Track & Field Inks Eight to 2019 Signing Class
11/16/2018 3:07:00 PM | Track & Field
Women’s group projected to rank in the top three nationally.
WACO, Texas – Baylor track & field has signed eight student-athletes (one to be announced in December) as part of the 2019 recruiting class, head coach Todd Harbour announced Friday.
"We are so very excited about this outstanding group of athletes joining us next fall," Harbour said. "Our coaches did an outstanding job across the board. We still have a little work to do as this was just the beginning of our signing period."
The class features five women and three men, including five ranked in the top six nationally in their respective events.
"Our recruiting is still ongoing," Harbour said. "We actually have signed another top-3 nationally ranked athlete on the women's side that we will announce in December.
"This past year's freshmen men's class was ranked No. 3 in the country when they came in," Harbour added. "We feel like this year's women's class is a very comparable class to that one with the number of top-quality athletes we have coming in."
Headlining the group are two of the top-four pole vaulters in the country, Mackenzie Hayward (Flower Mound, Texas) and Riley Floerke (Gregory-Portland, Texas). Hayward holds the nation's top mark at 14-0, while Floerke hit the No. 4 mark (her school and regional record) at 13-9.
"It has been a privilege to watch Mackenzie develop into one of the all-time top pole vaulters in the country," volunteer assistant coach Brandon Richards said. "As the No. 1 nationally-ranked high school pole vaulter her junior year, I expect Mackenzie will be a top contender in the Big 12 Conference and nationally her freshman year.
"Riley will join Tuesdi (Tidwell) and Mackenzie on an outstanding vault crew with a bright future," Richards added. "I am excited to watch her develop and reach her goals as a Baylor Bear. A great addition to the Baylor family."
Koi Johnson joins the jumps squad as the No. 3 triple jumper in the United States. Johnson, a native of Dickinson, Texas, holds a personal-best mark of 41-8.25 and was the 2018 state champion in the 6A triple jump.
"We're extremely excited to have Koi join our Baylor family and the jumps squad," associate head coach Stacey Smith said. "She has tremendous talent, and I feel like she will come in and make an immediate impact on the team. We're blessed to have her join us."
Associate head coach Mike Ford adds three new faces to his sprints crew as Mariah Ayers, Hasani Barr, and Kamden Jackson all officially signed with Baylor.
Ayers, a product of Garland, Texas, placed third in the 200 meters at the Texas 6A state meet in 2018 and is ranked sixth in the 100 meters and fifth in the 200 meters in the junior class.
"Mariah is an awesome young lady on and off the track," Ford said. "I love her sprint range from the 100m to 400m, and she will help on both the 4x1 and 4x4."
A native of St. Louis, Mo., Barr holds personal bests of 21.51 (200 meters) and 47.41 (400 meters). He was the AAU 400-meter champion in 2017 and was the runner-up in 2016. He recorded a third-place finish at the AAU meet in 2018.
"Hasani is a great young man," Ford said. "I'm looking forward to coaching and developing him as a student-athlete. He will help us in 400m and 4x400m. He is definitely a great addition to the Baylor Track Family."
Jackson comes to Baylor from, Zachary, La. He was the 2018 USATF Junior Olympic Champion in the 100 meters, won the 2018 Louisiana 3A state championship in the 100 meters, and earned back-to-back Louisiana state championships in the 60 meters in 2017 and 2018.
"Kamden is an outstanding young man, and comes from a great family," Ford said. "He is an addition for our short sprint crew and will help at Big 12s and NCAAs."
Another big addition to the sprints team is University of Washington transfer Ryan Croson. The Bothell, Wash., product holds personal bests of 21.41 (200 meters) and 46.84 (400 meters), and helped UW win the MPSF 4x400-meter relay championship in 2018.
"He is great young man," Ford said. "I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan and his father on his official visit to Baylor University. He had a good indoor season in 2018 at Washington, placing fourth in the 400m and helping UW win gold in the 4x4 relay at the MPSF Indoor Track and Field Championships. He will add some depth and experience to our Baylor 400m group and 4x4 relay."
For continued updates on the Class of 2019 and the Baylor Track & Field team, follow the team's social media accounts all season long: @BaylorTrack.
BAYLOR TRACK & FIELD 2019 SIGNING CLASS
Mariah Ayers | Garland, Texas | Lakeview HS | Sprints
Third place at the 2018 Texas 6A state meet in the 200 meters… Ranked sixth in the 100 meters and fifth in the 200 meters in the junior class… Personal bests of 11.52 in the 100 meters and 23.52 in the 200 meters.
Coach Mike Ford on Ayers: "She is an awesome young lady on and off the track. I love Mariah's sprint range from the 100m to the 400m, and she will help on both the 4x1 and 4x4."
