Charlotte Men's Cross Country Signs Six
April 20, 2006
Charlotte, NC. - Charlotte men's cross country coach Brad Herbster has announced the signing of five men's cross country/distance student-athletes to national letters of intent. Travis Brotherton (Cullohwee, N.C./Smoky Mtn), Alan Ford (Huntersville, N.C./Hopewell), Aaron Kauffman (Etters, Pa./Red Land), Miguel Ocampo (Dobson, N.C./Surry Central), Isaiah Shirlen (Old Fort, N.C./McDowell), and Chase Williams (West End, N.C./Pinecrest) make up the class of 2010 for the 49ers.
"This is a great class," says Herbster, who will be in his fifth year at Charlotte this fall. "I don't know where people will rank this class, but we certainly rank it as one of the best recruiting classes that we've ever had sign at Charlotte. It's a class we've seen compete, and we feel very excited about this group as athletes and as human beings.
"We will have one Senior on the roster for the men's cross country team in 2006," says Herbster. "Ken Simeone will be the lone Senior, with a very talented freshmen and sophomore group. Ryan Jank and Matt Hipps are juniors that can step up and lead this team."
The 49ers lose senior Russell Slade and senior Jamil Muhaimin for the upcoming cross country season. Jamil still has eligibility on the track, but has expired his eligibility for cross country.
Travis Brotherton (Cullohwee, N.C./Smoky Mtn.)
Travis placed fifth in the State 2A Cross Country Championships in 2005. He was an All-State, All-Region, and All-Conference award winner during the 2005 cross country season. His best time in the open 3,000 is 8:52.
Travis won the West Henderson Cross Country meet in the fall, and placed in the top five at the Great American Cross Country Invitational Race. That performance placed him 54th out of 1,041 runners at the National Class Field in 2005.
Travis on Choosing Charlotte: "The University is a great university. It has an outstanding academic program, and a strong distance program. I look forward to being a part of the team and a good recruiting class at Charlotte."
Herbster on Brotherton: "Travis is going to be a great asset to our team. He is a very determined young man, who has high goals and aspirations. Placing him in an environment with other good distance athletes and great training group will really benefit him. I am thrilled to see what he can accomplish here at Charlotte."
Alan Ford (Huntersville, N.C./Hopewell)
Alan has earned four All-Region honors and six All-Conference honors while at Hopewell in Cross Country and Track. Alan placed 11th in the Class 4A North Carolina State Cross Country Meet in 2005, and also won the Freedom Cross Country Invitational in the fall. Last spring, Alan qualified for the state track championships in the 800-meter run, where he ran 1:58.64 and placed seventh overall.
Ford on choosing Charlotte: "The top three reasons I chose Charlotte are: One, I like the program that's being put together. At Charlotte, you looked for the hidden talents in your own backyard and the guys who show promise. Another reason I picked Charlotte is because I'm going to major in business, and what better place than a growing city? The last reason I chose Charlotte is simple, I didn't want to be on the opposite team of Adu Dentamo (Alan and Adu attended rival high schools)."
Herbster on Ford: "Alan is an athlete who has a strong desire to get to that next level. He has good 800-meter speed, and is improving his strength rapidly. I felt Alan was overlooked in the state as far as a recruit. He really displayed good strength in the fall, winning a couple of races and placing 11th in the state in cross country. He has a great attitude and will do a tremendous job for us. I look forward to seeing how quickly he will develop."
Aaron Kauffman (Etters, Pa./Red Land High School)
Aaron earned 2006 All-American honors in the 800 when he finished sixth at the Nike Indoor National Meet with a time of in 1:56.73. Earlier in 2006, Aaron became the Pennsylvania state champion in the 800, when he raced to an impressive 1:55.34 out of the slow heat to claim his first state title. (By comparison, that would be a top 10 all-time mark at Charlotte).
Aaron finished his 2006 indoor campaign being ranked 14th in the country in the 800. After an impressive 2006 indoor season, he became a member of the Pennsylvania All-State Indoor Track Team, an All-American, and PTFCA 800m State Champion. Aaron is also a two-time Pa. District III cross country medalist, three-time Mid-Penn cross country medalist, two-time Mid-Penn track medalist, member of 2005 Mid-Penn 4x800 champion team, 2004 Cumberland County cross country champion, and 2004 Foot Locker Regional (Van Cortland Park) junior race medalist.
Aaron on choosing Charlotte: "I'm really looking forward to racing at Charlotte. I enjoyed a lot of things when I was on my visit. I love the Charlotte climate and the city. The team, I really bonded with and the coaching staff was impressive."
