YPSILANTI, MICH. (EMUEagles.com) - Eastern Michigan University men's track and field Head Coach John Goodridge recently announced the addition of 15 new athletes as part of his recruiting class for the 2010-11 season. The recruiting class, Goodridge said, is laced with All-State performers whom he says can come in and make an immediate impact on a team which swept the Mid-American Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

Ten of the 15 newcomers are from the state of Michigan and join the squad with impressive resumes. Robert “Max” Babits (Fowlerville, Mich.-Fowlerville) is a Michigan Division II State Pole Vault Champion and meet record holder with a career best vault of 16'-6". Dalton Bates (North Branch, Mich.- North Branch) is another Michigan Division II State Champion in the 300 intermediate hurdles and a runner up in the 110 high hurdles. He has a career best of 10.8 (100-meter), 22.30 (200-meter), 38.83 (300-IH) and 14' (pole vault).

Pedro Delgado (Oak Park, Mich.-Brother Rice), Marcus Williams (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Lincoln) and Chris Scott (Holt, Mich.-Holt) are three primary sprinters who will add depth to short distance. Delgado has career bests of 10.80 and 22.50, 100 and 200-meters, respectively. Williams' bests are 10.8 (100-meter), 22.5 (200-meter), and he also long jumps, with a best mark of 22'. Scott also posted a career best of 10.8 (100-meter), and has the fastest 200-meter time of the trio at 21.89. Other career bests include 39.00 (300-meter) and 49.8 (400-meter).

Other Michigan recruits include Ian Hancke (Haslett, Mich.), a distance runner who placed 3rd in the Division II State Championship in both the 1,600 and 3,200. His career bests are 1:57.6 (800-meter), 4:17.46 (mile) and 9:24 (3,200-meter). Lyle Kafer (Hillsdale, Mich.) is a distance runner with bests of 4:21 and 9:48 who placed 6th in the state Division III 1,600-meter. Warren Witchell (Dansville, Mich.-Dansville) is a middle distance runner with career bests of 1:55.9 (800-meters), 4:19.7 (mile) and 9:46 (3,200-meter). Dan Enger (Novi, Mich.) posted a personal best of 1:55.90 in the 800-meter and placed 10th in the Division I state championships. And Drew Sanseverino (Monroe, Mich.-Monroe), brother of junior runner Cole Sanseverino, is a middle distance runner with bests of 1:56.7 (800-meter) and 4:27 (mile).

Internationally, the Eagles also faired well in their recruiting, landing four prolific runners. Daryl Smith (Windsor, Ontario, Canada- Massey (Canada)) had one of the fastest junior 3,000-meter steeplechase times in the world in 2010 with best of 9:08. Has also ran bests of 1:54 (800), 3:53 (1,500) and 8:27 (3,200). Harry Dixon (Nelson, New Zealand) has won three distance running national championships and has career bests of 3:58, 8:31 and 14:47. Kyle Gill (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada- Durham College) is a transfer sprinter from Durham College (Canada) with bests of 10.63 (100-meter), 21.47 (200-meter) and 47.61 (400-meter). Grezgorz Kalinowski (Lysomice, Poland-Nicholas Coernicus University (Poland)), a middle distance transfer from Corernicus University with bests of 1:51.99 (800-meter) and 3:45.91 (1,500-meter), rounds out the four international recruits to join the 2010-11 squad.

Rounding out Goodridge's class is New York State Champion Brycen Spratling (Webster, New York- Schroeder). Spratling is the 6th fastest prep 400-meter runner in the nation with best of 46.81. His personal best in the 200-meter is 22.13. Has also ran 1:52 800-meter relay split in 2010.

“I am very pleased to welcome this class to EMU,” said Goodridge. “Many of these individuals have the opportunity and talent to have an immediate impact for us. It includes school record holders, state champions, a national champion and two athletes with high national rankings. An important factor in their recruitment was that every one of them was touched by the great tradition and championship experiences that EMU Track and Field has to offer, so I know they will embrace this challenge."

The Eagles open the 2010-11 season with a Dec. 10 meet at Bob Parks Track at Bowen Field House in Ypsilanti, Mich.