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Feb. 21, 2013

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Seven outstanding prep student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to attend and compete in track and field for Washington State University starting in the fall of 2013, and WSU added a talented New Zealand jumper to the spring 2013 roster, Cougar Head Coach Rick Sloan announced Thursday.

Joining the current Cougar women's team is Charlotte Muschamp, a triple and high jumper from New Zealand. The prep competitors joining the Cougars for the 2013-14 season include Craig "CJ" Allen, a hurdler from Allyn, Wash., Greer Alsop, a triple jumper from New Zealand, Leanne Asper, a sprinter and 800m runner from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Danielle Darden, a sprinter from Aliso Viejo, Calif., Liz Harper, a hurdler from Missoula, Mont., Jordin Stephenson, a distance runner from Stanwood, Wash., and John Whelan, a distance runner from Etna, Calif.

"I am very pleased with the start of our recruiting for the 2013-14 season," Coach Sloan said. "We have signed these seven outstanding student-athletes and this is a great start to building a high-caliber team that can I We will continue recruiting

Charlotte Muschamp is a triple and high jumper from Edendale, New Zealand, who has leaped a wind-aided lifetime-best triple jump distance of 41-feet 10 inches, and has cleared 5-9 3/4 in the high jump. She was the 2012 gold medal winner for the under-20 triple jump at the New Zealand Track & Field Championships and won the bronze in both the triple jump and high jump at the New Zealand Junior Championships. Muschamp started WSU classes in January 2013 and is a redshirt sophomore in eligibility.

"Charlotte is an excellent student, very talented jumper, and wonderful person," Cougar jumps coach Matt McGee said. "She "She is great physically at nearly six-feet tall and possesses great strength and power. Although still relatively young and raw in training age, especially in the triple jump, best marks will be competitive within the Pac-12 Conference and with continued improvement she can be a very valuable NCAA level scorer as well."

CJ Allen is hurdler at North Mason High in Belfair, Wash. Allen's state 2A Championship meets performances include fifth place in the intermediate hurdles as a sophomore, and as a junior he won the state 110m hurdles title with a PR time of 14.60 seconds, and was the runner-up in the 300m hurdles with a PR time of 37.89. In addition to track, Allen lettered twice in both basketball and football, and had the state's top kick return average last fall.

"CJ will be one of the top 400m hurdles prospects entering the Pac-12 for the 2014 season," Cougar hurdles coach Mark Macdonald said. "Even as a junior in high school, CJ ran the 300m hurdles with the maturity of a college 400m hurdler. He already has the stride and the understanding of the race that will allow him to quickly make the transition to the college racing. With the Pac-12 Conference championships being held in Pullman next year, I feel that CJ is a guy who can make the final as a freshman. We have a strong tradition in the 400m hurdles at Washington State University and I am confident that CJ will be the next great hurdler for the Cougs. CJ is a very good student who will pursue engineering at Washington State."

Triple jumper Greer Alsop attends Southland Girls' High School in Invercargill, New Zealand, and was a teammate of current Cougar jumper Charlotte Muschamp. Alsop was runner-up at the 2012 Oceania Championships in the women's open triple jump and won the under-20 triple jump and long jump. At the New Zealand Championships Alsop won the under-20 long jump and was the runner-up in both the senior and under-20 triple jump where she leaped a PR distance of 41-3 3/4 (12.59m).She was named the Southland co-Athlete of the Year in 2012 and is a gold level member of the Athletics New Zealand's Rio 2016 squad.

"Greer will be a great addition to the jumps group and is a very dynamic and fast jumper in the horizontals," Coach McGee said. "She has a solid high jump as well and is highly motivated and excited to get started here in the fall. It is great to continue our athletics tradition with the country of New Zealand which includes horizontal greats John Delamere and Chantal Brunner, as well as the connection with the great Peter Snell who completed his graduate work in exercise physiology here at WSU."

