WICHITA, Kan. – The Wichita State track and field team added 23 new athletes to their roster for the 2021-22 season.
 
Of the newcomers, 12 join the Shockers from Kansas, while the remaining represent seven different states with one international athlete from Paraguay.
 
"This COVID period has affected recruiting significantly," head track and field coach Steve Rainbolt said. "There were times I wondered whether or not we would be able to put together a recruiting class that was representative of Shocker track and field at the level we have established, but we did."
 
Wichita State welcomes four transfer athletes, including NJCAA DII Cross Country Champion and All-American Lubna Suied and NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round discus qualifier Matt Everett.
 
"Matt had a heck of a first season as a collegiate discus thrower, and I'm excited for him to join us," throws coach John Hetzendorf said.
 
The throws group also added Samantha Marx, Kylie Zimmer and Ridge Estes.
 
"Really, I'm excited about all of the newcomers," Hetzendorf said. "We have athletes already trending in the right direction, and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go."
 
The Shockers brought in 11 new athletes into the sprints, jumps, hurdles and multis group, including heptathlete, Brianna Utecht from Marshfield, Mo.
 
"There's definitely some talented people out there," sprints and hurdles coach John Wise said. "Brianna is kind of the star of the group out of high school. We think she could be a terrific heptathlete."
 
Summer Stevenson is another newcomer that is joining the jumps squad from California as a long and triple jumper.
 
"I'm excited about Summer," horizontal jumps coach Heidi Benton said. "She's a really good athlete, and I'm excited about the potential she has. I'm excited to work with the whole group and see who can step up."
The distance and pole vault groups also added depth to their rosters.
 
"Riley Vandaveer is the fastest miler we've ever recruited, and he can make an immediate impact for us on the track," distance coach Kirk Hunter said. "We have a lot of depth on the distance side, so he'll have people on his own team to compete with and push him."
 
Pole vault coach Pat Wilson is looking forward to working with his new group of vaulters and seeing how they develop.
 
The newcomers have been putting in work at Cessna Stadium during their first two weeks of practice.
 
"There are some darn good athletes in all the event areas that really ended up making this recruiting class a pleasant surprise," Rainbolt said. "I'm very pleased with how they're doing in their early workouts, and I feel like I'm seeing a lot of athletes that are really into it and excited to be Shockers."
 
Below you'll find personal bests for each of the Shocker track and field newcomers.
 
WOMEN
Alli Burke – Valley Center, Kan. – Valley Center HS – Baker University
Baker: did not compete
HS: 100m - 12.18, PV - 3.20m/10-6 
Lillie Diaz – Maize, KS – Maize HS
HS: PV - 3.28m/10-9 
Elontae Hackney-Cooper – Wichita, Kan. – Southeast HS
HS: 200m – 26.5, 400m – 59.1, 800m – 2:35
Lea Jerkovic – Ashland, Ohio – Ashland HS
HS: 5K XC – 18:59.90, 800m – 2:15.96, 1600m – 5:18.68
Sydney Johnson – Ozark, Mo. – Ozark HS 
HS: 100m - 12.07, 200m - 24.86, 400m - 58.12 
Aracely Martinez –Asuncion, Paraguay – Colegio del Sol
HS: 400m - 1:00.05, 800m - 2:22.55 
Samantha Marx – Andale, Kan. – Andale HS
HS: HT - 49.26m/161-7, JT - 44.38m/145-7 
Jenna Muma – Lincoln, Neb. – Lincoln HS
HS: 800m - 2:17, 1600m - 5:00, 3200m - 11:16, 5000m - 18:16 
Peyton Pogge – Neola, Iowa – Tri-Center
HS: 800m - 2:19, 1500m - 4:51, 3000m - 10:33 
Lubna Suied – Tomball, TX – Tomball HS – Cowley CC
CCC: 1000m - 3:15.73, 1500m - 4:43.34, Mile - 5:09.71, 3000m - 10:09.87, 5000m - 17:36.18, 10k - 38:50.60
CCCXC: 4000m - 15:12, 5000m - 18:05
HS: 800m - 2:26, 1600m - 5:22, 3200m - 11:34, 5000m - 20:18 
Summer Stevenson – Temecula, Calif. – Great Oak HS
HS: LJ – 5.79m/19-0, TJ – 12.37m/40-7
Brianna Utecht – Marshfield, Mo. – Marshfield HS
HS: 100m - 11.84, 200m - 24.35, 400m - 57.36, 100h - 14.22, HJ - 5-5, LJ - 18-10, Hept - 4730 
Kylie Zimmer – Moore, Mont. – Fergus HS
HS: SP - 13.45m/44-1.5, DT - 44.34m/145-6 
 
MEN
Kolby Caster – Douglass, Kan. – Douglass HS – Cowley County CC
CCCC: 60m - 7.36, 100m - 11.52, 400m - 53.98, 1000m - 3:05.63, 1500m - 5:01.09, 60h - 9.17, 110h - 17.57, HJ - 1.81m/5-11.25, PV - 4.46m/14-7.5, LJ - 6.38m/20-11.25, SP - 11.22m/36-9.75, DT - 29.14m/95-7, JT - 44.63m/146-5, Hept - 4288, Dec – 5807
HS: PV - 4.44m/14-7 
Wen Clough – Prairie Village, Kan. – Shawnee Mission East HS
HS: LJ - 6.78m/22-3 
Ryan Dreiling – Goddard, Kan. – Eisenhower HS
HS: 100m - 10.85, 200m - 21.81 
Erik Enriquez – Wichita, Kan. – Kapaun Mt Carmel
HS: 1600m - 4:25, 3200m - 9:13, 5000m - 15:18 
Ridge Estes – Bucklin, Kan. – Bucklin HS
HS: SP - 16.96m/55-8, DT - 56.24m/184-6 
Matt Everett – Winfield, Kan. – Winfield HS – University of Memphis
MEM: SP - 14.57m/47-9.75, DT - 55.14m/180-11
HS: SP - 15.51m/50-10.75, DT - 59.46m/195-1 
Jack Mull – Winfield, Kan. – Winfield HS – Cowley County CC
CCCC: 60m - 7.54, 100m - 12.04, 400m - 53.83, 1000m - 3:03.59, 1500m - 5:17.10, 60h - 8.65, 110h - 15.79, HJ - 1.83m/6-0, PV - 4.25m/13-11.25, LJ - 6.31m/20-8.5, SP - 11.56m/37-11.25, DT - 31.37m/102-11, JT - 44.85m/147-2, Hept - 4451, Dec -  5834
HS: 110h - 14.34, 300h - 39.86, PV - 3.96m/13-0 
Eli Newman – Bradenton, Fla. – Lakewood Ranch HS
HS: PV - 4.60m/15-1 
Cesar Ramirez – McAllen, Texas – Sharyland Pioneer HS
HS: 1600m - 4:21, 3200m - 9:26, 5000m - 15:10 
Riley Vandaveer – Olathe, Kan. – Olathe South HS 
HS: 800m - 1:54.97, Mile - 4:09.35, 5000m - 15:58