Hasani Barr | St. Louis, Mo. | Cardinal Ritter College Prep HS | Sprints
Personal bests of 21.51 in the 200 meters and 47.41 in the 400 meters… AAU 400-meter champion in 2017… AAU runner-up in the 400 meters in 2016… third place at AAU in the 400 meters in 2018.
Coach Mike Ford on Barr: "Hasani is a great young man. I'm looking forward to coaching and developing him as a student-athlete. He will help us in the 400m and 4x400m. He is definitely a great addition to the Baylor Track Family."
Riley Floerke | Gregory-Portland, Texas | Gregory-Portland HS | Pole Vault
Ranked No. 4 nationally in 2018 with the third-best performance in the USA at 13-9… Three-time district champion (2016-2018)… Three-time area champion (2016-2018)… Back-to-back regional champion (2017-2018)… Regional runner-up in 2016… Set new regional and school record of 13-9… Three-time state qualifier (runner-up in 2016, fourth place 2017)… Texas Relays Qualifier 2016-2018… Received Gregory-Portland Coach Kline Award in 2016 and 2018… Named to All-South Texas Track Team 2016-2018… Named to All-State Honor Roll 2016-2018… 2018 TAAF Games of Texas Champion… 2018 Great Southwest Track & Field Classic Champion… Set new Wildcat record of 12-9 in 2017.
Coach Brandon Richards on Floerke: "I am very excited and proud about Riley joining the Baylor pole vault team. She is a raw talent, a great athlete, and a fierce competitor with huge potential. Being one of the top-5 ranked high school pole vaulters in the nation as a HS junior, Riley will add more depth in the vault and will compete for the top spots in the Big 12 Conference and nationally her freshman year. Riley will join Tuesdi (Tidwell) and Mackenzie (Hayward) on an outstanding vault crew with a bright future. I am excited to watch her develop and reach her goals as a Baylor Bear. She is a great addition to the Baylor family."
Mackenzie Hayward | Flower Mound, Texas | Marcus HS | Pole Vault
No. 1-ranked pole vaulter in America with a PR of 14-0… Texas 6A state champion in 2016 and 2018… Texas 6A state runner-up in 2017… Millrose Champion in 2018… Placed third at outdoor nationals in 2017… Placed third at Texas Relays in 2016 and second in 2018.
Coach Brandon Richards on Hayward: "It has been a privilege to watch Mackenzie develop into one of the all-time top pole vaulters in the country. She is a phenomenal athlete and very talented. We are blessed that she has decided to continue her education and vaulting career as a Baylor Bear. As the No. 1 nationally ranked high school pole vaulter her junior year, I expect Mackenzie will be a top contender in the Big 12 Conference and nationally her freshman year. Together with Tuesdi (Tidwell) and Riley (Floerke), these three young ladies will be a part of an outstanding team in the future. I am excited to watch Mac continue to develop over the next few years. A perfect fit in the Baylor family."
Kamden Jackson | Zachary, La. | West Feliciana HS | Sprints
2018 USATF Junior Olympic 100m Champion… 2018 Louisiana 3A State Champion in the 100 meters… 2017 and 2018 Louisiana State Champion in the 60 meters… Personal bests of 6.84 in the 60 meters, 10.56 in the 100 meters, and 21.43 in the 200 meters.
Coach Mike Ford on Jackson: "Kam is an outstanding young man and comes from a great family. He is an addition for our short sprint crew and will help at Big 12s and NCAAs."
Koi Johnson | Dickinson, Texas | Dickinson HS | Triple Jump, Long Jump
Ranked No. 3 in the U.S. with a personal-best triple jump of 41-8.25… 2018 state champion in the 6A triple jump.
Coach Stacey Smith on Johnson: "We're extremely excited to have Koi join our Baylor family and the jumps squad. She has tremendous talent as she is the 6A triple jump champion from Dickinson High School. I feel like she will come in and make an immediate impact on the team. We're blessed to have her join us."
Ryan Croson | Bothell, Wash. | Bothell HS (University of Washington) | Sprints
Transfer from the University of Washington… Holds personal bests of 21.41 in the 200 meters and 46.84 in the 400 meters… Helped UW win the MPSF 4x400-meter relay championship in 2018.
Coach Mike Ford on Croson: "He is great young man. I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan and his father on his official visit to Baylor University. He had a good indoor season in 2018 at Washington, placing fourth in the 400m and helping UW win gold in the 4x4 relay at the MPSF Indoor Track and Field Championships. He will add some depth and experience to our Baylor 400m group and 4x4 relay."
