Track & Field Signs Three to NLIs for 2017-18 Season

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State track & field head coach Brian Etelman looks to strengthen several event areas with the signing of three high school standouts to National Letters of Intent during the 2016-17 early signing period.

Set to join the Cardinals for the 2017-18 season are javelin and multi-event specialist Abby Denham (Switz City, Ind./White River Valley), distance runner Cayla Eckenroth (Novi, Mich./Northville) and sprinter Dejah Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central).

"We are proud to have put together the beginning of this year's signing class with three talented young ladies in the early signing period," Etelman said. "Abby, Cayla and Dejah represent student-athletes of high athletic talent, incredible work ethic and a commitment to doing things the right way, framed by their upstanding character as people. They have wonderful families and support systems that have shaped who they are at their core."

Denham enters her senior season at White River Valley High School as one of the top javelin throwers in program history with a career-best effort of 122'-5" set her sophomore season. The effort helped her qualify for the USATF Junior Olympic Nationals, where she placed 16th with a distance of 114'-4'.

A member of the school-record holding 4x400m relay (4:28.89), Denham placed 24th at the IHSAA State Championship in the 300m hurdles as a sophomore. A three-time regional qualifier and all-conference honoree, Denham is also a three-time team most valuable performer and will serve as team captain her senior year.

"Abby brings a lot to the table from an athleticism background," field events coach Stephen Krupa said. "She is a fantastic multi-sport athlete and brings all that experience to the table each meet. I am really looking forward to working with her in the javelin. She has a great well of untapped potential, and I am excited to see how far she can go."

Eckenroth enters her senior season on the Northville High School track & field team as one of the program's top distance runners, placing 12th at the MHSAA Division I State Championship her junior year with a 3,200m run time of 11:03.22. She owns a personal-best 3,200m time of 10:42.72 set at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division I Finals her freshman year, which placed her sixth in the race.

Eckenroth recently completed her senior season for the Northville cross country program, helping guide her team to a third-place showing at the MHSAA LP State Championship with a 20th-place finish in 18:55.0. She helped guide Northville to the MHSAA State Championship title her freshman year, while her best individual finish at the state meet was an 11th-place showing (18:08.7) as a sophomore. She owns a personal-best 5,000m time of 17:55.8 set her junior year.

"We are incredibly excited for Cayla to be joining the Ball State track & field and cross country programs," distance coach Raynee DeGrio said. "She comes from one of the top high school programs in the country and brings a very accomplished resume with her to Ball State. As one of the top seniors in the state of Michigan and having competed well at the national level, her presence will be immediately felt both on the cross country course and in the longer distance races on the track. In addition to being a great athlete, Cayla is an outstanding young woman who will continue building a positive team culture within our program."

Johnson enters her senior season on the Warren Central High School track & field team as one of the top 400m runners in the state of Indiana. As a junior, she helped lead Warren Central to the IHSAA Team State Championship by running the third leg for the first-place 4x400m relay which finished in 3:48.88. She also placed seventh in the 400m run with a career-fast time of 56.66.

As a sophomore, Johnson helped guide Warren Central to a runner-up finish at the state meet by placing ninth in the 400m dash with a time of 57.39. She also ran the third leg for the second-place 4x400m relay in 2015.

"Dejah is a wonderful addition to an already talented sprint group," Etelman said. "Dejah has a championship pedigree, coming from one of Indiana's most dominant track powerhouses, so she knows how to win. We will rely on Dejah to bring depth, toughness and talent as a 400 meter runner with great range. She fits in perfect with our program's vision as an athlete and a person of character, as we move closer and closer to being the high caliber team we aim to be."

After signing two student-athletes during the 2015-16 early signing period, Etelman and his staff finished their first recruiting class with nine signees.

"We are ahead of where we were at this time last year and are looking to outdo our first recruiting class," Etelman added. "The staff continues to work hard and it's fulfilling to see our vision materialize in year two. We have achieved palpable success and made progress in every area. Each student-athlete that commits to Ball State does so with a high level of excitement knowing they will have the opportunity to change the direction of our program immediately. We look to take the early signing momentum and roll it into another talented and deep recruiting class."

For the most up-to-date news on Ball State cross country and track & field, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateTFXC and @CoachE_BSU.

- BallStateSports.com -

Ball State University Athletics

Track & Field Signs Three to NLIs for 2017-18 Season

Related News

Related Videos