University Southern California Trojans
USC Announces 2012 Track & Field Recruiting Class
March 19, 2012 | Track & Field
March 19, 2012
The USC track and field team has signed high jumper Errin Baynes, hurdler Emir Bekric, thrower Remy Conatser, pole vaulter Felicia Horvath, thrower Tera Novy and hurdler Jaide Stepter to National Letters of Intent (NLIs) it was announced today (March 19) by Director of Track and Field Ron Allice.
"We continue to try and remain balanced and fill the needs of our program to be in contention at both the conference and national levels and I believe this group can aid us in that," said Allice.
Baynes is from Wheeling Park HS in Wheeling, WV. and he led his team to the AAA Region I Championship title by winning the men's high jump competition and the long jump. He has a PR of 7-0.25 in winning the high jump at the Mars Invitational in Mars, Pa. on April 29, 2011 which ranked second among U.S. high school jumpers in 2011. He won the West Virginia state high jump title as a sophomore with a then-PR of 6-10 and then won it again as a junior. He tied for seventh in the high jump at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in June of 2011 with a clearance of 6-8. Baynes has a long jump best of 21-9.
Bekric is from Belgrade, Serbia where he specialized in the 400m intermediate hurdles and the 400m race. He set the Serbian Junior record in the 400m IH with a time of 49.61 to place third at the 2011 European U23 Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic. That time came close to setting the Serbian national record of 49.57 set by Branislav Karaulic in September of 1988. He then broke the national record with a time of 49.55 in the semifinals at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China on Aug. 18, 2011. He placed sixth in the finals with a time of 50.20. He also has a PR in the 400m dash of 47.09 set on Feb. 8, 2011 in Beograd, Serbia. Bekric place fourth in the 400m IH at the 34th European Indoor Championships on April 3, 2011 in Paris, France with a time of 48.34.
Conatser is at Saddleback Junior College where he set the American junior college/community college record in the hammer throw when he won the event at the Ben Brown Invitational on March 9 with a throw of 215-9 (65.76m). He bettered by three and a half feet the old record which had stood for 18 years of 212-1 set by Dave Loshonkohl of San Diego Mesa College in 1993. What makes it even more impressive is Conatser did not even learn to throw the hammer until the 2011 track season, having competed in water polo and volleyball at Capistrano Valley High. Conatser also has a PR of 155-9.25 in the discus throw.
Horvath is pole vaulter from Budapest, Hungary. She placed tied for third in the pole vault at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy with a clearance of 13-1.50 (4.00m). She took eighth in the pole vault with a clearance of 12-11.50 (3.95m) at the Eurpean Team Championships in Izmir, Turkey on June 11, 2011. Horvath just won the pole vault competition at the Hungarian Senior Track & Field Championships in Budapest on March 4 with an indoor PR of 13-3.50 (4.05m).
Novy is from Montesano High in Montesano, Wash. She won the Washington state 1-A titles in the shot put (45-4) and discus (147-1) as a junior in 2011. She has PRs of 48-8.75 in the shot (at the 2012 UW Indoor Preview) and152-2.00 in the discus.
Stepter from Canyon del Oro High in Oro Valley, Ariz. has personal bests of 14.62 in the 100m high hurdles, 42.98 in the 300m intermediate hurldes and 60.60 in the 400m intermediate hurdles. She also has posted a 12.13 time in the 100m and a 24.86 in the 200m dashes, as well as a 58.27 time in the 400m race. She led Canyon del Oro to the Division II state title by winning the 100m HH (14.62), 300m IH (43.40) and the 200m dash (24.99). She has the third-fastest 300m IH time all-time in the state of Arizona. Stepter qualified for the finals of the 400 Meter Hurdles, the same event her mom, LaTanya Sheffield ran as a collegiate champion and Olympic athlete.
