PULLMAN, Wash. -- Wayne Phipps, WSU Director of Cross Country/Track & Field, announced the National Letters of Intent signing by two prep student-athletes and the January addition of another student-athlete to compete for Washington State University.
Jenaya Pynn, a middle distance runner from Wellington, British Columbia, Canada, joins the Cougars in January 2016. Sam Brixey, a hurdler from Capital High School in Boise, Idaho, and Brittany Aquino, a distance runner from East Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Wash., have signed NLIs to compete for the Cougars in the 2016-17 school year.
Pynn, running for the Nanaimo Track & Field Club, finished fourth in the Junior women's 1500m at the Canadian Track & Field Championships last July in Edmonton, with a time of 4 minutes, 38.82 seconds. At the 2015 British Columbia High School Track & Field Championships Pynn won a bronze medal in the 1500m and was a member of the silver medal 4x400m relay.
“Jenaya had a great senior year running 2:11 in the 800 and then in her very first year running the 1500 she runs 4:32,” Phipps said. “She is very new to the distance events and will see immediate improvement in the longer events and in cross country. She will have an immediate impact as she should be an NCAA first round qualifier this spring and a key member of our cross country team next fall.”
Brixey was the Idaho 5A state 110m and 300m hurdles champion in 2015 in addition to a runner-up finish in the triple jump and fourth place in the long jump. At the USATF World Youth Trials in Chicago, Brixey finished sixth in the high hurdles in a PR time of 14.12. Brixey's top intermediate hurdles time is 38:48. In addition to his accomplishments on the track, Brixey is an all-conference first team football wide receiver with a school record of 1,168 total receiving yards.
“Sam Brixey is one of the top hurdlers in the nation,” Phipps said. “With his size and athleticism he will have no trouble transitioning to the collegiate high hurdles and has the ability to be a conference scorer and NCAA qualifier in his first season.”
Aquino was the 2015 Washington state 2A cross country champion after two third-place finishes and a seventh-place finish during her freshman through junior seasons. She has also placed in the top 30 at the last two Nike BorderClash meets. On the outdoor oval, Aquino was the 2015 state champion in the 1600m with a PR time of 4:59.60, and the runner-up in the 3200m with a PR time of 11:02.35.
“Brittany had an excellent senior cross country season and will be a strong contributor in her first cross country season as we continue to build our women's cross country program,” Phipps said.