Virginia Men's Track and Field and Cross Country Team Signs Three to NLIs
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.- The Virginia men’s track and field and cross country team announced the signing of Elby Omohundro (Midlothian, Va.), Jacob Lemmon (Sanibel, Fla.) and Justin Diehl (Saint Leonard, Md.) on Tuesday (Nov. 20).
“We are very excited about the start of this recruiting class,” director of track and field Bryan Fetzer said. “Each of these young men will have an opportunity to step in day one and help contribute to our program’s success.”
Elby Omohundro | Midlothian, Va. | Saint Christopher’s School
Decathlete
• Led Saint Christopher’s School to two VISAA state championships in 2017, winning the indoor and outdoor titles
• Was an individual state champion in the triple jump and high jump
• Four-time MVP at the Virginia Pre League Championship meet and a three-time Field Event MVP at the VISAA State Championship meet
“Elby is an outstanding talent who will become an excellent decathlete for us very soon,” said assistant coach Mario Wilson. “He has a great motor which is perfect for his collegiate specialty and he possesses a great set of individual skills. Elby grew up a Wahoo as both his parents attended UVA, so he will be hitting the ground running when he arrives on Grounds.”
Jacob Lemmon | Sanibel, Fla. | Woodgrove High School
Discus/Hammer
• Second-ranked discus thrower in the class of 2019
• Holds a career-best discus mark of 60.65m (199′), which led the state of Florida and ranked fifth in the nation during the 2017-18 season
• Named a New Balance Outdoor All-American in 2018
• Won the Lee County Athletic Conference, district championships, regional championships and the 3A Florida High School Athletic Association State Championships in the discus, in addition to finishing the regular high school season undefeated in the event
“Even though he has been throwing discus for only a couple of years, Jacob has already shown a great potential in becoming one of the best NCAA discus throwers,” assistant coach Martin Maric said. “We are very happy to welcome Jacob to our program.”
Justin Diehl | Saint Leonard, Md. | Calvert High School
Distance
• Was the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) champion in the indoor 3200m and the outdoor 1600m and 3200m
• Was the top runner at the SMAC cross country championships
• Finished in the top three at the Maryland 2A State Championships, placing third in both the indoor and outdoor 1600m and second in the 3200m
• Placed third at the 2018 Maryland State Cross Country Championships
“We are very excited to welcome Justin to our program,” head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach Jason Dunn said. “He’s a very talented distance runner and it was clear throughout the recruiting process that he was just a great fit for UVA.”