HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – It was a historic day in Highland Heights as Northern Kentucky head coach Steve Kruse announced the addition of a combined 41 new student-athletes to the men's and women's cross country and track & field programs at NKU ahead of the highly-anticipated 2024-25 campaigns. It is the largest incoming class for the program in school history.

Less than ten months after the Northern Kentucky University Athletics Department announced an aggressive expansion to the cross country and track & field programs to help grow enrollment numbers for the institution, the history-making incoming class has now doubled the both the men's and women's programs in size with additions in the form of elite transfers, members of state and provincial championship high school teams and individual state champions and medalists from six states and the Canadian providence of Ontario.

The class brings in reinforcements to an already strong event groups, which includes the long-successful men's and women's distance programs and the thriving women's sprint, hurdle and jump groups.
 
Most importantly, this allows both the men's and women's programs to compete across the board in every event at the conference and NCAA level for the first time since NKU's NCAA Division II era. The men's program goes from a distance-focused group to a well-rounded squad while the women's side added some high-end newcomers across throws, pole vault, combined events and jump groups to fill in some gaps it had on its already talented roster. With the incoming class, Northern Kentucky will now be able to fully compete at the Horizon League Indoor and Outdoor Championships as a full squad for the first time in its NCAA Division I history.
 
"Our coaching staff has been recruiting diligently since the news of our program expansion last summer," Kruse said. "Spreading the word was job one and lining up prospective student-athletes that will merge with our existing team has been a journey over this past year. We are bringing in so many talented student-athletes that are excited to be a part of our renaissance and make history for our school and program."
 
Versatility marks the class, with numerous incoming student-athletes competing in multiple disciplines or event areas within the sport. For the first time in NKU's NCAA Division I era, this will give the coaching staff positional flexibility in training and competitive alignment and will give both men's and women's teams multiple avenues to increase NKU's point output in key meets. Also present is a blend of polished, championship-level experience and raw talent that the Norse coaching staff is excited to develop as the squad pushes for Horizon League titles in men's and women's cross country and men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field for years to come.
 
"Our program will see an instant spike upward in general competitiveness in existing event groups and a few surprises await in our field event groups that have been non-existent in many cases throughout the years," Kruse added.
 
In support of the growing teams, long-time assistants Paul Longano (14th season), P.J. Ball (ninth season) and Wil Doering (seventh season) will be joined by throws coach Mike Wiesemann (sixth season overall, returning back to the program). Brooks Rexroat will also return after a highly-successful 2024 outdoor season with the Norse and will be joined by Brooks Doughtie, in his first year with the program. Rexroat will lead programming for Norse student-athletes who compete in field and combined events while Doughtie's primary responsibilities will be to serve as the head coach of the newly formed triathlon program in the Fall, before he jumps over to the track to help in the Spring.

Another special part of the coaching staff is the buy-in from some of the best to ever do it in a NKU uniform. Former Norse standouts Kyle Mastin, Erika Nageleisen and Nelle Yankovich will all return as volunteer assistants to round out the first complete cross country and track & field coaching staff in program history.

"Our coaching staff bring an amazing amount of diverse experience over all levels of collegiate competitiveness," Kruse said. "For the first time in NKU track program history, we will have all event groups covered with a coach who specializes in said event. This is an exciting time for all of our staff, student-athletes and others associated with the program and we cannot wait to get the new academic year started."
 
While the Norse expect a few late additions to the roster, the class below represents the majority of the new additions who will lead NKU's cross country and track & field teams forward.
 
"Wrapping up a historic recruiting year, these student-athletes are a part of the largest class of recruits that Northern Kentucky University has ever seen for any of its sports," Kruse concluded. "Not since Bill Aker was going door to door in the early 1970's, building an inaugural baseball team for the Norse has there been such a push to bring youthful energy and talent to Highland Heights in such high numbers. That energy cannot help but to electrify our practices and most importantly our competitions. Norse Nation, get ready!"
 

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Anaiya (Leighlani) Adams
Frederick Douglass HS | Lexington, Kentucky | Throws

Daughter of Loren and William Adams. Plans to major in Sports Business and Event Management. A relative newcomer to the sport with a ton of potential. Finished sixth overall in the discus at the Fayette County Public Schools City Championship meet. Will compete in the discus, shot put, javelin and hammer throw at NKU.
 
