Photo by: Maria Lysaker - Rice Athletics
Owls Announce 2019 Signing Class
5/2/2019 2:44:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field
HOUSTON – Rice men's track and field head coach Jon Warren and the Owls are set to boost the program's future roster with the announcement of its 2019 signing class.
"This is a great class of outstanding student athletes," Warren said. "They bring talent and expertise across the many areas that this sport requires. I see a very bright future in the track and field events, as well as in the sport of the cross country. It is hard not to be excited about this group."
The latest group of Owls features standouts from five states – Alabama, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Texas – with international additions from Australia, England, South Africa and Spain.
2019 Rice Track and Field Signing Class
Travis Dowd (Distance, Austin, Texas/St. Stephens HS)
Jack Gray (Distance, Homewood, Alabama/Homewood HS)
Grant Levesque (Decathlon/Heptathlon/Pole Vault, El Paso, Texas/Coronado HS)
Carson Mathews (Distance, Keller, Texas/Keller HS)
Elliot Metcalf (Distance, Sydney, Australia/Sydney Grammar School)
Brett Odom (Distance, The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands Christian School)
Ronen Oosthuizen (Distance, Rustenburg, South Africa/Bergsig Academy)
Lucas Ribiero (Thrower, Hanover, New Hampshire/Dartmouth College-grad transfer)
Chris Rivera (Shot Put, Duncan, South Carolina/Byrnes HS)
Dillon Stewart (Sprinter, Henderson, Nevada/Coronado HS)
Gerardo Torres (Distance, Madrid, Spain/International College Spain)
Samuel Woodley (Discus, Ware, England/Richard Hale HS)
Grant Levesque
Decathlon, Heptathlon and Pole Vault
El Paso, Texas (Coronado HS)
In 2018, ranked No. 3 decathlete in USA (6529 points)…No. 4 ranked pole vaulter in USA/No. 1 in Texas (16'-6")…ranked No. 10 in Texas in 110m hurdles (14.27)…during 2019 indoor season, ranked No. 9 in USA in pole vault/No. 2 in Texas (16'-5")…No. 1 in Texas in 60m hurdles in USA (8.02)…placed eighth at USA Junior (under 20) Championships in 2018…placed third at Texas state 6A Championships in pole vault in 2018.
Samuel Woodley
Discus
Ware, England (Richard Hale School)
No. 1 ranked Under-20 discus thrower in England (PR of 57.39m/188-3 with 1.75k discus)…third place at United Kingdom Under 20 Championships (PR of 52.98m/173-10 with 2K discus)…11th place at the United Kingdom Senior Championships…undefeated in all other discus competitions.
Ronen Oosthuizen
Distance
Rustenburg, South Africa (Bergsig Academy)
Personal best time of 3:53.40 (converts to 4:09 in the 1600m)…No. 2 ranked Youth 1500 runners in South Africa (2017)…placed eighth at the Under 20 National Championships in the 800m in 2018.
Gerardo Torres
Distance
Madrid, Spain (International College Spain)
Second place finish at the Madrid Under 20 Championship in the 1500m in 2018…semi-finalist for the Spanish Under 20 National Championships in the 1500m (2018)…personal best time of 4:03.02 in the 1500m.
Chris Rivera
Shot Put
Duncan, South Carolina (Byrnes HS)
Third-ranked returning shot putter in South Carolina…placed second at the AAU National Championships in 2018.
Travis Dowd
Distance
Austin, Texas (St. Stephens HS)
SPC State Champion in cross country in 2018…placed second at the SPC State Championships in the 1600m in 2018…set a personal best time of 9:13.21 at the Texas Relays earlier this year.
Elliot Metcalf
Distance
Sydney, Australia (Sydney Grammar School)
Personal best time of 3:49.51 in the 1500m…PR of 4:08.71 in the mile and 8:30.67 in the 3000m…finished third in the Australian All Schools Championship in the 1500m and third in the Australian Under 19 Cross Country Championships…will represent Australia in the 1500 at the Under 20 Oceania Area Championships in June.
Lucas Ribiero
Thrower
Hanover, New Hampshire (Dartmouth College-transfer)
Personal Best marks of 16.71m (54'10") in the shot put and 53.46m (175'5") in the discus…multiple time scorer indoors and outdoors in the Ivy League…east preliminary qualifier in the discus.
