Skip to main content
Partner logo
Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Gamecocks+

May 9, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina cross country program has signed 16 student-athletes in the class of 2012, head coach Stan Rosenthal announced on Wednesday.

Joining the Gamecocks for the 2012 season will be Mary Fouse (Great Falls, Va.), Lauren Gillespy (Ormond Beach, Fla.), Kayla Greeson (Merritt Island, Fla.), Annie Grove (El Segundo, Calif.), Kaleigh Higgins (Niskayuna, N.Y.), Lauren Kahre (Carmel, Ind.), Christine Kent (San Diego, Calif.), Shaina Manuel (Stafford, Va.), Lannon McCoy (Chapin, S.C.), Courtney Swink (Brookville, Ohio), Anna Todd (Spartanburg, S.C.), Allie Whitley (Stanley, N.C.), Michaela Wilkins (Ellicott City, Md.), Katie Wood (Henrico, Va.), Brandy Wybersky (Manassas, Va.) and Lisa Zimmer (Wyckoff, N.J.).

“I am very excited about our 2012 freshman class,” Rosenthal said. “There are a lot of quality track and cross country runners in this class. These women will give the team added strength to the SEC varsity team, as several are expected to start as freshmen. They are also very strong students, averaging 1230 on the math and reading sections of the SAT.”

2012 South Carolina Cross Country Signees
Mary Fouse – Great Falls, Va. – Langley HS
Has PRs of 18:17 in the 5K and 11:32.11 in the 3,200-meter run for indoor track…Finished 30th at the Virginia state cross country meet…Will be enrolled in the Honors College at South Carolina…Received 2009 Fairfax County Reflections Award of Outstanding Interpretation in literature category…National Merit Commended Scholar…Holds a black belt in tae kwon do…Active leader in church and youth group…Plans to major in early childhood education.

Lauren Gillespy – Ormond Beach, Fla. – Father Lopez HS | Click Here For Signing Picture
Holds a PR of 18:56 in the 5K and 11:41 in the two-mile…Finished 17th in Florida to qualify as an All-State cross country runner…Nominated to the All-South team at Footlocker race in North Carolina…Nominated All-American at AAU National Meet at Disney…Named Bright House Athlete of the Year…Three-year team captain…Second team All-District in basketball and All-Tournament MVP…Won Certificate of Achievement First Place Award at the Embry Riddle Women in Mathematics Competition…Vice President of the Student Government…President of the Ambassador Club…Received President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence…Member of the Summa Cum Laude Program, National Honor Society, National Society of High School Scholars, National Spanish Honor Society, Alpha Theta Math Club and the Foreign Language Club…Plans to major in nursing/pre-med.

Kayla Greeson – Merritt Island, Fla. – Cocoa Beach HS | Click Here For Signing Picture
Finished 10th place at the state cross country meet in Florida as a freshman and junior…Was a member of 4×800 relay team that finished fourth place at the Florida state track meet during junior year…Helped lead Cocoa Beach to a third place finish at the state cross country meet as a sophomore and junior…Led Cocoa Beach track team to a third-place showing at the state meet in 2011…Received the Coach’s Award in cross country as a freshman and senior…Named Three-Sport Varsity Letterman Female Athlete of the Year in 2009…Served as class treasurer from 2010-12…National Merit Commended Student and AP Scholar…Member of the Honors Program…Plans to major in biomedical engineering.

Annie Grove – El Segundo, Calif. – Bishop Montgomery HS | Click Here For Signing Picture
Holds PRs of 17:21 in the three-mile and 11:28 in the 3,200-meter run…Placed 15th at the California state cross country meet on a 5K course in a time of 18:53…Three-time winner of the Distinguished Athlete Award at Bishop Montgomery, which is the highest athletic award at the school…Also served as captain of the surf team at Bishop Montgomery…Member of the Capstone Program…Plans to major in exercise science.

Kaleigh Higgins – Niskayuna, N.Y. – Niskayuna HS
Earned All-State honors with a fourth-place finish in the 600-meter run at the New York state indoor track meet in 2011…Was state champion in the intersectional medley relay running the 600 in 2012…Has PRs of 4:47 in the 1,500-meter run, 2:15 in the 800-meter run and 1:36.99 in the 600-meter run…Received the Swarthmore College Book Award…Named a Regional Scholar-Athlete Award recipient…Member of the National Honor Society…Plans to major in exercise physiology and nutrition.