Herbster on Kauffman: "Ed Schlichter, a former cross country and track star and now assistant coach, told me about Aaron during the fall. Ed did a great job bringing in Aaron. Right away I was very impressed with Aaron and I felt he would be a great fit on the team. Aaron is very passionate about the sport and worked hard in the fall building his strength. His hard work paid off during the winter and I think it will really benefit him this spring. We look forward to helping Aaron achieve his goals in the sport and I feel this is a great fit for both Aaron and Charlotte."
Miguel Ocampo (Dobson, N.C./Surry Central High School)
Ocampo is a three-time North Carolina state champion, winning the State cross country meet in 2004 (1A) and 2005 (2A). He was also the N.C. champion in the outdoor 3,200 as a sophomore.
Miguel's time from the 2005 state 2A cross county meet (16:09) would have placed him in the top six in all divisions. He placed 31st in the Foot Locker South Regional in 2004, running a time of 15:43.
Herbster on Ocampo: "Miguel is a tremendous addition to a very talented group of incoming freshmen. Miguel has proved he knows how to race well up front and he knows how to win. That is something that is very difficult to teach in young runners: the instinct to win. We look forward to placing Miguel in an environment that can allow him to grow as a person and as a runner."
Isaiah Shirlen (Old Fort, N.C./McDowell High School)
Isaiah is a two-time All-State performer in indoor track, placing third at states in the 3,200-meter run. During the outdoor 2005 season, he earned All-State honors in that event, and overall is a five-time All-Conference performer in track and three-time All-Conference runner in Cross Country. Twice he was named to the All-Region team in track, and twice earned All-Region honors in Cross Country.
During his junior year, Isaiah was a first-team all-conference runner in cross, winning the league and earning all-state in the 3200 during indoor track. His senior year he was cross country conference champion, 1st team all-conference, 1st team all-region, and state 4A Runner of the Year. He was an indoor track Charlotte Observer 1st team all-region selection. Isaiah currently holds school records in the 3200 and the 5K. He is all a North Carolina Scholar and honor student. He is McDowell High's Wendy's High School Heisman student-athlete of the year.
Shirlen on choosing Charlotte: "I really loved the campus and the guys on the team on my visit. I like the thought of coming in with a great class of recruits, and Charlotte has guys in place I already know. Coach Herbster I connected with and felt very comfortable with him and how he approached training and racing."
Herbster on Shirlen: "Isaiah is from North Carolina so we have seen him race a few times. He is a very solid and strong runner. Isaiah has good strength and is a good athlete. His form is smooth and he is very competitive. We think Isaiah can turn into an excellent 5,000/10,000 man, with a possible steeple in his future. We will work with Isaiah in improving his foot speed and provide him a great group to train and race with. Isaiah understands what we are trying to accomplish here at Charlotte and we look forward to having him become major part of the program."
Chase Williams, (Pinehurst, N.C./Pinecrest High School)
Williams joins the 49ers after earning All-America notice in the 4xMile and 4x800 at the 2006 Nike Indoor National Meet. A scoring member of the 2004 4A State Cross Country Championship Team at Pinecrest High School, he earned Runner of the Year honors during cross country for Pinecrest High School in 2003 and 2004. He was also Runner of the year on the track in 2005. That season, he placed third at the 4A North Carolina Outdoor State meet in the 1,600 with a time of 4:16.97. Chase placed 10th in the state of North Carolina his junior year for cross country.
Williams on choosing Charlotte: "I believe that Charlotte can help me become the best runner I can become in college. The team, the coaches, and the University itself are all great. Also, I want to run with a team that is 100% committed to running and also are good influences academically and athletically."
Herbster on Williams: "We first saw Chase race his sophomore year at the State meet and were impressed with his guts and determination. Last spring, we saw him race again at the State meet, and performed well. Then last fall, off very little training due to an injury, he came back and helped his team to a second place finish at the state cross country meet. From that point on we decided to pursue him and we think he can be an excellent collegiate athlete. He has a lot of speed, and he can kick down as many people as you want."
2006 Charlotte Men's Cross Country Signees
NAME HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL Travis Brotherton Cullowhee, N.C. / Smoky Mtn Alan Ford Huntersville, N.C. / Hopewell Aaron Kauffman Etters, Pa. / Red Land Miguel Ocampo Dobson, N.C./Surry Central Isaiah Shirlen Old Fort, N.C. / McDowell Chase Williams West End, N.C. / Pinecrest
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