"We are so very excited about this outstanding group of athletes joining us next fall," Harbour said. "Our coaches did an outstanding job across the board. We still have a little work to do as this was just the beginning of our signing period."
The class features five women and three men, including five ranked in the top six nationally in their respective events.
"Our recruiting is still ongoing," Harbour said. "We actually have signed another top-3 nationally ranked athlete on the women's side that we will announce in December.
"This past year's freshmen men's class was ranked No. 3 in the country when they came in," Harbour added. "We feel like this year's women's class is a very comparable class to that one with the number of top-quality athletes we have coming in."
Headlining the group are two of the top-four pole vaulters in the country, Mackenzie Hayward (Flower Mound, Texas) and Riley Floerke (Gregory-Portland, Texas). Hayward holds the nation's top mark at 14-0, while Floerke hit the No. 4 mark (her school and regional record) at 13-9.
"It has been a privilege to watch Mackenzie develop into one of the all-time top pole vaulters in the country," volunteer assistant coach Brandon Richards said. "As the No. 1 nationally-ranked high school pole vaulter her junior year, I expect Mackenzie will be a top contender in the Big 12 Conference and nationally her freshman year.
"Riley will join Tuesdi (Tidwell) and Mackenzie on an outstanding vault crew with a bright future," Richards added. "I am excited to watch her develop and reach her goals as a Baylor Bear. A great addition to the Baylor family."
Koi Johnson joins the jumps squad as the No. 3 triple jumper in the United States. Johnson, a native of Dickinson, Texas, holds a personal-best mark of 41-8.25 and was the 2018 state champion in the 6A triple jump.
"We're extremely excited to have Koi join our Baylor family and the jumps squad," associate head coach Stacey Smith said. "She has tremendous talent, and I feel like she will come in and make an immediate impact on the team. We're blessed to have her join us."
Associate head coach Mike Ford adds three new faces to his sprints crew as Mariah Ayers, Hasani Barr, and Kamden Jackson all officially signed with Baylor.
Ayers, a product of Garland, Texas, placed third in the 200 meters at the Texas 6A state meet in 2018 and is ranked sixth in the 100 meters and fifth in the 200 meters in the junior class.
"Mariah is an awesome young lady on and off the track," Ford said. "I love her sprint range from the 100m to 400m, and she will help on both the 4x1 and 4x4."
A native of St. Louis, Mo., Barr holds personal bests of 21.51 (200 meters) and 47.41 (400 meters). He was the AAU 400-meter champion in 2017 and was the runner-up in 2016. He recorded a third-place finish at the AAU meet in 2018.
"Hasani is a great young man," Ford said. "I'm looking forward to coaching and developing him as a student-athlete. He will help us in 400m and 4x400m. He is definitely a great addition to the Baylor Track Family."
Jackson comes to Baylor from, Zachary, La. He was the 2018 USATF Junior Olympic Champion in the 100 meters, won the 2018 Louisiana 3A state championship in the 100 meters, and earned back-to-back Louisiana state championships in the 60 meters in 2017 and 2018.
"Kamden is an outstanding young man, and comes from a great family," Ford said. "He is an addition for our short sprint crew and will help at Big 12s and NCAAs."
Another big addition to the sprints team is University of Washington transfer Ryan Croson. The Bothell, Wash., product holds personal bests of 21.41 (200 meters) and 46.84 (400 meters), and helped UW win the MPSF 4x400-meter relay championship in 2018.
"He is great young man," Ford said. "I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan and his father on his official visit to Baylor University. He had a good indoor season in 2018 at Washington, placing fourth in the 400m and helping UW win gold in the 4x4 relay at the MPSF Indoor Track and Field Championships. He will add some depth and experience to our Baylor 400m group and 4x4 relay."
For continued updates on the Class of 2019 and the Baylor Track & Field team, follow the team's social media accounts all season long: @BaylorTrack.
BAYLOR TRACK & FIELD 2019 SIGNING CLASS
Mariah Ayers | Garland, Texas | Lakeview HS | Sprints
Third place at the 2018 Texas 6A state meet in the 200 meters… Ranked sixth in the 100 meters and fifth in the 200 meters in the junior class… Personal bests of 11.52 in the 100 meters and 23.52 in the 200 meters.
Coach Mike Ford on Ayers: "She is an awesome young lady on and off the track. I love Mariah's sprint range from the 100m to the 400m, and she will help on both the 4x1 and 4x4."
Hasani Barr | St. Louis, Mo. | Cardinal Ritter College Prep HS | Sprints
Personal bests of 21.51 in the 200 meters and 47.41 in the 400 meters… AAU 400-meter champion in 2017… AAU runner-up in the 400 meters in 2016… third place at AAU in the 400 meters in 2018.
