Beach Track and Field Welcomes 9 New Sprinters

12/11/2023 12:59:00 PM | Indoor Track, Track and Field

The incoming recruiting class is made up of five men and four women

By: Matt Turk, Associate Athletic Communications Director

LONG BEACH, Calif.— This week, we look at the newcomers to the Long Beach State Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field program. Long Beach State welcomes nine new sprinters for the upcoming 2024 indoor and outdoor campaigns.

Men's Newcomers
Anthony Coleman I Junior I Oakland, Calif. I Merritt College I Madison Park Academy
Coleman won the CCCAA 400m state championship for Merritt College as a true freshman with a time of 47.46. He won the 400m, finished second in the 200m, and ran the third leg of Merritt's 4x100m relay that took first at the 2022 CCCAA NorCal Championships. Coleman ran the anchor of Merritt's 4x100m relay that won the 2022 CCCAA Championships. He helped the Merritt 4x400m relay finish second at the CCCAA Championships as a freshman and eighth as a sophomore. Coleman was a multi-sport athlete at Madison Park Academy who played basketball, volleyball, and running track. He placed second in the long jump as a sophomore at the Oakland Athletic League championship. Coleman became the OAL champion in the long jump as a junior while also grabbing podium finishes in the 200m and 400m.

Patrick Henderson I Junior I Thousand Palms, Calif. I Southwestern College I La Quinta HS
Henderson finished second in the 400m and was fourth in the 200m for Southwestern at the 2023 PCAC Championships. He placed 10th in the 400m and ran the third leg of SCC's 4x100m relay, sixth at the 2023 CCCAA SoCal Championships. Henderson was third in the 400m and fourth in the 200m at the 2022 PCAC Championships. Henderson won the 200m as well as both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays for La Quinta High School as a senior.

Naythn Scruggs I Senior I Fresno, Calif. I Cal State Fullerton I Clovis North HS
Scruggs spent the past three seasons at Cal State Fullerton. He earned All-Conference honors in the 100m after finishing third at the 2022 league meet in a personal best time of 10.64. He finished seventh in the 60m at the 2022 MPSF Indoor Championships. Scruggs was a two-sport athlete competing in track and field and football at Clovis North High School. He set school records in the 100m and 200m and helped lead his team to a TRAC and CIF championship during his prep career.

Omri Shiff I Junior I Hod Hasharon, Israel I Southeastern Louisiana I Ilan Ramon HS
Shiff spent the past two seasons at Southeastern Louisiana, competing in the 400m hurdles and the 4x100m relay as a freshman at the Southland Conference Outdoor championships. Shiff set a PR of 50.81 in the 400m hurdles in winning the LSU Battle on the Bayou as a sophomore. He competed in four events at the 2023 Southland Outdoor Championships, where he was a member of SE Louisiana's 4x400m relay team that took home the top honors at the Southland meet. He placed seventh in the 400m hurdles at the 2022 Southland Outdoor Championships. He holds a personal best of 47.97 in the 400m. He attended Ilan Ramon High School in Israel.

Everett Steward I Junior I Carson, Calif. I Iowa I Long Beach Poly HS
Steward spent two seasons at Iowa, highlighted by earning first-team All-American honors in the 4x400m when he ran the opening leg during a seventh-place finish. The team ran 3:01.79, the second-quickest time in school history. He was a regional Qualifier in the 400m as a redshirt freshman, placing 15th with a personal best of 45.94. Steward was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in the 4x400m indoor and the 400m in 2022. Steward competed for four seasons at Long Beach Poly High School. He won the Moore League championship as a junior and placed sixth at CIF with a time of 47.79.

Women's Newcomers
Amyah Davis I Junior I Kansas City, Mo. I Murray State
Davis transferred to Long Beach State from Murray State where she arned a podium finish at the OVC outdoor championships as a freshman in the 400m hurdles. She set a PR in the 400m hurdles at the Jim Green Track and Field Invitational of 1:01.40 and Finished on the podium with a third-place finish at the 2023 MVC Outdoor championships. Davis won the Missouri state championship in 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles as a senior for Winnetonka High School.

Kailiyah Johnson I Freshman I Long Beach, Calif. I Millikan High School
Johnson starred for two seasons at Millikan High School. As a junior, she competed in the 100m, 200m, and high jump. As a senior, Johnson was a first-team All-Moore League selection and athlete of the year for the Rams. Johnson enters college with top times of 11.86 in the 100m and 24.56 in the 200m. She was a four-year Honor Roll member at Millikan.

Sofia Lavreshina I Junior I Pombal, Portugal I James Madison I Pombal Secondary
Lavreshina spent two seasons at James Madison, where she set an indoor PR of 54.75 at the ECAC Indoor Championships in 2022. Lavreshina was the ECAC Runner-Up at the 2022 outdoor championships with a time of 1:00.29 in the 400m hurdles. With a podium finish, she competed in the 4x400m relay at the 2023 ECAC Indoor Championships. Lavreshina holds a PR of 59.75 in the 400m hurdles. Lavreshina competed at a high level in Portugal. She was a three-time U18 National Championship qualifier, setting a Portuguese U18 400m record of 56.57. Lavreshina qualified for the 2021 U23 National Indoor Championships and was a two-time Portuguese Club Championship qualifier.

Isela Ochoa I Junior I Dublin, Calif. Merritt College I Dublin HS
Ochoa won the CCCAA 400m Hurdles title in back-to-back seasons for Merritt College. Ochoa finished fourth in the 100m hurdles at the 2023 CCCAA Championships after winning the NorCal Championships. She owns personal bests of 14.10 in the 100m Hurdles and 1:02.65 in the 400m Hurdles. Ochoa was selected as the Big 8 MVP as a freshman after winning the 100m and 400m hurdles. Ochoa played one season of volleyball and soccer and earned four letters in track and field at Dublin High School. She earned a pair of league championships in the 300m and 100m hurdles as a senior.

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