U of L Track & Field Completes Recruiting Class
July 14, 2005 | Track & Field
July 14, 2005
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville track and field program put the final touches on a highly impressive recruiting class with the signing of prep standouts Tony Belt, Ryan Byrne and Bryan Webb to national letters-of-intent and the signing of junior college transfer Robert Amedee to an institutional financial aid agreement.
With the addition of Amedee (sprints), a native of Slidell, La., Belt (jumps), a native of Berkely Springs, W.V., Byrne (distance), a native of Georgetown, Ind., and Webb (sprints), a native of Knoxville, Tenn., the Cards' 2005 recruiting class includes a total of 14 newcomers for the 2005-06 season, U of L's first as a member of the BIG EAST Conference.
"This group of signees completes a very successful recruiting class for us this year," said Cardinals head coach Ron Mann, who is entering his second year at U of L. "We're excited about each and every signee we have in this class and we're looking forward to our first season in the BIG EAST Conference."
Leading the way for the latest group of signees is Webb, who earned a third-place finish in the 400m at the Nike Indoor Nationals, was a two-time Tennessee state champion in the 400m at Bearden High School and is the sixth-ranked prep athlete in the nation in the 400m with a time of 46.77 seconds. According to the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, Webb is one of just three prep athletes ever from the Volunteer state to run the 400m in less than 47 seconds.
"To get a recruit of Bryan's caliber speaks volumes about the direction of the track and field program and athletic department as a whole here at U of L," Mann said. "He was being recruited by SEC and Big XII schools and for him to choose the University of Louisville is a huge step for our program."
Belt arrives at U of L having won two West Virginia state titles in the jumps at Berkely Springs High School and ended the 2005 season ranked 25th in the nation in the high jump and 37th nationally in the long jump. Byrne joins the Cardinal track program following a successful senior season at North Harrison High School which included being named the Division 3A-4A cross country runner of the year, a state runner-up finish in cross country and a No. 30 national ranking in the mile run.
"Adding Tony completes our mission of having a well-rounded program and having a top athlete in the jumps," Mann said. "To add another talented athlete from the state West Virginia along with (U of L sophomore) Brad Keys in another step in our pursuit of finding the best available athletes throughout this region.
"Ryan Byrne is a great local talent and his signing only enhances our good foundation in southern Indiana. He's a very talented athlete and a great student, so we're excited about him joining our program."
Amedee joins U of L with two years of eligibility remaining after a stellar junior college career at Southwest Christian College which included Top 5 finishes in the 100m (10.32 seconds) and 200m (20.90) at the 2005 NJCAA Outdoor Championships.
"Robert brings a ton of talent and speed in the sprints and should add to our program immediately," Mann said. "We expect him to provide some great depth in the sprints as well as our 4x100m and 4x400m relay squads."
Recruiting Class Update: Three of the Cards' previous signees continued their strong senior seasons after inking with U of L.
Heather Trimiew, a hurdler from Chattanooga (Tenn.) Christian School who signed with the Cards in the spring, completed her senior season by winning state titles in the 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles and the Pentathlon. She completed her prep career with eight state titles, was the only person in Tennessee prep history to win two state Pentathlon titles and was ranked eighth nationally in the 300m hurdles with a time of 42.59 seconds. On July 3, she won the 400m hurdles at the AAU Youth Nationals Regional meet in Knoxville, Tenn., with a time of 60.31 seconds, which is the fifth fastest time in the nation this year and the second fastest by a senior.
Destanie Morgan, a sprinter from McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio, who signed with U of L in the spring, closed her prep career by winning the Division I state title in the 100m and the long jump.
Cory Thorne, a distance runner from Portsmouth (N.H.) High School who signed with U of L in the fall of 2004, won the 2,000m steeplechase at the Nike Outdoor Nationals on June 17-18 in Greensboro, N.C., and set a meet record at that venue with a time of 5 minutes, 49.11 seconds.
2005 Louisville Track & Field Recruiting Class
Men's Signees
- Robert Amedee, Slidell, La. (Southwest Christian College) - Sprints
- Tony Belt, Berkely Springs, W.V. (Berkely Springs HS) - Jumps
- Andre Black, Mobile, Ala. (McGill Toolen HS) - Jumps
- Ryan Byrne, Georgetown, Ind. (North Harrison HS) - Distance
- Andrew Hackney (Signed in November), Lawrenceville, Ga. (Brookwood HS) - Throws
- Steven Hnat, Floyds Knob, Ind. (Floyd Central HS) - Throws
- Cory Thorne (Signed in November), Portsmouth, N.H. (Portsmouth HS) - Distance
- Bryan Webb, Knoxville, Tenn. (Bearden HS) - Sprints
- Michael Weber, Evansville, Ind. (Reitz HS) - Hurdles
- Trent Guy (Signed with football), West Charlotte, N.C. (West Charlotte HS) - Sprints, Jumps
Women's Signees
- Sanny Eugene, St. Croix, Virgin Islands (St. Croix HS) - Sprints
- Destanie Morgan, Canton, Ohio (McKinley HS) - Sprints
- Londyn Peeler, De Soto, Texas (De Soto HS) - Hurdles
- Heather Trimiew, Chattanooga, Tenn. (Chattanooga Christian) - Hurdles
Players Mentioned
