UVA men’s track announces stellar recruiting class

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia track and field program announced on Tuesday its men’s recruiting class for the 2022-23 season. The class features a total of 16 total athletes including three transfers and one athlete from New Zealand.

“The UVA track and field staff has assembled an impressive group of first years and transfers on both the men’s and women’s sides representing every event area in our sport,” said head coach Vin Lananna. “Since the majority of our men return to Grounds next year, I am optimistic about our prospects for both teams as we host the ACC Cross Country meet in October and the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2023. I am proud of our staff for identifying a group of runners, jumpers, and throwers who will make an immediate impact on our program.”

Complete List of Virginia’s 2022-23 Men’s Recruiting Class:

Will Anthony (Distance) – Whitby, Porirua, New Zealand – Scots College

With a personal-best time in the 3000 meters of 8:04.25, Anthony is set to represent his home country of New Zealand at the U20 World Championships this summer. The incoming freshman also holds a personal-best 5000-meter time of 14:15.08.

Kenton Bachmann (Middle Distance) – Knoxville, Tenn. – Wake Forest

Bachmann joins the Cavaliers as a transfer from Wake Forest and boasts a personal-best 800 time of 1:48.84. Bachmann earned second-team All-ACC honors in the 800 meters with the Demon Deacons in 2021 at the ACC Indoor Championships. Bachmann was named to the All-ACC Academic team after the 2021 season.

Thomas Corel (Sprints) – Sydney, Australia – Wagner

A native of Sydney, Australia, Corel joins the Cavaliers as a transfer from Wagner. The 400-meter specialist holds a personal-best time of 47.06 and comes off a season in which his 4×400-meter relay teams won gold at the NEC indoor and outdoor championships.

James Donahue (Distance) – Belmont, Mass. – Belmont Hill School

Donahue boasts a 1600-meter time of 4:01.15. In the mile, he clocked a personal-best mile time of 4:01.39 at the Brooks PR Invitational and placed third at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals.

David Frasier (Combined) – Chesapeake, Va. – IMG Academy

Frasier steps into Mario Wilson’s group of combined athletes at UVA. As a well-rounded decathlete, he brings a 110-meter hurdles time of 14.09 to the table. Frasier also won the high jump at the VHSL Class 6 State Championships with a mark of 1.93 meters.

Michael Koepke (Sprints) – Charlotte, N.C. – Ardrey Kell High School

Koepke brings a personal best of 21.73 in the 200 meters and a time of 10.98 to UVA’s group of sprinters. In 2021 Koepke placed sixth at the NCHSAA 4A State Championships in the 200 meters.

Jaden Lyons (Sprints) – Freeport, N.Y. – Kellenberg Memorial High School

Lyons is new to the sport of track and field with a background in football but brings plenty of potential with him to Charlottesville as he owns a personal-best 200 time of 22.56 and a 400 time of 48.22.

Gary Martin (Distance) – Warminster, Pa. – Archbishop Wood

Martin joins the Cavaliers as one of the nation’s best high school runners after going sub-four in the mile on two occasions this season. Martin accomplished the feat for the first time at the Philadelphia Catholic League Outdoor Championships before running 3:57.89 at the HOKA Festival of Miles.

Owen McArdle (Distance) – Arlington, Va. – Yorktown High School

McArdle will join the Cavalier cross country squad with his personal-best 5,000-meter time of 15:05.49, which he ran at the Eastbay South Regional meet, where he finished fifth.

Myles Plummer (Middle-Distance) – Franklin Park, N.J. – Union Catholic High School

Myles Plummer is one of a long line of great athletes from Union Catholic High School. The middle-distance runner holds a personal-best 800-meter time of 1:51.03 and a 1600-meter time of 4:10.69.

Kyle Rakitis (Middle-Distance) – Woolwich Township, N.J. – Kingsway Regional High School

Rakitis excels in the middle-distance events holding a personal-best 1500-meter time of 3:52.82 and an 800-meter personal-best of 1:53.13. Rakitis placed second in the 1500 meters at the Nike Indoor Nationals in 2022.

Justin Rogers (Pole Vault) – Hershey, Pa. – Hershey High School

Rogers engineered an impressive senior campaign in the pole vault. The Pennsylvania state champion cleared a personal-best mark of 17’3” this season before winning the pole vault title at the USATF U20 Outdoor championships. Rogers will represent the United States at the U20 World Championships in Cali, Columbia.

Luke Schroeder (Sprints) – Alexandria, Va. – Bullis School

Luke Schroeder will become the latest addition out of the Bullis School as he joins the Virginia sprinters, a group that includes fellow Bullis graduate Jay Pendarvis. Schroeder holds a 400-meter time of 47.99, which he ran at New Balance Outdoor Nationals where he finished sixth.

Henry Sullivan (Combined) – Crozet, Va. – Western Albemarle

Sullivan will make the short trip to Grounds from Crozet to compete in the combined events for the Hoos. Sullivan Placed first in the 110-meter hurdles at the VHSL Class 4 State Championships and holds a personal-best time of 14.58. He also brings a personal-best mark of 5’10” in the high jump.

Evans White (Sprints) – Lorton, Va. – South County High School

White joins LaRon Bennet’s group of sprinters at Virginia and brings a 48.26 personal-best 400-meter time to the Cavaliers and a wind-aided 21.42 time in the 200 meters. White also placed third at the VHSL Class 6 State Championships.

Tyler Zawatski (Javelin) – Manalapan, N.J. – Freehold Regional High School

Zawatski will join a long line of excellent javelin throwers under throws coach Martin Maric. The New Jersey Native placed first at the East Coast Track and Field Championships and fifth at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, where he threw his personal-best at 198’7”.