KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State women's track & field coach Angela Martin has announced several more additions to the Sycamore team starting with the 2012-2013 season.

Mandy Jones, LaGrange, Ind., Kalyn Davis, Anderson, Ind., Jalencia Lemons, Richmond, Ind., and Ioanna Koltsidou, Alexandroupolis, Greece, will join the Sycamores along with Emily Cotterman, Terre Haute, Ind., Dawnielle Passmore, Indianapolis, Ind., Jaleesa Holmes, Merrillville, Ind., LeVisa Evans, St. John, Ind., and Jazmyn Thomas, Merrillville, Ind.

Jones competed at Westview Junior-Senior High School in the long jump and sprints. She placed second in the long jump at the 2011 state track meet and finished second during the 2012 indoor season at the Hoosier State Relays. She has a personal best leap of 18-feet-6-inches in the long jump. She has a personal best 12.40 in the 100 meters which she ran at the 2011 Regionals and a career best 7.54 in the 55 meters.

“Mandy is a tremendous athlete who is very goal oriented,” Martin said. “She has a great work ethic and brings a large amount of competitiveness to our team. She is going to fit in well with our team and I cannot wait to see her in a Sycamore uniform.”

Jones' aunt, Heather Jones, was a distance runner and a graduate assistant coach at Indiana State.

Davis competed at Anderson High School in the high jump, hurdles, and 400 meters. She competed at state as a junior and senior. She placed 11th at the 2011 state meet in the high jump and 19th at the 2012 state track meet. She has a personal best of 5-feet-6-inches in the high jump, 58.14 in the 400 meters, and 15.28 in the 100 hurdles.

“Kalyn is a very well rounded athlete and a prime candidate for the combined events,” Martin said. “I am happy that she chose ISU as a place to further both her education and athletic career. She is a bundle of raw talent and I cannot wait to see what she can do in our program.”

Davis is a seven-time sectional champion, winning the high jump, 100 hurdles and as a member of the 4x400 relay in 2011 and 2012 and the 400 meters in 2011. She also placed third in the high jump at the Hoosier State Relays during the 2012 indoor season.

Lemons competed in the hurdles at Richmond High School where she posted career bests of 14.81 in the 100 meter hurdles and 8.46 in the 55 meter hurdles. She was sixth in the 100 hurdles at the 2011 state meet and ninth at the 2012 state meet. She was second in the 55 hurdles at the Hoosier State Relays during the 2012 indoor season.

“Jalencia is a great fit for Indiana State and our track and field program,” Martin said. “She has a bubbly personality and wants to be successful in everything she does. I believe that she is going to thrive within the competitiveness or our hurdle group.”

Lemons is a five-time sectional champion, winning the 100 meter hurdles and as a member of the 4x100 relay team at both the 2011 and 2012 sectional. She also won the 300 meter hurdles at the 2011 sectional. She was the regional champion in the 100 hurdles in 2012 and finished second in 2011.

Koltsidou is a high jumper from Alexandroupolis, Greece. She cleared a personal best height of 5-feet-8¾-inches in finishing eighth at the European Youth Olympic Festival. She was also 12th at the World Youth championships by clearing 5-feet-5-inches.

“Ioanna is a very talented young woman,” Martin said. “She is a technique oriented person and will mesh well with the style of coaching that John Gartland provides. Ioanna can come into our conference and make an immediate impact on our team. We are looking for great things to come in her future as a Sycamore.”

Cotterman, Passmore, Holmes, Evans, and Thomas are also joining the track team for the 2012-2013 campaign.

Cotterman, out of Terre Haute North Vigo High School, will also compete on the Sycamore cross country team this fall. She helped the North Vigo 4x800 meter relay team reach the state finals for the past two seasons where they finished 20th in 2011 and ninth in 2012. She also competed on the 4x400 meter relay and ran the 400 meters during the track season.

Passmore is another in a long list of Lawrence Central graduates who will look to make their mark in Sycamore track & field. Passmore has a personal best of 41-feet-10-inches in the s hot put which she posted in placing fourth at the 2012 Regional. She went on to finish 11th at the 2012 state meet.

Holmes competed in the hurdles and high jump at Merrillville High School. She reached the state finals in the 100 meter hurdles in both 2011 and 2012, finishing 10th at the 2011 state meet and eighth at the 2012 state meet where she ran a career best 14.84 in the finals. She was also a member of the 4x100 relay that finished fourth at the 2012 state meet. Passmore also has personal bests of 5-feet-4-inches in the high jump and 8.58 in the 55 meter hurdles.

Evans competed in the high jump and sprints at Lake Central High School. She established a personal best 5-feet-4-inches with a 14th place finish in the high jump at the 2011 state meet and ran a career best 25.92 in the 200 meters enroute to a fourth place finish at the 2012 regional. She was also a member of the 4x100 relay team that finished seventh at the 2012 state meet.

Thomas was a long jumper at Merrillville High School where she posted a career best leap of 17-feet-0-inches in winning the 2012 sectional title. She also competed on the 4x100 meter relay team that finished fourth at the 2012 state meet.