BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech women’s track and field squad inked nine student-athletes, featuring four Virginians, sprinters from Maryland and North Carolina, and a thrower from Germany, on Tuesday. The athletes will join the Hokies for the 2010-11 season.
"This class is the most talented and deepest class we have signed since 2006-07 when Queen Harrison, Kristi Castlin and Asia Washington joined our program,” Tech Director of Track and Field Dave Cianelli said. “We have addressed every event area, and with Samira Burkhardt we add an immediate national contender [in the shot put]. The quality of this class will help our women’s program to continue to compete for conference titles and maintain a top-ten national ranking."
Samira Burkhardt continues Tech’s strong tradition of European throwers, as she comes from Stuttgart, Germany, where she attended Johann Friedrich von Cotta Schule. Burkhardt finished second at the 2009 European Junior Championships in the shot put after capturing the 2009 German Junior title in the shot put. She also placed fifth at the German Senior Championships in the event and captured the shot put crown at the 2008 German Indoor Youth Championships and the 2007 German Youth Championships. Burkhardt owns a personal best of 55-04.75.
"Samira Burhardt comes highly recommended to our program, as well as being one of the best young female shot putters in the world " Associate Head Track and Field and throws coach Greg Jack said. "Samira is one of our finest recruits we have ever had here at Virginia Tech. Samira will be able to come in and immediately compete at the highest level, which will contribute to our goal of improving our team place at the Conference and National Championships."
Lizzie Powell went to Patrick Henry High School in Ashland, Va., where she won the 2010 indoor and 2009 outdoor state titles in the pole vault. At the 2010 Virginia State AAA Indoor Championships, she set a state meet record of 12-07 in the pole vault. Powell also earned All-America honors in 2009 with a third-place finish at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships, and won district championships in the pole vault and 300-meter hurdles. As a junior, she finished runner-up at the state outdoor meet in the pole vault. Powell also excels in the classroom, earning membership to the National Honor Society three times and winning the 2009 Wendy’s High School Heisman, which honors athletes for excellence in academics, athletics and leadership. Powell is the daughter of Robert and Patricia Powell.
“Lizzie is a gifted vaulter, sprinter, long jumper, gymnast and student,” pole vault coach Bob Phillips said. “Combined with an amazing resiliency and determination, she is everything you could ask for in a pole vault prospect.”
Kristen Brown is a nationally ranked runner for the McDonogh School in Owings Mill, Md., and is from Columbia, Md. Brown is ranked second in the nation in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.97 and is the 2010 IAAM champion in the event. She earned the Baltimore Sun All-Metro Indoor Track and Field Performer of the Year ward after a terrific 2009 campaign, where she was a finalist at the 2009 Outdoor USA World Youth Trials, a Nike Outdoor All-American, and placed sixth in the 55-meter hurdles at the Nike Indoor National Championships. Brown also finished runner-up at the USATF Youth and Junior Championships in the 100-meter hurdles in 2008 and 2006, respectively. She also competed in gymnastics, where she reached Level 9 USAG Gymnast. Brown owns personal bests of 7.97 in the 55-meter hurdles, 13.88 in the 100-meter hurdles and 18-05 in the long jump. She is the daughter of Keith and Benita Brown.
“We certainly are happy to have signed the No. 2 hurdler in the U.S.,” sprints, hurdles and jumps coach Charles Foster said. “With two great hurdlers leaving, we are bringing in another star, and hope to keep the tradition of great Tech hurdlers alive.”
Zakiya Tyson hails from Durham, N.C., and went to C.E. Jordan High School, where she won the 2009 NCHSAA 4A Mideast Region 200-meter championship, and finished runner-up in the 100-meters, also claiming the PAC-6 conference title in both events. Tyson, a World Youth Track and Field Finalist in the 200-meters, also garnered 100- and 200-meter crowns at the 2008 Nike Outdoor National Emerging Elite meet, as well as the 2008 USATF Intermediate 200-meter championship. She owns personal bests of 7.17 in the 55-meters, 11.78 in the 100-meters and 24.00 in the 200-meters. She is the daughter of Ronnie and Patricia Tyson.
