shorten her season last spring due to injury. With a healthy year of training and racing under her belt I'm excited to see what she accomplishes in her senior year of high school. Between athletics, academics and proximity to family and friends back home, I don't think there's a better place for Madison and we can't wait to have her join our group next fall."
MaKayla Kelby – Throws - Lee's Summit, Mo. (Lee's Summit West High School)
Coach Schutz: "We are thrilled to welcome MaKayla into the Husky family! MaKayla is a tremendous all-around athlete and is going to be a great fit for our culture. Her high level of athleticism and massive potential for improvement are very exciting but the attribute that excites us the most is her competitive mentality. MaKayla is a tough competitor and has won numerous Missouri state championships since her freshman year, to go along with her Arcadia Invitational title last spring against many of the best discus throwers on the West Coast. MaKayla has all of the tools to be a force for us at the NCAA level for years to come and we are extremely excited for her future here as a Husky!"
Kelly Makin – Mid-Distances – Portland, Ore. (Sunset High School)
Coach Campbell: "Kelly has improved every year of her high school career and we are excited about her potential both on the track and the cross country course as she takes the next step up to the NCAA level. She is a two-time NXN competitor and has shown her ability on the track with PRs of 2:09 and 4:28. Watching Kelly compete at the Brooks PR Meet last June, we knew we needed to add her to our group. She has all the tools needed to be great at the next level and we're excited about working with Kelly in the coming years."
Olivia O'Keeffe – Distances – Davis, Calif. (Davis High School)
Coach Campbell: "We're extremely excited to add Olivia to our group next year. Along with her fantastic athletic achievements, she is an outstanding student in the classroom and is everything we look for when adding student-athletes into our program. After watching Olivia compete at the CIF State Meet the past two years it was obvious that she is one of the toughest competitors when the stakes are high. From cross country to the track, she has great range, from State Champ in cross country her junior year to a second-place CIF State Meet finish in the 1,600m this past spring. We look forward to working with her in the next phase of her athletic career."
Aaliyah Wilson – Sprints/Hurdles – Bakersfield, Calif. (Stockdale High School)
Coach Metcalf: "What's special about her is she is a true 100-meter sprinter and at the same time a true hurdler. She brings a lot to the table and is one of the top returners in the country. I'm just really looking forward to her becoming a part of this group and making us better."
Raising the Bar | Hana & Amanda Moll
Monday, August 04
Women's 1500m final - 2025 NCAA outdoor track and field championship
Sunday, June 15
Nathan Green | 2025 NCAA 1500m Champion
Saturday, June 14
Track & Field NCAA Championships | Huskies Highlights
Friday, June 13
