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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Southern adds two athletes on first day of national signing period Joplin, Mo. -- Missouri Southern track and field coach Tom Rutledge has announced that Kevin Wright of McAlester High School in McAlester, Oklahoma and Ethan Hobbs of McDonald County High School in Anderson, Mo. have both committed to competing in track and field for the Lions beginning next season. Wright is a 6 foot, 170 pound hurdler/sprinter that lettered in both football and weightlifting at McAlester. As part of the track team, Wright helped the squad to three regional championships and was a state runner up in 2006. He also helped the football team to a state quarterfinal appearance. All-district and all-state honorable mention as a football player, Wright was all-state as a track athlete, winning the state title in the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays. He was third in the 110 and 300m hurdles, as well as a junior. "Kevin will fill a void that we desperately need in the hurdles," said head coach Tom Rutledge. "He comes from a great track program and he's a tough kid and great athlete. He has excellent grades and is just my type of guy." Hobbs comes to Southern from McDonald County High School where he lettered four years in track and two in football for the Mustangs. While at McDonald, Hobbs was a kicker on the football team and competed in the pole vault for track. He finished fourth place in the state vault last year and in his three years at the school, he has broken the school record five different times with his highest coming this year at 14 feet, seven inches. Hobbs still has yet to finish his 2007 outdoor season. "I think that we can help keep our pole vault dominance in line with the addition of Ethan," Rutledge said. "He's already hit in the high 14's and we think he can easily get into the 15's and with the right training, be a 16 foot vaulter." Rutledge expects four more signings in the coming days.
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