University of Southern Indiana Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field announced that incoming freshmen Nathan Hall (Springfield, Missouri), Tyler Lowhorn (Palatine, Indiana), and Javan Winders (Mansfield, Tennessee) have signed national letters of intent to compete for Head Coach Mike Hillyard’s Screaming Eagles in 2016-17 season.
Hall is currently a senior at Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri, where he was the SWCCCA Runner of the Year in 2014 and 2015.
An All-State honoree, Hall finished ninth at the MHSAA Class 4A Cross Country Championships as a junior in 2014 before placing 26th as a senior this past fall. He also is a four-time All-District honoree as well as a two-time Ozark Conference and sectional champion.
On the track, Hall qualified for the MHSAA Class 5A Championships in the 1,600 meters in 2015, finishing 13th in the event.
“Nathan is one of the top five seniors in the state of Missouri,†Hillyard said. “He is a cross country specialist with a tremendous upside. He recently finished 32nd at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional, which features many of the best high school athletes in the Midwest.â€
Lowhorn is in his final year at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he helped his squad to sectional and regional titles in 2013.
A state-qualifier as a junior in both cross country as well as track & field, Lowhorn finished 98th at the 2014 IHSAA Cross Country Championships before helping his 4×800-meter relay team to a 12th-place showing at the 2015 IHSAA Track & Field Championships.
“Tyler is a great fit for our program,†Hillyard said. “He was the eighth-ranked junior in the state of Indiana in cross country a year ago, but was under the radar a bit after dealing with an early-season injury during his senior season. He’s a sleeper with big-time potential.â€
Winders is a senior at Henry County High School in Paris, Tennessee, where he was a two-time All-State and four-time All-Region honoree.
A Mid-State Cross Country Association first-team honoree in 2015, Winders won back-to-back regional titles during his junior and senior seasons. He finished eighth at the TSSAA Division I Class AAA State Cross Country Championships this past fall after placing third in the 3,200 meters at the TSSAA Division I Class AAA State Track & Field Championships last spring.
“Javan was the 36th-ranked junior in the country last spring for 3,200 meters,†Hillyard said. “He was recruited by multiple top-20 NCAA Division I programs, so needless to say, we are very excited that he chose our program. His impact will be immediate.â€
USI, which has won 11 straight Great Lakes Valley Conference cross country titles, begins the 2016 track & field schedule January 16 when it competes at the Little Giant Invitational in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