 
Brittany Arnold
Botkins HS | Botkins, Ohio | Distance

Daughter of Jill and Tony Arnold. Plans to study Elementary Education. Indoor and Outdoor Ohio state championship meet finalist in the 3200m and Outdoor 2024 Conference, District and Regional Champion in the 3200m. She was a six-time All-Ohio selection in cross country (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), indoor track and field (2022), and outdoor track and field (2022). She was named the SCAL Xonference Runner of the Year for cross country in 2020, 2021 and 2023. Her personal record is 18:35 in cross country (5-kilometer); on the track, she holds personal best marks of 11:11 in the 3200m and 5:14 in the 1600m.
 

Allie Atchley
Simon Kenton HS | Independence, Kentucky | Distance
 
Competes in races from 800m and up on the track with a 5K (cross country) lifetime best time of 19:46. Across her career in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field, Atchley was a 12-time KHSAA State Championship finalist in the 800, 1600, and 5K distances. Her top finish was a tenth-place showing in the 1600m during the 2024 Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Atchley's best track race is the 1600m, with a personal record of 5:12. Also has a 3200m best of 11:47.
 

Lily Christensen
Batavia HS | Batavia, Ohio | Pole Vault
 
Daughter of Todd and Tricia Christensen. Plans to major in nursing at NKU. Christensen is a relative newcomer to the pole vault who was a finalist in the Southern Buckeye Conference Championship and OHSAA Southwest District Championship meets during both her junior and senior campaign. This season, she was the pole vault champion at the prestigious Edwin C. Moses relays in Dayton, Ohio. Also an accomplished gymnast at both the high school and club level, Christensen was an individual qualifier to the OHSAA Division I State Gymnastics Championship in the floor exercise.
 
 
Carlie Condit
Mason HS | Mason, Ohio | Distance
 
Daughter of Chris and Daria Condit. Distance standout. Has been on Mason's varsity cross country and track and field teams for four years. Key member of the 2022 OSHAA State Championship Team and 2023 OSHAA State third-place team. 5K cross country personal best of 18:40. Was the 2023 GMC Champion in the 800m and also won the 800m at the prestigious Mason Rod Russell Invite. Her 4x800m team took second at the OSHAA State Meet in 2023. Her 1600m personal record is 5:06 and her top 800m mark is 2:17. During the 2024 outdoor season, she was conference and district champion in the 1600m.
 
 
Emme Greely
Waynesville HS | Waynesville, Ohio | Distance
 
Daughter of Lisa and Rod Greely. Contributed in all distance events for Waynesville with personal records of 11:50 in the 3200m, 5:24 in the 1600m, and 2:19 in the 800m. Has a 5K cross country personal best of 19:23 and was an integral part of Waynesville's sixth-place team finish at the Ohio State Championship Meet in the Fall of 2023.
 
 
Halle Hehemann
Bethel-Tate HS | Bethel, Ohio | Throws
 
Daughter of Gary and Adrianne Hehemann. Hehemann was a three-year regional championship qualifier and five-time Southern Buckeye Conference Champion in both shot put (2022, 2024) and discus (2022, 2023, 2024). Her best mark in the shot put is 34'-10" and in the discus is 120'. Hehemann was named the Field Event Athlete of the Year for the Southern Buckeye Conference three times, was a four-time first-team All-Conference performer, and a three-time Cincinnati Enquirer Star Athlete of the Week. She also twice broke Bethel-Tate High School's discus record. To go with her success in the circle, Hehemann was a four-year member of the Principal's List (4.0 grade point average) and a member of student council.
 
 
Chloe Johnson
West Clermont HS | Cincinnati, Ohio | Middle Distance/Distance
 
Distance specialist competing in events from the 800m race and upward.
 
 
Lacey Klare
Scott HS | Taylor Mill, Kentucky | Sprints and Hurdles
 
Plans to major in Sports Business and Event Management. State championship meet qualifier in 2023 and 2024 in the 100m hurdles (15.66) and 300 meter hurdles (47.41). Klare holds the Scott High School records in the 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles and was part of record-setting efforts in three relays: 4x100m, 4x200m, and the 100m shuttle hurdle relay. In all, Klare won two regional championships in the 100m hurdles and was a five-time podium finisher at KHSAA State Championship meets.
 
 
Bailey Luebchow
Paxton-Buckley-Loda HS | Paxton, Illinois | Pole Vault
 
Daughter of Micah Luebchow and Jodie Luebchow. Will major in Exercise Science at NKU. Luebchow was a two-time first team Illinois High School Association pole vaulter who earned a fourth-place finish at the IHSA Class 1A 2024 state championships and a sixth-place finish in the IHSA Class 1A 2023 state championship. She was a three-time IPC first-team all-conference selection in the Pole Vault. She holds the Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School record in the pole vault and was named an Illini Prairie Conference scholar-athlete. 
 
