Washington Assembles Signing Class Of Freshmen, Transfers

UW Athletic Communications

6/13/2024

With the 2024 collegiate track & field season at a close and the Huskies coming off two more Top-20 finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the coaching staff continues to shape the roster for the transition into the Big Ten in 2024-25.

Director of Track & Field Maurica Powell and Head Coach Andy Powell currently have 22 athletes – 10 women and 12 men – set to join the Dawg Pack next season.

The women have an elite group of distance runners set to transfer in next season, reloading a squad that won the Pac-12 cross country title last fall and set NCAA records in the DMR and 4x800m relay.

Multiple First Team All-American Amina Maatoug (Duke) adds big time credentials, but every member of the incoming class has competed at NCAA West or East Prelims at a minimum, all except for Stephanie Driscoll, who comes in from England where she was the UK U23 Champion at 800-meters. The group also includes experienced talents Ellie Deligianni (Stanford), Maggie Liebich (Princeton), Maeve Stiles (Penn), Samantha Tran (Michigan), and Claire Yerby (California)

The women are also bringing in two standout throwers, including two-time NCAA Outdoor javelin qualifier Leonie Troeger, and Big West javelin champion Malia Benson. Another huge addition to the squad is Spanish National Champion Sofia Cosculluela, who broke the 6,000 point barrier in the heptathlon in June of 2024, something only four collegiate women did in 2024.

The men's current group of twelve is split between five high school seniors, and seven transfers. Four of the high school commits – Martin Barco, Ambodai Ligons, Nathan Neil, Parker Mong – are some of the top distance recruits in the nation, hailing from four different states. The fifth high school is the Washington decathlon state champion, Tomeko Cates.

Six of the men's transfers are also middle or long distance running reinforcements. Acer Iverson is a four-time Ivy League track champ and just reached NCAA Outdoors once again in the 5k this spring. Rhys Hammond (Cornell) is another NCAA Outdoor qualifier (1500m in 2022) and has NCAA XC experience. Justin O'Toole of Columbia is a two-time Ivy League silver medalist at 800-meters and Kyle Reinheimer is an ACC finalist at 800m and has twice made the podium at NCAAs in the DMR. From Scotland, Ben MacMillan brings a 3:57 mile PR to the mix. In July, UW added Cole Lindhorst from Texas, an NCAA qualifier both indoors and outdoors in 2024 in the 800-meters.

Washington will also welcome Scott Toney to the pole vault squad. Toney made both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor meet this year, placing fifth indoors for First Team All-America honors.

WOMEN'S RECRUITS

Malia Benson – Transfer

Benson is the 2023 Big West Conference Champion in the javelin

Personal Bests

Javelin: 164-5

Sofia Cosculluela – Transfer

The 2024 Spanish National Heptathlon Champion, scoring over 6,000 points

Personal Bests

Heptathlon: 6,017

Pentathlon: 4,182

Long Jump: 21-2 ½

100m Hurdles: 13.42

Ellie Deligianni – Transfer

Deligianni is an NCAA Championships qualifier both indoors and outdoors and was national runner-up on the DMR.

Personal Bests

800m: 2:03.47

1500m: 4:17.36

Mile: 4:39.45

Stephanie Driscoll – Transfer

Driscoll is the 2023 U23 National 800m Champion and a British senior Championships 800m finalist.

Personal Bests

800m: 2:03.05

Maggie Liebich – Transfer

Liebich reached the quarterfinals of the 1,500m in the East Prelims this season and she set her PR taking 3rd for Princeton at Heps.

Personal Bests

800m: 2:05.31

1500m: 4:13.65

Mile: 4:36.53

Amina Maatoug – Transfer

One of the top distance runners in the NCAA over the past few seasons, with multiple NCAA Championship podium finishes. A top-10 finisher at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Meet. Third at 2023 European U23 Championships in the 5k.

Personal Bests

800m: 2:03.45

Mile: 4:29.22

3000m: 8:46.89

5000m: 15:37.38

Maeve Stiles – Transfer

Stiles was the 2023 Ivy League 10k Champion and runner-up in 2024. She's a two-time Top-10 finisher at NCAA Regional XC.

Personal Bests

5000m: 15:55.03

10000m: 32:51.12

Samantha Tran – Transfer

A Michigan transfer, Tran is a multi-time Big Ten scorer and won two indoor DMR titles at the conference meet.

Personal Bests

1500m: 4:14.35

Mile: 4:34.77

3000m: 9:19.06

5000m: 15:52.65

Leonie Troeger – Transfer

A two-time NCAA Outdoor qualifier in the javelin, Troeger won the 2023 AAC conference title for the Bearcats. She was 5th at the 2023 German National Championships.

Personal Bests

Javelin: 188-7

Claire Yerby – Transfer

The Golden Bear is quite familiar with the Dempsey, having set her Mile and 3k PRs in the building.

Personal Bests

1500: 4:16.41

Mile: 4:42.52

3000m: 9:23.64

MEN'S RECRUITS

Martin Barco – Freshman

Back-to-back Indiana state champ at 1,600-meters. Was the 2024 New Balance Indoor Nationals runner-up in the mile and was 3rd at 2024 U.S. U20s in the 1500m as one of the only high school entries.

Personal Bests

800m: 1:50.97

1600m: 4:06.34

Mile: 4:02.94

Tomeko Cates – Freshman

The Washington state decathlon champion and also a state champ in the triple jump

Personal Bests

Decathlon: 6,983

High Jump: 6-11

Long Jump: 22-10

Triple Jump: 46-5

Rhys Hammond – Transfer

Hammond has NCAA Outdoor Track and NCAA Cross Country experience for Cornell and had three top-5 finishes this year at Ivy League outdoors and indoors.

Personal Bests

1500m: 3:41.36

Mile: 3:58.24

5000m: 13:50.31

Acer Iverson – Transfer

Iverson is a three-time NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifier, including the 2024 season in the 5k. The Harvard grad transfer swept four Ivy League track titles in 2022.

Personal Bests

Mile: 3:58.27

3000m: 7:47.74

5000m: 13:26.11

10000m: 28:23.29

Ambodai Ligons – Freshman

A Cathedral H.S. product, Ligons finished top-four at the past two California state meets in the 800-meters.

Personal Bests

400m: 47.69

800m: 1:51.15

Cole Lindhorst – Transfer

Lindhorst reached the NCAA Championships both indoors and outdoors in 2024 in the 800-meters for the Longhorns, and lowered his PR into the 1:46 range.

Personal Bests

800: 1:46.92

1500m: 3:40.61

Mile: 3:59.28

Ben MacMillan – Transfer

Another sub-four miler joining the Husky ranks from the UK, MacMillan hails from Scotland.

Personal Bests

1500m: 3:40.60

Mile: 3:57.76

5000m: 13:51.22

Parker Mong – Freshman

Swept the Washington 2A State titles this spring at 1600m and 3200m, running PRs at state in both events. Also won 2A state XC as a senior in the fall.

Personal Bests

1600m: 4:10.62

3200m: 9:03.91

Nathan Neil – Freshman

Neil has broken a myriad of records out of Montana. The 2024 Nike Indoor National Champion at 2-miles and 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals 2-mile runner-up. Third at 2023 Nike Cross Nationals.

Personal Bests

Mile: 4:00.76

2-Miles: 8:36.73