McKendree "Increases XC/Track & Field teams adding 8"

Mike Mendez, McKendree University's cross country/track and field head coach, has announced that eight more individuals have signed to join the Bearcats' programs for the 2014-15 academic year. Coach Mendez shared a little about each of the new signee's below and how they will contribute to our university, athletic department, and teams at the NCAA Division 2 level.

Four newcomers will join the men's program at McKendree:  Will McLemore, a distance runner from East Alton-Wood River High School; Ronnie Drummond, a sprinter/hurdle specialist from Wesclin High School; Gary Lisewski, a sprinter from Woodland High School; and Eric Imel, a high jumper from St. John's Northwestern Military Academy.

Will McLemore (Hometown: East Alton, IL)

Cross Country/Track (Mid-Distance/Distance) – East Alton High School

McLemore will bring recorded personal bests of 4:42 in the 1,600-meters, as well as a 10:11 3200-meters run. He worked hard to close out his high school cross country season as he accomplished a top 50 finish in the Illinois State High School Cross Country Championships, Class 1A, running to 46th-place. His personal best cross country 3-mile run was recorded in 15:33 in his senior year. McLemore received “All Conference” honors in his junior year, as he was the Prarie State Conference Champion in the 3200-meters run, 1600-meters run, 4 x 400-meters relay, and 4 x 800-meters relay. He was also a 3-time Madison County Champion for cross country; 3-time Alton Road Runners “Runner of the Year” for cross country; 3-time “MVP” in cross country; 2-time “MVP” in track; and as a freshman, he received the “110% Award” and “Rookie of the Year” award. His academic honors are just as impressive as he was awarded the Oiler Achiever Award in his junior year, the Renaissance Award at the silver level from freshman to junior year, and the gold level Renaissance Award in his senior year. McLemore’s achievements will speak to his tenacious persistence as he teams up with the Bearcats.

Coach Mendez on McLemore: “Will is a great young man who has a lot of potential. My favorite part about Will is that you'll never forget him and his best quality is that he loves to run. We need people like Will as part of our program!”

Ronnie Drummond (Hometown: New Baden, IL)

Track (Hurdles/Sprints) – Wesclin High School

Drummond has come out of hiding and will make his mark as a Bearcat! Captain of his high school team this year, he is expecting to run down his personal bests of 15.84 in the 110-meter High Hurdles, 41.44 in the 300-meter Intermediate Hurdles, 52.34 in the 400-meter run, and a split of 51.73 in the 4 x 400-meter relay. As a sophomore, Drummond accomplished a 3rd place finish in the 110-meter High Hurdles at Sectionals and finished in 16.22 and also a 4th place finish in the 300-meter Intermediate Hurdles at 43.18. Not only that, but at Conference, he took a 3rd place finish in the 110-meter High Hurdles in 17.33, a 3rd place finish in the 300-meter Intermediate Hurdles in 43.5, and a 2nd place finish in the 4 x 400-meter relay in a time 3:35.5 with his split at 53.17. He continued climbing the ladder of success in his junior year by running well at the Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Track & Field Classic-Class A (sometimes referred to as the Illinois Indoor Championship Meet). There he garnered a 7th place finish in 60-meter High Hurdles with a time of 8.86. Later during his outdoor season, he captured 2nd place in the 110-meter High Hurdles in 15.7, 2nd place in the 400-meter run in 52.34, and 2nd place in the 4 x 400-meter relay in 3:40.8 with his split being 51.8 at the conference meet. Watch for him in his last season of high school track as he plans to make himself well known, already starting with a 1st place finish in the 60-meter High Hurdles at Triad’s Knights Indoor Invitational held at Principia College. Drummond is ready to prove himself this year!

Coach Mendez on Drummond: “Ronnie is an outstanding young man. He is one of the most respectful athletes that I've ever had the pleasure of speaking with. We are so lucky to have him joining our program. He's had success, though we know his accomplishments a few years from now are going to shock everyone.”