Lauren Kahre – Carmel, Ind. – Carmel HS
Has recorded PRs of 18:45 in the 5K and 11:21 in the 3,200-meter run…First-place finish at the Indiana state track meet in the 4×800 relay…Nike National top-10 team finisher…Is an avid wakeboarder…Has been accepted into the Arnold School of Public Health at South Carolina…Plans to major in biology.

Christine Kent – San Diego, Calif. – Cathedral HS
Has PRs of 18:53 in the 5K and 11:17 in the 3,200-meter run…Finished 29th out of 204 runners at the California State Cross Country Championships as a junior…Served as varsity captain for both cross country and track and field distance teams that were in the state rankings…Earned All-California Interscholastic Federation honors in the San Diego Section…Named the Natalie Nield Memorial Award recipient…Received the CIF-San Diego Section Sportsmanship Award…Plans to major in nursing.

Shaina Manuel – Stafford, Va. – Colonial Forge HS
Earned All-State honors with a 15th-place finish at the Virginia state cross country meet…Has recorded PRs of 18:29 in the 5K and 11:18 in the 3,200-meter run…Plans to major in art and art education.

Lannon McCoy – Chapin, S.C. – Chapin HS
Three-time All-State performer…Finished 17th at the South Carolina state cross country meet and claimed eighth on two occasions at the state meet in the 3,200-meter run…Named South Carolina Cross Country 3A Runner of the Year in 2008…Three-time All-Area track and field and All-Area cross country honoree…Member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club and Student Government all four years…Served as class president as a freshman and sophomore…Has a sister, Hayley, who runs at Presbyterian College…Plans to major in public relations.

Courtney Swink – Brookville, Ohio – Brookville HS
Finished 36th at the Ohio state cross country meet…Rae Burick Women in Sports Award honoree…Named track MVP and cross country team captain…Valedictorian of graduating class at Brookville…Competed at the state science fair…Served as a National Honor Society Officer…Member of the Spanish Honor Society…Plans to major in marine science.

Anna Todd – Spartanburg, S.C. – Spartanburg HS
Earned All-State honors in cross country with a sixth-place finish at the South Carolina state meet…Two-time All-State in track with second-place finishes in both the 1,600-meter run and 800-meter run…Has PRs of 18:44 in the 5K, 5:08 in the 1,600 and 2:17 in the 800…Served as guide runner for the World Youth Championships for the Blind in the summer of 2011…Plans to major in pre-pharmacy.

Allie Whitley – Stanley, N.C. – E. Lincoln HS | Click Here For Signing Picture
Placed 26th at the North Carolina state cross country meet as a senior…Has also competed in high levels of cross country equestrian…Serves as the vice president of the art club…Plans to major in international business and minor in Chinese and fashion merchandising.

Michaela Wilkins – Ellicott City, Md. – Mt. Hebron HS
Earned All-State honors after winning the 400 and 800-meter runs at the Maryland Class 3A state track meet…Ran a 55.44 in the 400 to win and ran a 3A state meet record of 2:12.02, also a PR, to win the 800, breaking an 18-year-old record… Plans to major in advertising/journalism.

Katie Wood – Henrico, Va. – Mills Godwin HS
Has a PR of 11:38 in the 3,200-meter run…Finished 28th in the 3,200 at the 2011 Virginia AAA state meet…Captain of the cross country and track teams…Member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club…Plans to major in secondary education with an emphasis in English.

Brandy Wybersky – Manassas, Va. – Osbourn Park HS | Click Here For Signing Picture
Has a PR of 11:29 in the 3,200-meter run…Received four varsity letters…Finished 19th in the 1,000-meter run at the Virginia indoor state championship in 2010…Member of the National Honor Society and National Youth Salute Council…Earned Academic Honor Roll honors every semester of high school…Plans to major in insurance and risk and management.

Lisa Zimmer – Wyckoff, N.J. – Ramapo HS | Click Here For Signing Picture
Has a PR of 5:01.2 in the 1,600-meter run…Named first team All-County…Big North League champion…Member of the Honor Roll all four years of high school…Is an avid horse back rider…Plans to major in public health.