July 23, 2010
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois men's track and field interim head coach Mike Turk announced the addition of 10 talented student-athletes to his first-ever recruiting class. This class, which will join the Illini program for the upcoming 2011 season, is highlighted by one of the top throwers in the country, the 2010 News-Gazette Track and Field Athlete of the Year, three Illinois state champions and numerous state finalists.
"I am very pleased with this year's recruiting class," Turk said. "There is blue chip talent with four guys ranked in the top five in their respective events nationally. This class also bolsters a somewhat depleted field event crew, especially in the pole vault. We will look to these guys to add to our outstanding tradition in the vault."
Davis Fraker (Peachtree City, Ga.), the 2010 New Balance national champion in the shot put and runner-up in the discus and hammer throw, will bolster Turk's throwing corps along with local athlete Brandon Noe (Monticello, Ill.), who was named the Track and Field Athlete of the Year by the News-Gazette in 2010. Fraker was a back-to-back Georgia state champion in the shot put and discus, a member of the 2009 World Youth Team and recorded the No. 1 all-time mark in the weight throw (65-8) by a high school athlete. Noe finished second in the discus and fourth in the shot put at the 2010 Illinois Class 1A state meet, helping his squad to a fourth-place finish.
"Fraker and Noe are well recognized in their events nationally and will make an impact on the program," Turk said.
Three pole vaulters will join the Illini after each recorded top-five finishes in the event at the 2010 Illinois state meet. Matthew Bane (Rochester, Ill.) was the Class 1A state champion while Cody Klein (Sparta, Ill.) earned the runner-up spot in the event. Lukas Looby (Warrenville, Ill.) took fourth place in the pole vault during the Class 3A meet.
In the jumps, James Davenport (Aurora, Ill.) comes to Illinois following an Illinois state title in the high jump while Justin Boone (Indianapolis, Ind.) joins the squad as a long jumper after a fourth-place finish in the event at the Indiana state meet.
Joining the sprinting and hurdling crew will be Jimmie Smith (Canton, Ill.), the 2010 Illinois state champion in the 200m, Shujaa Benson (Winnetka, Ill.), a third-place finisher in the 300m hurdles at the 2010 Illinois state meet, and Corey Hammon (Glasford, Ill.), a 2010 Illinois state qualifier in the 200m and 400m.
PROFILES ON THE NEWEST ILLINI
Matthew Bane // Pole Vault // Rochester, Ill. // Rochester HS
• 2010 Illinois state champion in the pole vault
• Owns personal-bests heights of 16-6 (indoor) and 16-0 (outdoor)
• Was nationally ranked fifth in the event for indoors and 23rd for outdoors
Shujaa Benson // Hurdles/Jumps // Winnetka, Ill. // Loyola Academy HS
• Took third place in the 300m hurdles and fifth in the 110m hurdles at the 2010 Illinois Class 3A state meet
• Owns personal-best marks of 38.13 in the 300m hurdles, 14.20 in the 110m hurdles and 22-6 in the long jump
Justin Boone // Long Jump // Indianapolis, Ind. // North Central HS
• Took fourth in the long jump at the 2010 Indiana state meet
• Owns a personal-best leap of 23-1 ½ in the long jump
James Davenport // High Jump // Aurora, Ill. // Waubonsie Valley HS
• 2010 Illinois state champion in the high jump
• Placed ninth in the high jump at the New Balance national meet
• Owns a personal-best mark of 7-0, which ranks 15th nationally
Davis Fraker // Throws // Peachtree City, Ga. // McIntosh HS
• 2010 New Balance national champion in the shot put and runner-up in the discus and hammer throw
• 2009 and 2010 Georgia Class 4A state champion in the shot put and discus
• 2009 USATF World Youth Team Member
• 2010 USATF Indoor Sr. Championships Qualifier in the weight throw (13th) and shot put (11th)
• Owns the following personal bests: 216-6 (12-lb. hammer throw), 196-6 (1.6k discus), 67-8.75 (12-lb. indoor shot put), 80-2 (25-lb. weight throw), 59-0.75 (16-lb. indoor shot put), and 65-8 (35-lb. weight throw)
• Boasts the No. 1 all-time mark by a high school athlete in the 35-lb. weight throw and No. 2 all-time in the indoor shot put
• Ranked second nationally in the 12-lb. indoor shot put, fifth in the 12-lb. outdoor shot put and 12-lb. hammer throw, and 10th in the discus
Corey Hammon // Sprints // Glasford, Ill. // Illini Bluff HS
• Was a 2010 Illinois state qualifier in the 200m and 400m
• Owns personal-best times of 22.54 in the 200m and 50.10 in the 400m
• Will compete in the decathlon
Cody Klein // Pole Vault // Sparta, Ill. // Sparta HS
• 2010 runner-up in the pole vault at the Illinois state meet
• Owns a personal-best mark of 17-0 in the pole vault
• Was ranked fifth nationally during the outdoor season
Lukas Looby // Pole Vault // Warrenville, Ill. // Wheaton Warrenville South HS
• Took fourth place in the pole vault at the 2010 Illinois Class 3A state meet
• Owns personal-bests heights of 15-6 (indoor) and 15-3 (outdoor)
Brandon Noe // Throws // Monticello, Ill. // St. Thomas More HS
• 2010 News-Gazette Track and Field Athlete of the Year
• Placed second in the discus and fourth in the shot put at the 2010 Illinois state meet
• Owns personal-bests marks of 203-0 in the discus and 59-7 in the shot put
• Was ranked third nationally in the discus
Jimmie Smith // Sprints // Canton, Ill. // Canton HS
• Was the 2010 Illinois state champion in the 200m and runner-up in the 100m
• Owns personal-best times of 10.68 in the 100m, 21.74 in the 200m and 49.4 in the 400m