Gary Lisewski (Hometown: Streator, IL)

Track (Sprints) – Woodland High School

Lisewski will charge into Bearcat territory with personal bests of 10.9 and 23. for the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash, respectively. Those times made him a Woodland High School record holder in both events. Not only that, but he also is on the 4 x 100-meter relay team that holds the school record of 43.84. Last year, his presence on the 4 x 100-meter relay team supported their respectable 8th place finish at the Illinois High School Association’s State Championships. Lisewski has several accolades to go along with those efforts as well, such as, All-Area Sprinter in his junior year, All-Conference 4 x 100-meter relay (Heart of IL Conference and Tri-County Conferences) in his sophomore and junior years, and All-Conference in the 4 x 200-meter relay in his sophomore year. Lisewski has demonstrated his ability to be out front and will culminate his final high school year of track as the captain of the team as he did last year.

Coach Mendez on Lisewski: “I cannot wait to have Gary practicing and competing for the Bearcats. No one will outwork him and I trust that he is going to be a leader on and off the field for us.”

Eric Imel (Hometown: Ottawa, IL)

Track (High Jump/Sprints) – St. John’s NW Military Academy High School

Imel will bring personal bests of 6’ 4” in the high jump, a mark he achieved at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (WIAA) Division 2 State Championship in which he captured 8th place, meeting the same height as 4th place and only 3 other jumpers clearing better heights. Leading up to that mark, he claimed the title of champion at the Midwest Classic Conference Championships and the WIAA Division 2 Regional Championships. Last summer, Imel attended a high jump camp near Houston, Texas, given by former Olympic High jumper Hugo Munoz. While at the camp, he successfully cleared a height of 6’ 6” improving on his jumping performance. Imel is no stranger to sprinting either, as he carries a best of 12.4 in the 100 meters and has run 23.54 for 200 meters. Additionally, he was often utilized in the 4 x 100 meter relay and the 4 x 200 meter relay because of his speed which resulted in a 3rd place and 2nd place finish respectively at the Midwest Classic Conference Championships last year. Imel will make a nice addition to our growing high jump squad.

Coach Mendez on Imel: “Eric is a talented young man that is about to shake up our jumps group over the next few years. I'm very excited to have multiple, talented jumpers and the GLVC is about to see several new faces next year. Eric will make an immediate impact on our vertical jumps.”

Four signees will also join the women's program next year:  Jayda Hill, a sprinter from O'Fallon High School; Gabrielle Mitchell, a jumps specialist from Metro-East Lutheran High School; Rebecca McKee, a sprinter/jumps specialist from Morris High School; and Julia Sangster, a hurdles specialist from Grant High School.

Jayda Hill (Hometown: O’Fallon, IL)

Track (Sprints) – O’Fallon Township High School

Hill’s work ethic has been rewarded with personal bests of 12.3 in the 100-meter dash, 26.56 in 200-meter dash, and 60 in the 400-meter run. Not only that, in her junior year she led her fellow high school teammates to a 4th place finish in the 4 x 200-meter relay at the Illinois State High School Track & Field Championships, Class 3A. She has always been a sprint leader as she was a state qualifier in her freshman and sophomore years and was even honorably mentioned as a freshman. Additionally, she has earned “All-Conference” accolades in her high school tenure. Just as well, her hard work is soundly demonstrated by her endeavors at meets outside her high school competitions. In 2011, she competed with the Dashers Track Club at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympics and was crowned champion as a member of the 4 x 400-meter relay team. Hill is not only talented in her athletic activities but she has proven to be a leader at her high school and in the community. Some of those endeavors include serving as President of the Student Union Club, assisting on the Athletic Leadership Council, aiding as a member of the broadcasting club, the “Panther Beat,” serving as a Sunday School teacher, and helping with the broadcast ministry at her church. Hill will be a terrific addition to the Lady Bearcats track team as she plans to major in Journalism in order to pursue her dream of starting a career as an ESPN News Anchor.

Coach Mendez on Hill: “Jayda is a competitive runner who shows fire 100 percent of the time. It's always a pleasure to see her compete and her work ethic is few and far between. I'm excited to build our sprints group and Jayda is going to be a huge part of that process.”