“We are very happy to bring Zakiya in, because she brings a wealth of talent,” Foster said. “She can run anywhere from the 60- to 400-meter dashes, and will come in and make an immediate impact on our program.”
Paige Kvartunas comes out of West Springfield High School in Springfield, Va. She was a 2009 National Footlocker Cross Country finalist and 2009 First-Team All-Met honors, as well as being named a Footlocker All-South selection. Kvartunas won the individual Northern Region Cross Country championship and earned All-State indoor honors in the 1,600- and 3,200-meters. She holds prep bests of 5:09.92 in the 1,600-meters, 11:13.44 in the 3,200-meters and 17:22 in the 5,000-meters in cross country. A National Honor Society member in 2009, she is the daughter of Michael Kvartunas and Temple Gracza, and is the teammate of fellow signee Alex Watt.
“Paige established herself as one of the most consistent performers in the state in the fall,” head cross country and distance coach Ben Thomas said. “She will be an immediate contributor to our cross country team and has the potential to be competitive early in her career in the ACC.”
Alex Watt is the second athlete to sign with the Hokies for the 2010-11 season from West Springfield High School in Springfield, Va. Watt received all-region honors in cross country from 2007-09 and tallied all-state accolades in 2009. She was a 2009 Footlocker All South selection, and owns career bests of 5:15.51 in the 1,600-meter run and 18:03 in the 5,000-meters in cross country. Watt is a 2009 National Honor Society member and is the daughter of Dave and Debbie Watt.
“Alex Watt proved to be one of the top girls in the state in her senior season of cross country,” Thomas said. “ She has come a long way in the past year and is capable of contributing right away to our cross country and track teams goals’ of winning another ACC title.”
Madalyn Nuckols attended Deep Run High School in Glen Allen, Va., where she notched 2009 All-South Region recognition at the Footlocker Cross Country Championships. She is a three-time All-State honoree, once in cross country and twice in track and field. At the 2010 Virginia State AAA Indoor Championships, Nuckols placed third and fourth place in the 3,200- and 1,600-meters, respectively. She was named team MVP during the indoor track and field season. Nuckols ran prep-best times of 5:03.17 and 10:51.05 in the 1,600- and 3,200-meters, respectively, during her high school career. She is the daughter of Laura Nuckols.
“Madalyn Nuckols has the talent and competitiveness to be a very high-level distance runner in the NCAA,” Thomas said. “She improved tremendously in her senior season in cross country and will be another strong piece of a very good freshman class for the distance program.”
Courtney Dobbs also hails from Glen Allen, Va., and ran at Deep Run High School. She collected All-South Region honors at the 2009 Footlocker Cross Country Championships and placed third in the 3,200-meters at the 2009 Virginia State AAA outdoor meet. In the 2010 indoor season, Dobbs won the 1,600-meters in the 2010 Virginia Central Region Indoor Championships. She holds personal bests of 5:06.36 in the 1,600-meters and 10:54.31 in the 3,200-meters. She is the daughter of George and Susan Dobbs.
“Courtney Dobbs is a tough competitor who puts herself at the front of races,” Thomas said. “She has great potential physically and the mental toughness to compete right away in the ACC.”
Ebony Scott is a 2010 Nike Indoor All-American in the 60-meter dash from Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School in Raleigh, N.C. She placed fifth in the 60-meters with a time of 7.58. At the 2010 North Carolina 4A State Championships, she won the 55-meter title and finished fourth in the 300-meters. Scott is currently ranked 10th in the nation in the 55-meters and owns personal bests of 7.00 in the 55-meters,7.58 in the 60-meters, 11.85 in the 100-meters, 24.63 in the 200-meters and 40.67 in the 300-meters. She excels in the classroom as well, winning the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award and volunteering for the UNC-TV WinterFest telethon. Scott was an honor roll member from 2007-10 and president of the Youth Missionaries at Compassionate Baptist Church. She is the granddaughter of Saundra Solomon.
“We are certainly proud to have Ebony join our team,” Foster said. “She brings a wealth of talent to the sprint program and all of us should look for fantastic performances out of her for years to come.”