Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Adds 16 to Fall Roster
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Director of track & field and cross country/associate athletics director of administration Vin Lananna welcomed 16 incoming student-athletes to the 2020-21 women’s roster on Wednesday (May 20).
Emily Alexandru (Trumbull, Conn.), Kayla Bonnick (St. Catherine, Jamaica), Maria Deaviz (Souderton, Pa.), Lila Fenner (Portland, Ore.), Liza Neely (Richmond, Va.), Anzhelika Parenchuk (Barnaul, Russia) and Bella Recce (Harrisburg, Pa.) join the women’s team as first-years.
Additionally, Virginia will welcome two transfer student-athletes as Michaela Meyer (Southbury, Conn.) will transfer from Delaware and Lauren Moffett (Fresno, Calif.) will transfer from Vanderbilt.
Virginia announced seven Cavaliers in the fall as early signees as Trina Barcarola (Lake Ariel, Pa.), Claire Frazier Bolton (Mobile, Ala.), Abigail Comella (Wellesley, Mass.), Ellie Desmond (Ashburn, Va.), Keara Seasholtz (Wayne, Pa.), Nadia Saunders (Stony Point, N.Y.) and Anna Workman (Kingston, Ontario) round out the women’s team.
Emily Alexandru | Trumbull High School | Trumbull, Conn.
Event: Hurdles and Middle Distance
Academic Interest: Neuroscience
Fun Fact: Alexandru ran the 300m and 400m hurdles in high school and will look to transition to steeplechase in college.
Athletic Achievements: Alexandru holds two school records at Trumbull High School including being a member of the school’s record setting 4x800m relay team.
The staff says: With Alexandru’s hurdling ability and some time spent building her endurance, we look forward to working with her in the middle distance and distance events.
Kayla Bonnick | St. Jago High School | St. Catherine, Jamaica
Event: Sprints
Academic Interest: Biology
Fun Fact: Bonnick attended the same high school in Jamaica as UVA sprints coach Michelle Freeman.
Athletic Achievements: Bonnick won a bronze medal at the Jamaica Boys and Girls Championships. She holds a personal-best time of 11.60 in the 100m and a time of 24.11 in the 200m.
The staff says: Bonnick will have an immediate impact in our team’s sprint core at the conference and national level.
Maria Deaviz | Souderton Area High School | Souderton, Pa.
Event: Throws
Academic Interest: McIntire School of Commerce
Fun Fact: Deaviz is bilingual. Her favorite show is Game of Thrones.
Athletic Achievements: The top ranked shot put athlete in the U.S., Deaviz holds the 16th best all-time mark in high school for the indoor shot put. She is also the Pennsylvania state champion in the event. Deaviz holds a personal-best mark of 51’10.75″.
The staff says: Deaviz is the No. 1 ranked high school shot putter in the USA. Her competitiveness at the highest level and enthusiasm about throwing will be a great addition to our squad of elite throwers.
Lila Fenner | Catlin Gable High School | Portland, Ore.
Event: Distance
Academic Interest: Undecided
Fun Fact: Fenner is the president of Post 58, the largest youth mountaineering organization in the U.S. During her sophomore year, she took five weeks off to walk 550 miles across France.
Athletic Achievements: Fenner is a two-time individual Oregon state champion. She helped her cross country team to two state titles, winning the 2016 and 2018 championships.
The staff says: Fenner was a front runner in her small school state division in Oregon. She’ll make a smooth transition at the conference and national level.
Michaela Meyer | Transfer – Delaware | Southbury, Conn.
Event: Middle Distance
Academic Interest: Master’s in Nursing
Fun Fact: Meyer was coached by Ryan Waite while at Delaware, a former athlete of Vin Lananna from Oregon.
Athletic Achievements: Meyer ranked fourth for the 2020 indoor season in the 800m in addition to holding seven school records for Delaware. She holds a personal-best time of 2:03.40 in the 800m.
The staff says: Meyer has made consistent progress at Delaware. She will make an immediate impact at the national level in the middle-distance events.
Lauren Moffett | Transfer – Vanderbilt | Fresno, Calif.
Event: Distance
Academic Interest: Master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs
Fun Fact: In 2018, Moffett sold her car and spent six weeks backpacking in Europe. She visited 13 countries during her trip.
Athletic Achievements: Moffett was named an All-SEC selection and is a two-time California all-state honoree. She ranks fifth all-time in the mile at Vanderbilt.
The staff says: Moffett brings two years of eligibility for cross country, indoor and outdoor track after graduating from Vanderbilt this spring. We look forward to continuing her development in the middle distance and distance events.
Liza Neely | Douglas S. Freeman High School | Richmond, Va.
Event: Distance
Academic Interest: Media Studies
Fun Fact: Neely’s Aunt Wendy (Neely-Seale) was one of the greatest high school runners for the state of Virginia.
Athletic Achievements: Neely is a six-time Virginia All-State honoree and the Douglas S. Freeman record holder in the 3,200m.
The staff says: Neely comes from a family of successful distance runners and we are looking forward to developing her talent in the distance events.
