San Marcos, Texas – Texas State built upon the 2012 signing class with a group of eight athletes so far this season for two of the best classes to come through Texas State in quite some time. While the Bobcats are already adding eight student athletes – three sprinters, two distance runners, one mid-distance and two jumpers – Texas State fans can look for more to join the maroon and gold before the signing period is over.
                   
“I'm very pleased with this signing class,” said Head Coach Dana Boone. “It's a great follow up to the class we signed last year and clearly shows the direction in which this program is moving.
 
“One of the strengths of this recruiting class isn't only in the overall talent, but the mindset of each of these athletes. They have an attitude that makes them want to win championships and compete with the best in the country.”
 
Of the eight early signees, seven are Texans with one, sprinter/jumper Abby Hani, coming from Lake Mary, Fla. Four of the athletes are from the Metroplex: sprinter Marika Brown from Little Elm High School in Little Elm, sprinter Brianna Adams from Mansfield Timberview High School in Arlington, mid-distance runner Alec Saucedo from Red Oak High School in Red Oak and jumper Jinsyn Barnes from Frisco High School in Frisco.
 
The remaining signees are from the Houston area with twin distance runners, Destilynn and Michael Lindberg from Kingwood Park High School in Kingwood and jumper Mylana Hearn from Fort Bend Marshall High School in Missouri City.
 
“Our goal as a coaching staff was to bring in highly competitive athletes who love track and field and want to be great,” said Boone. “We definitely accomplished our goal with this class.”
 
Look below for details on each athlete, including some video. These eight athletes make up the early signees for Texas State Track and Field, but look for updates toward the end of the signing period to learn about the class in its entirety.
 
Marika Brown – Sprints
Little Elm High School, Little Elm, Texas
Personal Records:
100m                11.58
200m                24.19
60m                  7.52
 
Brown's best qualities are her love of the sport, her focus and work ethic. She is one of the top sprinters in the entire country and was heavily recruited by schools in the Southeastern Conference, the Big 12 and other Bowl Championship Series conferences. The fact that she chose Texas State as her best option show what she believes can be accomplished at Texas State.
 
Boone on Brown: “Marika will be a tremendous asset to our program. She possesses the mindset of a champion. We are extremely excited to have her become part of our program and help us make history!”
 
Abby Hani – Sprints/Jumps
Lake Mary Prep High School, Lake Mary, Fla.
Personal Records:
200m                24.94
400m                54.90
Long Jump       18'11”
 
Going along with the theme of this class, Hani is a fierce competitor who knows how to win. She has a strong desire to be the best and was another athlete recruited by some of the major track programs in the county. She decided on Texas State because she believes this is the best place for her to accomplish her academic and athletic goals. Hani is one of the top returning 400m runners in the country this season and has already won multiple stat championships in Florida. The Bobcat coaches are even more excited about Hani as a person though, as she will bring strong character to the program.
 
Boone on Hani: “Abby is a versatile athlete, which we are excited about. She isn't afraid of hard work and wants to help us win championships. She is just the type of athlete we were looking to add to our program.”
 
Watch Hani push through at the end to win the Florida High School 400m dash with a personal best time of 54.90: http://youtu.be/IFbr0Pczk2A
 
Brianna Adams – Sprints
Mansfield Timberview High School, Arlington, Texas
Personal Records:
200m                25.37 (I)
400m                57.20 (I)
400m                55.59 (o)
 
Adams was a member of the 5A Texas UIL Track and Field Champion 4x400m relay team. She is extremely talented and hasn't even begun to scratch the surface on how good she will eventually be, according to coaches. The Texas State coaches saw her high upside immediately when watching her run, but Adams is already one of the fastest 400m runners in the state and she could get even faster at Texas State.
 
Boone on Adams: “Brianna comes from a highly successful club program as a member of the Dallas Gold Track Club. She is a competitor in every sense of the word, which we love. We look forward to the energy she'll bring to our program.”
 
Mylana Hearn – Jumps
Fort Bend Marshall High School, Missouri City, Texas
Personal Records:                         
Triple Jump       40'0.50”
High Jump        5'5”
 
Hearn is another great competitor in the class, and she is calm and collected under pressure. She has tremendous upside, but, maybe more importantly, already has characteristics that simply can't be coached. Coaches describe Hearn as the type of athlete a program needs to win championships because she'll shine in championship moments.
 
Boone on Hearn: “We're really excited to add Mylana to our program. She is a versatile athlete and a great competitor. She possesses a championship mindset, and that's just what we need.”
 
Watch Hearn jump 40 feet, just under her personal best in the triple jump at the Texas UIL Track and Field Championships: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=zG0bO5AyNIE#t=24s
 
Michael Lindberg – Distance
Kingwood Park High School, Kingwood, Texas         
Personal Records:
3200m              9:13.00
1600m              4:14.90
 
Lindberg is the third ranked returning miler and the second ranked returning two-miler in Texas. The future Texas State runner has upside, according to coaches, and passion for the sport. Last spring, Lindberg was the state runner up in the 1600m at the 4A Texas UIL Track and Field Championships.
 
Boone on Michael Lindberg: “Michael is a great signing for our program. He will come in and have an immediate impact in cross country as well as track. He is probably one of the best distance signings we have had her in a long time. We look forward to watching Michael grow as an athlete.”
 
Destilynn Lindberg – Distance
Kingwood Park High School, Kingwood, Texas
Personal Records:
3200m              11:16.50
1600m              5:17.40
 
Lindberg's coaches believe she has a great amount of natural talent. Throughout high school she demonstrated a tremendous work ethic and strong leadership abilities. She will develop into a key member of both the cross country and track teams.
 
Boone on Destilynn Lindberg: “Destilynn is an athlete that will develop. She will be able to help us out in cross country and on the track. She has a quiet intensity that we look forward to seeing grow.”
 
Alec Saucedo – Mid-Distance
Red Oak High School, Red Oak, Texas
Personal Records:
800m                1:54.98
 
Saucedo is one of the top five returning half-milers from last spring in Texas. He finished third in the 4A Texas UIL Track and Field Championships and brings a huge amount of upside to the team. Saucedo adds a competitive spirit to the middle distance group.
 
Boone on Saucedo: “Alec has a lot of upside potential. He has not been running that long and has already placed at the Texas 4A State meets. It's exciting to see how Alec will develop and we're glad to have him on board.”
 
Jinsyn Barnes – Jumps
Frisco High School, Frisco, Texas
Personal Records:
Triple Jump       40'0
 
Barnes is another athlete full of potential for Texas State. Bobcat coaches will look for her to continue to develop as a jumper throughout her collegiate career at Texas State.
 
Boone on Barnes: “Jinsyn will add depth to an already strong horizontal jumps group. We are excited to see how she will progress. We look forward to having her on our team.”