Gabrielle Mitchell (Hometown: Greenville, IL)

Track (Jumps) – Metro-East Lutheran High School

Mitchell has leapt her way onto the Lady Bearcat track team and will bring recorded personal bests of 11’ 5.5” in the Long Jump and 30’ 3” in the Triple Jump. She is not considered a newcomer when it comes to athletic achievements as she played basketball in her freshman year, tennis in her sophomore, junior, and senior years, and track all four years. Not only that, but she was selected as “Most Improved” as a freshman in basketball and sophomore in tennis. She also was garnered with “Most Valuable Player” and “Most Won Singles Games” this year in tennis. Mitchell is no stranger to academics either, as she has been selected to the National Honors Society in her sophomore, junior, and senior years and has been on the Honor Roll in many of her high school years. Additionally, she is heavily involved in music and has demonstrated her abilities during her time in high school as she was the Band Historian as a junior and Band President this year. She is also involved with the Drama Club, Jazz Band, Art Club, Backstage Crew for musical, and Backstage Crew for plays. Not only will Mitchell be a valuable asset in McKendree’s track program, but she will also be an added strength to our Music Department.

Coach Mendez on Mitchell: “Gabrielle is a bright young woman who has yet to reach her potential. She is going to raise the bar for educational achievement on this team and I believe she is very capable of being the type of athlete that will improve the most throughout her years at McKendree.”

Rebecca McKee (Hometown: Morris, IL)

Track (Jumps/Sprints) – Morris High School

McKee is a nice addition to the Lady Bearcats as she lands squarely in our jumps and sprints squads. She has personal bests in the 200-meter dash of 27.3, the Long Jump of 15’ 7”, and the Triple Jump of 31’ 10.5” and she has garnered a 6th place finish in the Triple Jump last year (2013) at Indoor Conference. She also made it to the finals at the 2013 Sectionals. As a result of her leadership skills, she was selected as Captain, Track & Field Team for her junior and senior years, while becoming a 3-time varsity letter winner. This culminated with a selection to receive the “Coach's Choice” award, which is given to those who show dedication to the team and stand out overall to the coaches. Not only that, but she took on the role of manager for the cross country team and received the “Coach's Choice” award another time for her demonstrated my selflessness with the team. Just as well, McKee stands out in her academic achievements as a high honor roll student for 3 years, an Illinois State Scholar, and was awarded the silver national career readiness award for her ACT. She is heavily involved in extracurricular activities as well as she is a 2-time volunteer with Special Connections, a track program for kids and adults with special needs, which helps coach and ensures athletes are doing their events correctly. Additionally, she is a 4-time member of Family, Career, Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and was a member of executive board this year to help organize all the philanthropy events. McKee will help the Bearcats jump to the next level!

Coach Mendez on McKee: “Rebecca is what I like to call a sleeper. This young woman is very accomplished both on and off the track and she has a huge amount of untapped potential. I'm very excited to see what she's capable of over the next couple of years at McKendree.”

Julia Sangster (Hometown: Round Lake Heights, IL)

Track (Hurdles) – Grant High School

Sangster has hurdled her way into Bearcat territory bringing with her personal bests of 15.9 in the 100-meter Hurdles and 9.05 in the 55-meter Hurdles. She has proven herself multiple times being named “All-County” Hurdler and “All-Conference” Hurdler in 2012 and 2013. Just as well, she was selected as “All-Conference” as a member of her 4 x 100-meter relay team in 2012 and 2013. Additionally, with her 9.05 personal best time last year, she was the 55-meter hurdles champion at the Lake Michigan Invite at Carthage College. Additionally, as an accomplished athlete, she has played on the varsity girls’ basketball team from 2012-2014. Not only is she experienced in athletics, but she is also academically where she garnered the Major “G” Award from 2011-2012 and the Scholar Athlete Award from 2012-2013. But that’s not all as she finds time volunteering for concessions at school sporting events and doing roadside clean up with the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) during her 3-year tenure with them. Sangster will certainly help the Lady Bearcats overcome some hurdles in future track meets!

Coach Mendez on Sangster: “Julia is a game-changer. She is a great fit with our program and is going to make an immediate impact with our sprint/hurdle group. I'm very excited to have her as a part of our program and I am ecstatic to see what she is capable of during her career at McKendree.”