St. John's University Athletics
Jim Hurt Welcomes Seven Newcomers to 2020-21 Roster
4/28/2020 12:01:00 PM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field
The seven recruits join the Johnnies from New York, New Jersey, Indiana, California, Jamaica and Cyprus
QUEENS, N.Y. (April 28, 2020) – St. John's track & field and cross country Head Coach Jim Hurt has announced the addition of seven student-athletes to his teams for the 2020-21 campaign.
Zamira Ysaac, Jenna D'Onofrio, Brooke Wright, Brooklyn Chestnut, Meghan Ladd, Rushellee Jones and Ioanna Kyprianou will enter their first season with the Red Storm this fall.
"I am quite pleased with Brooke, Jenna, Zamira, Brooklyn, Meghan, Rushellee and Ioanna joining our program as they bring talent to a number of areas in our team," said Hurt. "Brooke, Jenna, & Zamira have run cross country and cover a great range of events from the 400m hurdles to the 5000m on the track. Brooklyn will bolster our sprint & relays events and Meghan will be highly competitive in the pole vault. With the additions of Rushellee and Ioanna, we have completed a great recruiting year, strengthening all event areas with talented and accomplished young women. We are looking forward to continuing our strong track & field tradition this year."
Ysaac comes to Queens as a sprinter and hurdler from Union Catholic High School. The Scotch Plains, N.J., native dominated with the Knights, capturing three straight titles in the 400-meter hurdles at the Union County and Union County Conference Championships.
In 2019, Ysaac was named an All-American after helping Union Catholic's shuttle hurdle squad notch a second-place finish and the fastest time in state history at the New Balance National Championships.
D'Onofrio is a distance runner out of West Babylon High School in New York. During the 2020 indoor season, D'Onofrio helped the women's 4x800 team take first place at the Section XI Girls Small School Championship. She went on to take third place in the 1000 meters and the 1500 meters at the North Shore High School Invitational.
D'Onofrio also earned a sixth-place finish in cross country this fall at the Section XI Division Championships.
Wright remains in The Empire State after spending four years at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, N.Y. During the cross country season this fall, Wright finished fourth in Class C at the state cross country qualifier and placed 34th at states after clocking a three-mile mark of 18:36. In the indoor track & field season, Wright picked up a pair of first-place finishes in the 1500 meters at the Colonial Council Championships and the Section II Championships.
Chestnut has put together an impressive resume while attending Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Ind. As a sophomore Chestnut ranked second in the state during the indoor season for the 60-meter dash. Chestnut was named the Sprint Showcase Woman of the Year following her junior campaign and qualified two years in a row for the New Balance Indoor Nationals.
Ladd joins the Johnnies as a decorated pole vaulter out of St. Francis Catholic High School in Sacramento, Calif. She holds the school's pole vault record after notching a mark of 12-0 at the Bronco Pole Vault Carnival in 2018. That same season, Ladd reeled in nine meet titles. Last year, she placed third at sections and qualified for the SJS Masters.
Jones will begin her first season with the Red Storm after spending two years at New Mexico Junior College. She was named an NJCAA Indoor All-American for the second straight season in 2020 after posting a score of 2,980 in the pentathlon. Jones also cleared a career-best 1.70 meters (5 feet, 7 inches) in the high jump at the Red Raider Invitational on January 24. In 2019, she earned All-America honors for her performances in the high jump and the pentathlon.
Kyprianou is a long jumper from Nicosia, Cyprus. Kyprianou took first place at the 2019 National Schools Championships in Nicosia, clearing a mark of 5.48 meters. She went on to post a second-place finish at the National Junior Championships with a leap of 5.52 meters (18 feet, 5 inches).
The Red Storm will kick off its 2020-21 cross country season this September.
Zamira Ysaac, Jenna D'Onofrio, Brooke Wright, Brooklyn Chestnut, Meghan Ladd, Rushellee Jones and Ioanna Kyprianou will enter their first season with the Red Storm this fall.
"I am quite pleased with Brooke, Jenna, Zamira, Brooklyn, Meghan, Rushellee and Ioanna joining our program as they bring talent to a number of areas in our team," said Hurt. "Brooke, Jenna, & Zamira have run cross country and cover a great range of events from the 400m hurdles to the 5000m on the track. Brooklyn will bolster our sprint & relays events and Meghan will be highly competitive in the pole vault. With the additions of Rushellee and Ioanna, we have completed a great recruiting year, strengthening all event areas with talented and accomplished young women. We are looking forward to continuing our strong track & field tradition this year."
Ysaac comes to Queens as a sprinter and hurdler from Union Catholic High School. The Scotch Plains, N.J., native dominated with the Knights, capturing three straight titles in the 400-meter hurdles at the Union County and Union County Conference Championships.
In 2019, Ysaac was named an All-American after helping Union Catholic's shuttle hurdle squad notch a second-place finish and the fastest time in state history at the New Balance National Championships.
D'Onofrio is a distance runner out of West Babylon High School in New York. During the 2020 indoor season, D'Onofrio helped the women's 4x800 team take first place at the Section XI Girls Small School Championship. She went on to take third place in the 1000 meters and the 1500 meters at the North Shore High School Invitational.
D'Onofrio also earned a sixth-place finish in cross country this fall at the Section XI Division Championships.
Wright remains in The Empire State after spending four years at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, N.Y. During the cross country season this fall, Wright finished fourth in Class C at the state cross country qualifier and placed 34th at states after clocking a three-mile mark of 18:36. In the indoor track & field season, Wright picked up a pair of first-place finishes in the 1500 meters at the Colonial Council Championships and the Section II Championships.
Chestnut has put together an impressive resume while attending Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Ind. As a sophomore Chestnut ranked second in the state during the indoor season for the 60-meter dash. Chestnut was named the Sprint Showcase Woman of the Year following her junior campaign and qualified two years in a row for the New Balance Indoor Nationals.
Ladd joins the Johnnies as a decorated pole vaulter out of St. Francis Catholic High School in Sacramento, Calif. She holds the school's pole vault record after notching a mark of 12-0 at the Bronco Pole Vault Carnival in 2018. That same season, Ladd reeled in nine meet titles. Last year, she placed third at sections and qualified for the SJS Masters.
Jones will begin her first season with the Red Storm after spending two years at New Mexico Junior College. She was named an NJCAA Indoor All-American for the second straight season in 2020 after posting a score of 2,980 in the pentathlon. Jones also cleared a career-best 1.70 meters (5 feet, 7 inches) in the high jump at the Red Raider Invitational on January 24. In 2019, she earned All-America honors for her performances in the high jump and the pentathlon.
Kyprianou is a long jumper from Nicosia, Cyprus. Kyprianou took first place at the 2019 National Schools Championships in Nicosia, clearing a mark of 5.48 meters. She went on to post a second-place finish at the National Junior Championships with a leap of 5.52 meters (18 feet, 5 inches).
The Red Storm will kick off its 2020-21 cross country season this September.
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