TSU Track & Field Finishes Signing Period by Inking Ten

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - As the signing period comes to a close, Tennessee State University Track & Field Director Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice announced the addition of 10 more student-athletes who will compete in meets this upcoming season. The 2012 signee class includes a total of 14.

The newly inked student-athletes are Shaquille Cragwall (Lebanon, Tenn./Lebanon HS), Shawn Harris (Memphis, Tenn./Central HS), Jalon McCutcheon (Nashville, Tenn./Hume Fogg Magnet), Ronnie Scott (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lafayette HS), Jason Griffin (Gallatin, Tenn./Gallatin HS), Kareem Nicholas (Decatur, Ga./Cedar Grove HS), Amber Townsend (Decatur, Ga./Cedar Grove), Michelle Bradley (Chattanooga, Tenn./Ooltewah HS), Jasmine Owens (Antioch, Tenn./Martin Luther King Magnet HS) and Angel Davis (Ellenwood, Ga./Cedar Grove HS).

"We are excited about where the program is headed with this recruiting class," Cheeseborough-Guice said. "I want to say thank you to all of my coaches for bringing in such a good class."

The class features four sprinters, three jumpers, three hurdlers, three middle-distance runners and one thrower. The diversity and size of the class will help fill holes left vacant by departed seniors, as well as add depth to next year's squad.

"We lost a lot of seniors last year and we needed to replace them. We did that along with putting some athletes in key places," Cheeseborough-Guice noted. "We are excited about having such a large group and we feel like we can compete with more depth."

Cragwell, from Lebanon, is a multiple event jumper who finished second in the triple-jump and high jump events at the 2012 TSSAA State Meet. He also competed in the Great 8 Selective Track meet at Vanderbilt University. Cragwell broke the school record in the triple-jump event and his personal best is 46- 8.75 in.

Harris, a native of Memphis, is one of three hurdlers signed to this year's upcoming squad. This past year, Harris was the State champion in the 110m hurdles, and he also competed in the 300m hurdle event. He has personal best times of 14.57 (110m) and 39.54 (300m).

Gallatin product Jason Griffin is another hurdler that joins the Flying Tigers this season. Griffin competed at the state meet and the Selective Great 8 Track meet hosted at Vanderbilt University earlier this year, and he set several school records throughout his high school career in the hurdle events.

Jalon McCutcheon, from Nashville, is a middle distance runner who comes to TSU with a number of accolades. McCutcheon was a 4 time National All-American and earned Tennessee All Mid-State Team honors. He also competed at the Jesse Owen Classic XC Elite, placing 4th in the 400m in 2011 and 3rd in the 800m in 2012.

Jumper Ronnie Scott is the only player from the 2012 recruiting class that did not attend high school in the southeast, coming from Brooklyn, N.Y. Scott had success at the city and state level, and he was a part of several teams that competed at prestigious Penn Relays track meet. He excels at the triple-jump where his personal best is 46- 2.75 in.

Nicholas and Townsend both come to TSU from the same high school in Decatur, Ga. Nicholas performed well as both a hurdler and a jumper with personal bests of 46- 5 in. in the triple-jump and 39.99 in the 300 meter hurdles. Townsend will be primarily used in the triple-jump where she was the county runner up, region runner up, and sectionals runner up. She placed first at the event in a tournament at Morehouse College and also placed first at three other events throughout the season.

Bradley, a native of Ooltewah, will feel at home this fall during cross country season, as she was a cross country runner during high school while also competing at the state meet in track and field in the 800m and high jump.

Another student-athlete committed is sprinter Jasmine Owens who comes to Tennessee State from Antioch. She has a personal best time of 57.48 in the 400m dash which earned her second place honors at the state meet. Owens also led her high school to three straight State Championships.

The sole thrower in the recruiting class is Angel Davis from Ellenwood, Ga. She was the 2012 county champion in the discus with a throw of 129.10 ft and she beat that toss with a 132.9 ft. throw at the Marietta Last Chance Invitational, placing first. In 2012 alone, Davis placed first five different times in discus.

The other four student-athletes who signed their National Letters of Intent are Clairwin Dameus, Leslye Williams, Jerome Henderson and Quamel Prince.

2012 TSU Track & Field Signees
Michelle Bradley - Middle Distance/Cross Country - Chattanooga, Tenn. (Ooltewah HS)Shaquille Cragwall - Jumper - Lebanon, Tenn. (Lebanon HS)
Clairwin Damues - Sprinter - Boynton Beach, Fla. (Santaluces Community HS)
Angel Davis - Thrower - Ellenwood, Ga. (Cedar Grove HS)
Jason Griffin - Hurdler - Gallatin, Tenn. (Gallatin HS)
Shawn Harris - Hurdler - Memphis, Tenn. (Central HS)
Jerome Henderson - Sprinter - Clarksville, Tenn. (Clarksville HS)
Jasmine Owens - Sprinter - Antioch, Tenn. (Martin Luther King Magnet HS)
Quamel Prince - Sprinter/Middle Distance - Nashville, Tenn. (Antioch HS)
Jalon McCutcheon - Middle Distance - Nashville, Tenn. (Hume Fogg Magnet HS)
Kareem Nicholas - Jumper/Hurdler - Decatur, Ga. (Cedar Grove HS)
Ronnie Scott - Jumper - Brooklyn, N.Y. (Lafayette HS)
Amber Townsend - Jumper - Decatur, Ga. (Cedar Grove HS)
Leslye Williams - Sprinter - Nashville, Tenn. (Martin Luther King Magnet HS)

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