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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lions sign seven athletes in 2008 recruiting class Joplin, Mo. -- Missouri Southern men's track and field coach Tom Rutledge has announced the signing of seven athletes in his 2008 recruiting class to participate in track and field beginning next fall. Three of the athletes, Nicco Mendes, James Coleman and D'Angelo Wood all come from Marquette High School in St. Louis. Coleman is the defending Missouri state champion in the discus and he also finished in third place at the state meet in the shot put. He was also was all-conference in football. A four year starter on the track and football teams, Coleman (6-6, 280) is a three time All-Suburban South Conference Champion in the discus and holds the school record in the event with a distance of 184 feet, one inch. On the football field, He was an All-Conference selection at tackle on both sides of the ball and finished his career with 50 solo tackles, five forced fumbles and five sacks. He is the son of Patricia Keller and plans to major in kinesiology at Southern. Mendes (5'11, 170) is a long jumper/hurdler. He has been a sectional qualifier in hurdles in track and has been all-conference in football. His personal best in the 100 hurdles is 14.6, while logging bests of 43 feet in the triple and 21 feet in the long jump. Mendes is the son of Tommy Williams and Nichole Mendes and plans on majoring in engineering at Southern. Wood (6'2, 185) has been a state qualifier in track and has also been all-conference in football, as well as starting on the basketball team at Marquette. He holds the Marquette record in the 400m with a time of 49.2 set in 2007. He is the son of Cassandra Wood and plans on majoring in criminal justice at Southern. Derek Mendell (5'5, 123) is a distance runner from Carthage High School. A three year letter winner in both track and cross country, Mendell was the 2005 conference champ and a state qualifier in cross country. He qualified in 2006 and again in 2007, finishing 13th at the state meet, earning All-State status. Mendell is the son of Kathy Jones and plans on majoring in pre-medicine at Southern. Seth Hackney (6'2, 281) is a thrower from Carl Junction High School. This past season, Hackney was All-State after finishing fifth in the shot put at the Missouri State Championships. Hackney has been an All-Conference, All-District and All-State selection, while winning both district and sectional titles. He is the son of Robert and Amy Hackney and will also play football at Southern. Chris Bell (6'1, 175) is a distance runner from Branson High School. His cross country teams finished fourth in both the 2006 and 2007 Missouri State Championships where he finished seventh in 2006 and third in 2007. He was the district and conference champion this past season and finished seventh in the state in the two mile during the outdoor season, after claiming the sectional title. He holds the school record in the 5k (15:48), as well as the two mile (9:44). Bell is a two-time Southwest Missouri Runner of the Year. The son of James and Kerri Bell, he plans on majoring in engineering at Southern. Dawson Urrutia (6'4, 180) is a four-sport athlete at Fort Smith High School in Fort Smith, Ark. He participated in track, football, basketball and baseball for the Eagles. A four time letter winner in track, he has been a two-time All-District, All-State selection, while winning the 2007 state championship in the long jump. A Wendy's High School Heisman finalist, he holds school records in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump, as well as the 300m and 110m hurdles. He also holds the school records for most points scored in a basketball game, as well as yards per catch and all-purpose yards for football. Urrutia is the son of Barney and Christy Puckett and plans on majoring in biochemistry at Southern. The Lions will be back in action this weekend as they travel to Warrensburg to compete in the Central Missouri Mule Relays.
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