Coach Mike Ford on Barr: "Hasani is a great young man. I'm looking forward to coaching and developing him as a student-athlete. He will help us in the 400m and 4x400m. He is definitely a great addition to the Baylor Track Family."
Riley Floerke | Gregory-Portland, Texas | Gregory-Portland HS | Pole VaultRanked No. 4 nationally in 2018 with the third-best performance in the USA at 13-9… Three-time district champion (2016-2018)… Three-time area champion (2016-2018)… Back-to-back regional champion (2017-2018)… Regional runner-up in 2016… Set new regional and school record of 13-9… Three-time state qualifier (runner-up in 2016, fourth place 2017)… Texas Relays Qualifier 2016-2018… Received Gregory-Portland Coach Kline Award in 2016 and 2018… Named to All-South Texas Track Team 2016-2018… Named to All-State Honor Roll 2016-2018… 2018 TAAF Games of Texas Champion… 2018 Great Southwest Track & Field Classic Champion… Set new Wildcat record of 12-9 in 2017.
Coach Brandon Richards on Floerke: "I am very excited and proud about Riley joining the Baylor pole vault team. She is a raw talent, a great athlete, and a fierce competitor with huge potential. Being one of the top-5 ranked high school pole vaulters in the nation as a HS junior, Riley will add more depth in the vault and will compete for the top spots in the Big 12 Conference and nationally her freshman year. Riley will join Tuesdi (Tidwell) and Mackenzie (Hayward) on an outstanding vault crew with a bright future. I am excited to watch her develop and reach her goals as a Baylor Bear. She is a great addition to the Baylor family."
Mackenzie Hayward | Flower Mound, Texas | Marcus HS | Pole Vault
No. 1-ranked pole vaulter in America with a PR of 14-0… Texas 6A state champion in 2016 and 2018… Texas 6A state runner-up in 2017… Millrose Champion in 2018… Placed third at outdoor nationals in 2017… Placed third at Texas Relays in 2016 and second in 2018.
Coach Brandon Richards on Hayward: "It has been a privilege to watch Mackenzie develop into one of the all-time top pole vaulters in the country. She is a phenomenal athlete and very talented. We are blessed that she has decided to continue her education and vaulting career as a Baylor Bear. As the No. 1 nationally ranked high school pole vaulter her junior year, I expect Mackenzie will be a top contender in the Big 12 Conference and nationally her freshman year. Together with Tuesdi (Tidwell) and Riley (Floerke), these three young ladies will be a part of an outstanding team in the future. I am excited to watch Mac continue to develop over the next few years. A perfect fit in the Baylor family."
Kamden Jackson | Zachary, La. | West Feliciana HS | Sprints 2018 USATF Junior Olympic 100m Champion… 2018 Louisiana 3A State Champion in the 100 meters… 2017 and 2018 Louisiana State Champion in the 60 meters… Personal bests of 6.84 in the 60 meters, 10.56 in the 100 meters, and 21.43 in the 200 meters.
Coach Mike Ford on Jackson: "Kam is an outstanding young man and comes from a great family. He is an addition for our short sprint crew and will help at Big 12s and NCAAs."
Koi Johnson | Dickinson, Texas | Dickinson HS | Triple Jump, Long Jump
Ranked No. 3 in the U.S. with a personal-best triple jump of 41-8.25… 2018 state champion in the 6A triple jump.
Coach Stacey Smith on Johnson: "We're extremely excited to have Koi join our Baylor family and the jumps squad. She has tremendous talent as she is the 6A triple jump champion from Dickinson High School. I feel like she will come in and make an immediate impact on the team. We're blessed to have her join us."
Ryan Croson | Bothell, Wash. | Bothell HS (University of Washington) | Sprints
Transfer from the University of Washington… Holds personal bests of 21.41 in the 200 meters and 46.84 in the 400 meters… Helped UW win the MPSF 4x400-meter relay championship in 2018.
Coach Mike Ford on Croson: "He is great young man. I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan and his father on his official visit to Baylor University. He had a good indoor season in 2018 at Washington, placing fourth in the 400m and helping UW win gold in the 4x4 relay at the MPSF Indoor Track and Field Championships. He will add some depth and experience to our Baylor 400m group and 4x4 relay."
Baylor Track & Field: 2026 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Recap!
Tuesday, March 17
Baylor Track & Field: 2026 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Molly Haywood 60m Hurdle's Final
Tuesday, March 17
Baylor Track & Field: 2026 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Demario Prince 60m Hurdle's Final
Tuesday, March 17
Baylor Track & Field: 2026 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Tiriah Kelly 200m Final
Tuesday, March 17