 
Madison McDaniel
Dawson-Bryant HS | Coal Grove, Ohio | Sprints and Hurdles
 
Will study nursing at NKU. A member of the 2024 Ohio Division II State Champion 4x200m relay team. McDaniel will boost the Norse hurdle and sprint squads. She was an individual silver medalist in the 300m hurdles (43.93 seconds) and bronze medalist in the 100m dash (12.24 seconds) at the 2023 OHSAA Division III state championship meet, also advancing to the state competition in the 200m dash. She was a state meet qualifier again in the 100m dash during the 2024 season. She was the 2024 Region 11 champion in the 300m hurdles and qualified to the 2024 OHSAA Indoor State Championship in the 60m and 200m dash. In all, McDaniel is an eight-time OHSAA State Championship Qualifier and six-time Ohio Valley Conference Champion.
 
 
Presley Meloche
Sandwich Secondary School | LaSalle, Ontario, Canada | Combined Events/Jumps
 
Meloche comes to Northern Kentucky after finishing a career as one of the most decorated jumpers, hurdlers, and combined event athletes in Ontario, Canada. During the 2024 outdoor season, she helped lead Sandwich Secondary School to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Team Provincial Championship, securing a bronze medal in the high jump. She was also a bronze medalist at the 2024 Ontario Provincial pentathlon championships. En route to the OFSAA meet, Meloche was the 2024 WECSAA and SWOSSAA high jump champion, 2024 WECSSAA/SWOSSA and OFSAA west qualifier in the 100m hurdles, long jump, and high jump. She was a 2023 Canadian National qualifier in the heptathlon, a 2023 USATF Michigan heptathlon silver medalist and 2023 SPIRE high jump champion. In 2023, she was a WECSSAA, SWOSSAA and OFSAA west qualifier in the high jump and 4x100, relay, and in 2022 she was a 4x100m relay OFSAA provincial bronze medalist. 
 

Alexandra Newman
Sumner HS | Riverview, Florida | Throws/Combined Events
 
Daughter of Yolanda Sewell. Will major in Pre-Medicine at NKU. A tenth-place finisher in the shot put at the Florida Class 4A state championship meet. Newman projects to represent the Norse in the throws and combined events. She finished 27th in the women's heptathlon at the 2023 AAU Junior Olympics at Drake University and finished 22nd in the shot put at the 2023 Nike Outdoor national Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
 

Mara Reasoner
Lindenwood University | Summit Christian Academy | Lee's Summit, Missouri | Pole Vault
 
Daughter of Mark and Jana Reasoner. Will major in Cellular and Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry at NKU. A redshirt-freshman who arrives at NKU after spending the 2023-2024 season at Lindenwood University, an NCAA Division I member of the Ohio Valley Conference. Reasoner was a Missouri State Championship meet qualifier in the 4x800m relay and cross country before turning her focus to the pole vault, where she finished fifth in the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 3, District 7 meet in both 2023 and 2022.
 
 
Chloe Sandefur
Apollo HS | Owensboro, Kentucky | Combined Events/Hurdles/Jumps
 
Daughter of Misty Sandefur and Jason Sandefur. Will study nursing at NKU. After competing in high school in events ranging from 60m to cross country and horizontal jumps, Sandefur will contribute to the jumps, hurdles, and combined events groups at NKU. She was a fourth-place finisher in the 60m hurdles at the 2024 KHSAA Indoor State Championship meet and a 2023 state championship meet placer in the 100m hurdles (15.26), 300m hurdles, (47.09) and the long jump (17'7"). She finished fourth in the 60m hurdles and third in the long jump at the 2023 indoor state championship meet and was a finalist in the triple jump. In 2022, she finished fifth in the indoor state long jump championship competition and qualified in the 800m run. She was also a three-time state championship meet qualifier in cross country.
 

Abby Slife
Mason HS | Mason, Ohio | Middle Distance/Distance
 
Daughter of Tracey and Jim Slife. Was a key contributor for Ohio powerhouse Mason High School's 2023 third-place team finish at the OHSAA Division I state championship meet. Holds personal best marks of 2:20 in the 800m and 60.00 in the 400m dash.
 

Kayla Willging
Kings HS | Maineville, Ohio | Pole Vault/Horizontal Jumps
 
Daughter of David and Stacey Willging. Plans to study nursing at NKU. Finished 15th in the pole vault at the 2024 Ohio High School Athletic Association Indoor State Championship. Finished the 2024 season among the top-40 competitors across all Ohio Divisions in pole vault (indoor and outdoor) and triple jump (outdoor).
 

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