April 1, 2013
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Four student-athletes who excel in track and field have signed National Letters of Intent to attend and compete for Washington State University starting in the fall of 2013, Cougar Head Coach Rick Sloan announced Monday.
Abu Kamara, a hurdler from Kent, Wash., Abby Regan, a middle distance specialist from Coonamble, New South Wales, Australia, Cole Smith, a high jumper from Hoquiam, Wash., and Josh Wallin, a quartermiler from Meridian, Idaho.
Abu Kamara is a senior at Kent-Meridian High where he has earned 10 varsity letters in football, cross country, basketball and track and field. On the basketball court he is a two-time South Puget Sound League honorable mention selection and was the team's best defender. In the early 2013 track season Kamara has already run a PR time in the 400m dash of 54.12 seconds. Last spring he won the 110m hurdles at the West Central District meet in a PR time of 14.50 and ran a PR in the 300m hurdles of 38.73 as the runner-up at the SPSL Sub-District meet. Kamara's 4A state meet 110m hurdles finishes include a fourth place in 2012, second place in 2011 and fifth in 2010.
"Abu is a guy that I was excited about signing ever since he attended the WSU track camp this past summer. I feel that he is one of the best college hurdle prospects on the West Coast," Hurdles Coach Mark Macdonald said. "He has the size and strength to adjust quickly to the college 42-inch hurdles. He reminds me a lot of former WSU All-American hurdler Arend Watkins. Abu has a passion for hurdling and is a great person, I am very excited to have him be a part of Cougar Track and Field."
Abby Regan graduated in the top 20 percent of her class from Loreto Normanhurst school in New South Wales, in 2008, and won awards for cross country, track and triathlon. Her personal-best time in the 1500m is 4:21.43, run at Melbourne in the spring of 2102, and ran a 3000m time of 9:48.60 in Sydney in 2011. She will be a graduate student at WSU in the fall.
"I am thrilled to have Abby on our women's team this next fall," Cross Country and Distance Coach Tim Riley said. "She is very talented and experienced at competing at the highest level. My only wish is that she would have been here three years ago."
Cole Smith is a senior at Hoquiam High where he has earned nine varsity letters and earned numerous all-academic awards. Smith was an All-Evergreen League selection at tight end as the Grizzlies were 2012 undefeated league champions. He also earned all-league honors in basketball where he was second team as a junior and first team as a senior. During track season Smith was the state 1A high jump champion as a sophomore (6-4) and repeated with a gold medal as a junior when he jumped his PR height of 6-10. He also scored with a fifth-place javelin finish as Hoquiam won the boys' state team title.
"Cole is someone identified early in the recruiting process for this year as a had-to-have prospect in order to continue our great tradition in men's high jumping," Jumps Coach Matt McGee said. "He is probably the most gifted in state high jumper since Trent Arrivey and I look forward to watching his progress this season. At nearly 6-7 tall and probably still growing as well as being long-limbed, Cole was blessed with an ideal physique for the high jumping. He was an all-league selection in football and basketball in addition to his great high jumping which is a testament to his overall athletic ability. I look forward to getting started with the Cole Smith high jump project in the fall."
Josh Wallin is senior at Rocky Mountain High in Meridian, Idaho. He has earned 10 varsity letters with three each in cross country and ice hockey and four in track. His lifetime-best 400m dash time of 49.26 seconds came last spring and he has PR time of 22.63w in the 200m. Wallin was the runner-up in the 400m at the 2012 state 5A championships meet after finishing seventh the year before. During the 2013 indoor season Wallin won the 400m at the Simplot Games with a time of 48.49 which was the seventh-fastest high school indoor time run this year. Finished 12th in the 400m at the New Balance National Indoor meet in New York City.
"Josh will be a great addition to our group of long sprinters at WSU," Sprints Coach Ellannee Richardson said. "Our 4x4 relay potential just keeps getting faster and faster. I had the opportunity to watch Josh race live at the Simplot Games this year. He races aggressively and with confidence which is the perfect combination for a successful 400m runner. Josh is already way ahead of his outdoor marks from his 2012 season after just a couple months of training. I know Josh will have a very impressive outdoor season this year."
Coach Head Coach Rick Sloan commented on the newest Cougar signees: "Abu Kamara attended our camp last summer and we were very impressed with his personality and his hurdling skills and think he is going to be a great fit for our program. He is a talent on the rise and will do some good things for the Cougs in the future. Josh Wallin caught Coach Richardson's eye at a high school meet where he ran a very fast relay leg and a fast open race. He is on the verge of doing some great things so we are excited to have him join our sprint corps and be a part of our relays. Abby Regan is a very, very talented athlete and a good-looking runner who brings a range to us from cross country down to 800 meters. I think her forte will be in the 1500m and she has already run times representative of the Pac-12 Championship level so she will be a great addition to our distance corps. Cole Smith is a high jumper who shows tremendous potential and has already jumped 6-10 as a junior. He has good size, looks like a high jumper and because of his basketball playing ability has good jumping ability and great hops. I think he will be a good addition to our jump corps and be a seven-footer for sure."
These signees join seven previously released Cougar signees for the 2013-14 school year:
Craig "CJ" Allen, a hurdler from Allyn, Wash.
Greer Alsop, a triple jumper from New Zealand
Leanne Asper, a sprinter and 800m runner from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Danielle Darden, a sprinter from Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Liz Harper, a hurdler from Missoula, Mont.
Jordin Stephenson, a distance runner from Stanwood, Wash.
John Whelan, a distance runner from Etna, Calif.
