The Oregon men’s track and field team announced a 2011 class of 14 members signed to letters of intent on Friday.
Distance standout Lukas Verzbicas of Orland Park, Ill., the first high school runner to win both the Nike Cross Nationals and the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships, headlines a formidable group of distance runners. Three of them participated in the Millrose Games event in New York City last week and finished 1-2-3 in the mile race: Chad Noelle (Greene, N.Y.), Matthew Jablonski (Cockeysville, Md.) and Jeramy Elkaim (Livingston, N.J.).
Los Angeles native Elias Gedyon, — the 1,600-meter state champion in California, West Palm Beach, Fla., native Ryan Pickering, Vista, Calif., native Chris Brewer, Williamsburg, Va., native Russell Hornsby and Eugene native Matt Melancon round out the distance class. Hornsby is a projected 800-meter specialist, while the rest will focus on 1,500 meters and above.
Melancon is among three Oregon natives who will compete for the Ducks next season. Medford sprinter Jack Galpin and Oregon City hammer thrower Greg Skipper (son of former Oregon football player Scott Skipper and nephew of former Oregon pole vaulters Tommy Skipper and Art Skipper) are the others.
Sprinter Joeal Hotchkins (Las Vegas/Central Arizona College) and decathletes Marcus Atkinson (Atlee, Va.) and Alec Fellows (Edmonds, Wash.) round out the class.
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