-RiceOwls.com-
"This is a great class of outstanding student athletes," Warren said. "They bring talent and expertise across the many areas that this sport requires. I see a very bright future in the track and field events, as well as in the sport of the cross country. It is hard not to be excited about this group."
The latest group of Owls features standouts from five states – Alabama, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Texas – with international additions from Australia, England, South Africa and Spain.
2019 Rice Track and Field Signing Class
Travis Dowd (Distance, Austin, Texas/St. Stephens HS)
Jack Gray (Distance, Homewood, Alabama/Homewood HS)
Grant Levesque (Decathlon/Heptathlon/Pole Vault, El Paso, Texas/Coronado HS)
Carson Mathews (Distance, Keller, Texas/Keller HS)
Elliot Metcalf (Distance, Sydney, Australia/Sydney Grammar School)
Brett Odom (Distance, The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands Christian School)
Ronen Oosthuizen (Distance, Rustenburg, South Africa/Bergsig Academy)
Lucas Ribiero (Thrower, Hanover, New Hampshire/Dartmouth College-grad transfer)
Chris Rivera (Shot Put, Duncan, South Carolina/Byrnes HS)
Dillon Stewart (Sprinter, Henderson, Nevada/Coronado HS)
Gerardo Torres (Distance, Madrid, Spain/International College Spain)
Samuel Woodley (Discus, Ware, England/Richard Hale HS)
Grant Levesque
Decathlon, Heptathlon and Pole Vault
El Paso, Texas (Coronado HS)
In 2018, ranked No. 3 decathlete in USA (6529 points)…No. 4 ranked pole vaulter in USA/No. 1 in Texas (16'-6")…ranked No. 10 in Texas in 110m hurdles (14.27)…during 2019 indoor season, ranked No. 9 in USA in pole vault/No. 2 in Texas (16'-5")…No. 1 in Texas in 60m hurdles in USA (8.02)…placed eighth at USA Junior (under 20) Championships in 2018…placed third at Texas state 6A Championships in pole vault in 2018.
Samuel Woodley
Discus
Ware, England (Richard Hale School)
No. 1 ranked Under-20 discus thrower in England (PR of 57.39m/188-3 with 1.75k discus)…third place at United Kingdom Under 20 Championships (PR of 52.98m/173-10 with 2K discus)…11th place at the United Kingdom Senior Championships…undefeated in all other discus competitions.
Ronen Oosthuizen
Distance
Rustenburg, South Africa (Bergsig Academy)
Personal best time of 3:53.40 (converts to 4:09 in the 1600m)…No. 2 ranked Youth 1500 runners in South Africa (2017)…placed eighth at the Under 20 National Championships in the 800m in 2018.
Gerardo Torres
Distance
Madrid, Spain (International College Spain)
Second place finish at the Madrid Under 20 Championship in the 1500m in 2018…semi-finalist for the Spanish Under 20 National Championships in the 1500m (2018)…personal best time of 4:03.02 in the 1500m.
Chris Rivera
Shot Put
Duncan, South Carolina (Byrnes HS)
Third-ranked returning shot putter in South Carolina…placed second at the AAU National Championships in 2018.
Travis Dowd
Distance
Austin, Texas (St. Stephens HS)
SPC State Champion in cross country in 2018…placed second at the SPC State Championships in the 1600m in 2018…set a personal best time of 9:13.21 at the Texas Relays earlier this year.
Elliot Metcalf
Distance
Sydney, Australia (Sydney Grammar School)
Personal best time of 3:49.51 in the 1500m…PR of 4:08.71 in the mile and 8:30.67 in the 3000m…finished third in the Australian All Schools Championship in the 1500m and third in the Australian Under 19 Cross Country Championships…will represent Australia in the 1500 at the Under 20 Oceania Area Championships in June.
Lucas Ribiero
Thrower
Hanover, New Hampshire (Dartmouth College-transfer)
Personal Best marks of 16.71m (54'10") in the shot put and 53.46m (175'5") in the discus…multiple time scorer indoors and outdoors in the Ivy League…east preliminary qualifier in the discus.
-RiceOwls.com-
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