Anzhelika Parenchuk |Barnaul, Altray Krai, Russia | Barnaul, Russia
Event: Middle Distance
Academic Interest: Science
Fun Fact: Parenchuk is a writer and is currently working on two novels.
Athletic Achievements: The U18 national record holder, Parenchuk also holds the fastest U18 600m time in Europe. She is the 2019 U18 national champion in the 400m. Parenchuk holds a personal-best time of 54.0 in the 400m and 1:31.4 in the 600m.
The staff says: Parenchuk is a raw talent. Her foot speed will not only make an immediate impact in middle-distance events, but she will also be a key contributor on our relays.
Bella Recce | Central Dauphin High School | Harrisburg, Pa.
Event: Pole Vault, Long Jump
Academic Interest: Engineering
Fun Fact: Recce was a 2016 Scholastic Art and Writing National gold medalist.
Athletic Achievements: Recce is ranked in the top three in Pennsylvania for the 2020 season in both the long jump and pole vault. She medaled in the long jump, triple jump and pole vault during the 2019 season.
The staff says: Recce is one of the most versatile jumpers in the country. Recce is a hard worker and great competitor. Recce will immediately impact the program as a pole vaulter.
Virginia Track and Field and Cross Country Early Signees
Trina Barcarola | Western Wayne High School | Lake Ariel, Pa.
Event: Pole Vault
Academic Interest: Business
Fun Fact: Barcarola has hosted fundraisers to help her teammate and friend with brain cancer. She also started a volunteer group in her hometown to help with roadside cleanup.
Athletic Achievements: Barcarola is a two-time Pennsylvania state champion, winning a title in the pole vault and 100m hurdles.
The staff says: Barcarola is a special talent who possesses exceptional speed as a pole vaulter. She is a great competitor and teammate.
Claire Frazier Bolton | McGill-Toolen High School | Mobile, Ala.
Event: Middle Distance
Academic Interest: Biology
Fun Fact: Bolton has jumped 5’2″ in the high jump and finished runner-up at the state meet in women’s heptathlon.
Athletic Achievements: Bolton is the Alabama state record holder in the 800m and the 1,600m. She won the Alabama High School Athletic Association 7A state champion in the 800m.
The staff says: Bolton is an all-around athlete who has hardly skimmed the surface on her speed endurance but still managed to collect a couple state titles. We look forward to further developing her abilities in the middle distances.
Abby Comella | Wellesley High School | Wellesley, Mass.
Event: Sprints
Academic Interest: Sociology and English
Fun Fact: Comella has a passion for hiking and plants.
Athletic Achievements: Comella is a Massachusetts state champion. She holds a personal-best time of 24.94 in the 200m and a time of 54.90 in the 400m.
The staff says: Comella is a promising student-athlete who’s been very successful in the long sprints. She has been a successful dual sport athlete for years. Comella will make an immediate impact on our program.
Ellie Desmond | Broad Run High School | Ashburn, Va.
Event: Distance
Academic Interest: Undecided
Fun Fact: Desmond has completed two backpacking courses in Wyoming and Alaska, both spanning a month long.
Athletic Achievements: Desmond is the high school record holder for Panorama Farms. She is a two-time Virginia High School League runner-up for cross country and the 1,600m. Desmond holds a personal-best mile time of 4:50.
The staff says: Desmond is a proven winner in cross country and on the track. She will help lead a resurgence in our women’s distance squad.
Nadia Saunders | North Rockland High School | Stony Point, N.Y.
Event: Triple Jump, Long Jump and Hurdles
Academic Interest: Engineering
Fun Fact: Saunders is a member of eight different honor societies and has a passion for hiking.
Athletic Achievements: Saunders is a three-time All-American and three-time state champion. She holds a personal-best mark of 41’6″ in the triple jump, 19’2″ in the long jump and a time of 7.89 in the 55m hurdles.
The staff says: Saunders is an outstanding student-athlete capable of helping our program in three events, the hurdles, long jump and her specialty the triple jump. Saunders will make an immediate impact at the collegiate level in the hurdles and triple jump.
Keara Seasholtz | Radnor High School | Wayne, Pa.
Event: Middle Distance
Academic Interest: Environmental Science
Fun Fact: Seasholtz will compete alongside her former teammate Ethan Zeh. She was a multi-sport athlete at Radnor High School, competing in soccer during the fall and track in the winter and spring.
Athletic Achievements: Seasholtz won the 800m at the 2020 PA Indoor State Championships and won the 2019 Central League title in the 400m. She has an 800m personal-best time of 2:10.00.
The staff says: Seasholtz has incredible range as an outstanding middle-distance runner who will compete at the ACC level immediately.
Anna Workman | Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute | Kingston, Ontario
Event: Middle Distance
Academic Interest: Engineering
Fun Fact: Thanks to a passion for hiking and traveling, Workman has hiked the Inca Trail and watched the sunrise over Machu Picchu.
Athletic Achievements: Workman is a four-time Ontario High School Track and Field Championships gold medalist. She holds a personal-best time of 2:08.55 in the 800m and a time of 4:23.06 in the 1,500m.
The staff says: Workman has tremendous upside as a 1,500m and 800m runner. She has established herself as one of the top runners in Ontario, Canada.