Women's Cross Country | August 19, 2019

PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle University men's and women's cross country and track & field program has added 18 newcomers, head coach Tom Peterson announced on Tuesday.

Coming on board both the cross country and track teams, Taonga Mbambo, Liam Rivard, Alex Sandras and Dylan Servis join the men's squad, while Amy Conboy, Maeve Gimbert, Jerika Lufrano, Christine Mancini, Sammie Miller and Jenna Webb join the women's program. Meanwhile, Olabisi Adams, Layla McEwen, Charlotte Neylon, Theresa Richardson and Jenna Smith join the women's track & field team, while Brian Grady, Curtis Young and Dan Whaley add to the men's track & field roster.

"We searched far and near to piece together this recruiting class," explained Peterson. "The end result is a group of young men and women that we believe can continue to move the program forward. The goal of every class is to find student athletes that fit our program and La Salle University as a whole, this year was no different. We are excited to help this group into school record holders, champions and scholars."

In total, 10 runners come to La Salle to compete on both the cross country and track teams, six on the women's side and four on the men's side. Eight more join the track & field squads, with five added to the women's roster and three added to the men's team.

The incoming class represents three different countries – the U.S., Canada and New Zealand. Thirteen of the newcomers are from the state of Pennsylvania.

Name – Hometown – Previous School
Women
Olabisi Adams – Philadelphia, Pa. – Springside Chestnut Hill Academy

• Adams competes in the jumps and hurdles and has a long jump PR of 18'6" and a 300m hurdle PR of 45.79. She was Inter-AC League Champion in the 300H this past year, qualified for PTFCA state championships multiple times and was a New Balance Nationals qualifier. Adams is a two-time Inter-AC League Champion in the long jump and won the PAISAA long jump title in 2018.

Amy Conboy – Stroudsburg, Pa. – Stroudsburg High School

• Conboy won the 3200m at the 2017 Outdoor PIAA District XI AAA Championships, finished 12th in the 3200m at the 2017 Outdoor PIAA State Championships and finished 15th in the 5K at the 2016 PIAA State Cross Country Championships. She holds a 1600m PR of 5:07.17 and a two mile PR of 11:13.19.

Maeve Gimbert – Ambler, Pa. – North Penn High School

• Gimbert runs both cross country and track, boasting personal bests of 5:16.88 in the 1500m and 19:03 in the 5K.

Jerika Lufrano – Montclair, N.J. – Union Catholic Regional High School

• Lufrano was a member of the relay team that won the 2019 Outdoor New Balance Nationals title in the 4x800 Championship finals while she also finished fourth in the Emerging Elite mile. She won the 1600m at the 2019 NJSIAA Meet of Champions, won the 2019 NJSIAA Groups 2, 3 and NPA Championship title in the 3200m and finished 17th in the 5K at the 2017 Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional. Lufrano has PRs of 4:57.13 in the mile, 10:48.96 in the 3200m and 17:45.79 in the 5000m.

Christine Mancini – Media, Pa. – Cardinal O'Hara High School

• The youngest sister of current Explorers Grace, El and Liz, Christine Mancini has won multiple PIAA District 12 AAA Championships and was the Philadelphia Catholic League Champion in the 800m (2019), mile (2019), and cross country 5K (2018). She also finished fourth in the 800m final at both the 2018 and 2019 PTFCA Indoor State Championships. Mancini owns PRs of 2:12.15 in the 800m, 2:59.45 in the 1000m and 5:08.49 in the mile.

Layla McEwen – Washington, D.C. – Woodrow Wilson High School

• McEwen is a sprinter with a personal best of 46.90 in the 300m dash. She comes to La Salle from D.C. where she was a DCSAA Championship qualifier multiple times for both indoor and outdoor track.

Sammie Miller – Coatesville, Pa. – Coatesville Area High School

• Miller finished eighth in the 800m final at the PIAA State Championships in 2017. She boasts a personal best of 2:13.83 in the 800m.

Charlotte Neylon – Williamsport, Pa. – Loyalsock High School

• Neylon is a sprinter who qualified for the PTFCA Indoor State Championships on multiple occasions. She placed second in 100m and 200m at the PIAA District 3 Championships in 2018 and placed third in the 100m dash at the PIAA District 3 Championships this past year. Neylon had a 100m PR of 12.52 and a 200m PR of 25.81.

Theresa Richardson – Fairless Hills, Pa. – Connell Egan High School

• Richardson competes in the jumps and the hurdles, with a long jump PR of 17'3" and a triple jump PR of 37'9". She has qualified for the PIAA State Championships multiple times in the 100m hurdles, triple jump and long jump. Richardson won both the long jump and triple jump while also finishing as runner up in the 100H and 300H at the PA District 12 AA Championships this past year. She also placed third in the triple jump and seventh in the Long Jump at the 2019 PIAA State Championships.

Jenna Smith – Conshohocken, Pa. – Plymouth Whitemarsh High School

• Smith is a sprinter who owns personal bests of 26.49 in the 200m and 1:02 in the 400m. She has qualified for the PIAA District 1 Championships on multiple occasions and placed sixth in the 200m dash at the SOL American Conference Championships in 2018.

Jenna Webb – Line Lexington, Pa. – North Penn High School

• Webb competes in both cross country and track, putting forth personal bests of 2:18 in the 800m and 11:33 in the 3200m.

Men
Brian Grady – Philadelphia, Pa. – La Salle College High School

• Grady is a local field athlete who competes in the discus and the shot put. At La Salle College High School, he recorded personal bests of 91'6" in the discus and 46'5.5" in the shot put.

Taonga Mbambo – Christchurch, New Zealand – Ashburton College

• Mbambo represented Team New Zealand at the 2019 IAAF Junior World Cross Country Championships and recently finished second at the 2019 New Zealand U20 National Cross Country Championships. He has a 5000m PR of 15:33.37 and a 10,000m PR of 32:48.

Liam Rivard – Toronto, Ontario – Leaside High School

• Rivard finished 11th this past indoor season at the 2019 New Balance Indoor National meet in the Championship 800m final. He has an 800m PR of 1:52.75.

Alex Sandras – Aurora, Ontario – St. Maximilian Kolbe CHS

• Another product of Canada, Sandras comes to La Salle with a personal best of 8:50.49 in the 3,000m run.

Dylan Servis – Morgantown, Pa. – Twin Valley High School

• Servis finished ninth this past outdoor season at the 2019 PIAA State Championships in the 800m final. He has an 800m personal best of 1:54.82.

Dan Whaley – Lansdowne, Pa. – The Haverford School

• Whaley is a sprinter who owns personal bests of 22.43 in the 200m and 48.77 in the 400m. He placed fourth in the 200m and third in the 400m at the PAISAA championships this past year. A PTFCA indoor state qualifier on multiple occasions, he was also 400m runner up at the 2018 PAISAA championships and 400m Inter-AC League Champion.

Curtis Young – Collegeville, Pa. – North Penn High School

• Young competes in the hurdles, boasting a 110H PR of 14.80 and a 300H PR of 39.27. He placed sixth in the 110H at the PIAA State Championships and fourth in the 300H at the PIAA District 1AAA Championships this past year. Young also won back-to-back SOL Continental Conference titles in the 110m hurdles in 2018 and 2019.