Leanne Asper is a senior at Lake City High in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and will be graduating not only from high school this spring but will also have her Associate Arts degree from North Idaho College with a 4.02 grade point average. She has competed at the state cross country championships all four years and was an all-region team selection as a senior. Last spring at the state 5A Championships, Asper won the 800m with a PR time of 2:17.16, and placed third in the 200m dash with a PR time of 25.36. She won the BorderDuel Track Classic 400m dash in 2012 with a PR time of 56.96. Asper, who trains and shows Arabian horses, plans to study computer science at WSU.

"Leanne is a very dynamic athlete who brings sprinter-type speed to the distance table," Cougar distance coach Tim Riley said. "Leanne's focus in both her running and academics is going to make her very successful at WSU."

Danielle Darden is a senior at Aliso Niguel High in Orange County, Calif. Darden won the 2012 South Coast League Championships 100m and 200m titles, and went on to finish seventh in the 100m dash at the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division I finals with a PR time of 11.93. Darden also placed 15th in the 200m at the CIF-SS. Her 200m dash PR time of 25.03 came at the Orange County Championships.

"Danielle is one of the best kept secrets in the state of California," Cougar sprints coach Ellannee Richardson said. "She's very young in the sport and I think she's really going to have a breakout senior year and surprise a lot of people. Danielle has a lot of potential in the short sprints and I know she will be very competitive in the Pac12 Conference. We are excited for her to come in and contribute to the success of our young group of sprinters."

Liz Harper is a senior at Sentinel High in Missoula, Mont. At the state AA track championships in 2012, Harper won the 300m hurdles (43.86), won the 400m dash, and was the runner-up in the 100m hurdles (14.81). Harper's PR marks are 14.54 for the 100m hurdles, 42.86 for the 300m hurdles, and 56.51 in the 400m dash. She has also cleared 5-6 in the high jump. In addition to track and field, Harper is a three-year letterwinner on the basketball team and a member of the 2012 state championship squad. Harper has earned High Honor Roll honors.

"Liz is one of the best 400m hurdle prospects I have seen in my career as a coach," Coach Macdonald said. "She is tall, fast and athletic. But even more importantly she is smart and a tough competitor. What Liz has accomplished in the short, weather-challenged track season in Montana is remarkable. She is a great all-around athlete who will contribute for the Cougs in both hurdles, both relays, the open 400m and even the high jump. Liz is a great student that will major in pre-med at Washington State."

Jordin Stephenson is a senior at Stanwood High in Stanwood, Wash. Stephenson has accumulated eight varsity letterwinner in cross country and track and field. She was an all-state cross country selection as a junior after finishing 10th. During the spring track seasons Stephenson has state 4A finishes of fourth in the 3200m and eighth in the 1600m as a freshman, and ninth in the 1600m as a sophomore and junior. Her PR times include 5:03.61 in the 1600m and 11:02.52 in the 3200m. Stephenson is the Associated Student Body vice president and the president of the National Honor Society.

"Jordin not only brings talent to our middle distance core but the infectious attitude I look for in a student athlete," Coach Riley said. "Both of Jordin's parents are WSU alumni and I couldn't be happier to have their daughter being part of our Cougar family."

John Whelan is a senior at Etna High in Etna, Calif. During the cross country seasons Whelan earned All-Shasta Cascade League honors four times and won two league championships. He was Northern Section CIF section champion in all divisions as a junior and named All-NSCIF. Whelan was the runner-up at the CIF State Cross Country Championships as a senior after a seventh-place finish as a junior. On the track Whelan won league titles in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m as both a sophomore and junior. He was named league co-MVP after leading his team to the 2012 league championship. At the Division 4 Championships won the 1600m and the 3200m races. At the NSCIF meet Whelan was the runner-up in the 3200m after running a PR time of 9:28.20.

"I am very excited about John joining the Cougar men's distance squad in that he is very raw and talented runner who grew up running on a dirt track," Coach Riley said. "He broke many of Drew Jordan's course records in cross country this fall, and I expect him to have a breakout year on the track this spring."