Ball State University Athletics
Track & Field Signs Byrdsong and Whitehouse to NLI?s
December 02, 2015 | Track & Field
MUNCIE, Ind. - - With the signing of Bryeana Byrdsong (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central) and Lauren Whitehouse (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour) to National Letters of Intent during the 2015-16 early signing period, Ball State track & field first-year head coach Brian Etelman has brought in a pair of proven competitors with the first two members of his inaugural recruiting class.
Byrdsong spent her junior year helping guide Warren Central to a second-place finish at the 2015 Indiana High School Athletics Association (IHSAA) Track & Field State Championships with a pair of top seven finishes. Whitehouse finished her junior campaign by helping guide Mahomet-Seymour to a 14th-place finish at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 2A Track & Field State Championships, its best finish since 2011.
“Our two early signees are a reflection of the hard work our staff has put in as we hit the ground running upon arrival,” Etelman said. “The amount of traction and progress we have gained in recruiting is outstanding. We are recruiting student-athletes that believe in forward mindedness and being agents of change as our program evolves each and every day. These two are proof of that belief. As we add more commitments and signees over the coming weeks and months, we aim to put together a recruiting class dedicated to greatness both in the classroom and on the track.”
Byrdsong enters her senior season at Warren Central High School as one of the top sprinters in the state of Indiana. At the 2015 IHSAA State Finals, Byrdsong helped account for 11 of Warren Central's 48 points by placing seventh in the 200m dash (25.05) and running the second leg for the second-place 4x100m relay (47.20). She also collected her second consecutive regional title in the 200m dash with a career-fast time of 25.00 in the finals.
“We are incredibly excited to have Bryeana on board for next year,” Etelman said. “Byrd, as she is known to friends and family, is an incredibly gifted athlete with endless potential. She fits all of the things that we look to build our team around: all-around athlete, physically gifted, tremendous work ethic and a natural ability to lead. All indications are that Byrd will have a monster senior year as she is one of the state's most talented sprinters. She will step in as a freshman and immediately add depth to our relays and be a contributor at both the conference and regional levels in sprints.”
As a sophomore, Byrdsong turned in her best individual effort at the IHSAA State Meet, placing sixth in the 200m dash with a time of 25.23. She also ran the second leg for the state champion 4x100m relay which combined to cross the finish line in 47.33. Her performances helped account for 14 of the team's 35 points in a third-place finish at state in 2014. As a freshman, Byrdsong placed 22nd at the state meet in the 200m dash and was a member of the 10th-place 4x100m relay.
Whitehouse enters her senior season on the Mahomet-Seymour High School track & field team as one of the top distance runners in the state of Illinois. This past fall, she helped guide the Bulldogs' cross country program to a 19th-place finish at the IHSA Class 2A Cross Country Championships by leading the squad to the finish line of the three mile race in 18:24. At the 2015 IHSA Class 2A Track & Field State Championships as a junior, Whitehouse placed fifth in the 3200m run to collect five points for MSHS which placed 14th overall for their best finish since a 12th-place showing in 2011.
“We couldn't be more pleased to have Lauren as a part of our program next year,” Etelman said. “Lauren personifies the culture of commitment that we have established here at Ball State. Lauren is a gamer, she knows how to compete when it matters most, as evidenced by her performances at the State Championships in Illinois. She will add immediate depth and quality to our cross country team and be relied upon to contribute on the track as well. She is 100% bought into the concept of progress and building a championship caliber program at Ball State.”
During her junior cross country campaign, Whitehouse placed 18th at the state championships with a career-fast three mile effort of 17:42. As a sophomore on the track team, she placed 10th in the 3200m run (11:17.23) and 18th in the 1600m (5:25.02) at the state championship meet.
“Lauren is a tremendously accomplished athlete who will make an immediate impact on our success in both cross country and in the distance events on the track,” first-year distance coach Raynee DeGrio said. “She is a tough competitor, with a great training and racing background, and her abilities will be immediately evident from the moment she steps on campus. We are so excited to have Lauren as a member of our program and she will be a huge catalyst towards building a championship team.”
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State track & field, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateTFXC and @CoachE_BSU.
- BallStateSports.com -
