Badgers to welcome 10 to squad for 2018-19 season

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne announced that 10 track and field athletes declared their intent to compete for the Badgers next fall during the fall signing period.

The 10 that signed National Letters of Intent during the first of two signing periods will join a group that will announce their intent to compete at UW in the spring.

Women's Signees

Dailey Albino (New Berlin, Wis.)

High School: New Berlin West
Events: Pole vault
Personal bests: Pole vault - 12-7 (3.83m)

The 2017 WIAA Division I state champion in the pole vault, Albino is a tremendous athlete as the New Berlin, Wisconsin, native is coming off of a runner-up finish in at the Wisconsin state diving meet. She enjoyed a stellar junior campaign as she picked up eight victories in the pole vault. Albino holds a personal best of 12 feet, 7 inches set en route to a victory at the AAU state meet last year and will join her sister, Rayce, on the UW squad.

Danielle Bellino (Lakeville, Minn.)

High School: Lakeville North
Events: Middle distance
Personal bests: 800 meters - 2:10.56

Bellino, a Lakeville, Minnesota, native, finished third at the Minnesota state meet in the 800 meters after running a personal-best time of 2 minutes, 10.56 seconds in the preliminary round at the state competition. Her 800 personal best is the No. 8 time in Minnesota state history and ranks No. 28 in the country among returning prep runners. She has also helped the Panthers to a pair of top-five finishes in the 4x800 at the state meet, including a fourth-place showing at last year's championship.

Armoni Brown (Waukesha, Wis.)

High School: Waukesha South
Events: Jumps/Sprints
Personal bests: 60 meters – 7.20; 100 meters – 12:22; long jump – 19-8 1/2 (6.00); triple jump 38-6 1/2 (11.74m)

A versatile athlete, Brown went undefeated in the long jump her junior year en route to claiming the Wisconsin state title with a personal best of 19 feet, 8 1/2 inches, which tied the state meet record. She also finished sixth in the 100 meters (12.54) triple jump (37-3) and helped the Waukesha South 4x100 relay team to a sixth-place finish at the 2017 WIAA Division 1 State Championships. Brown also won the 100 meters, long jump and triple jump at the 2017 USATF Wisconsin Outdoor Track Championships and finished third in the long jump at the 2017 AAU Junior Olympic Games.

Kristen Garcia (Sedro Woolley, Wash.)

High School: Sedro Woolley
Events: Distance
Personal bests: Two-mile – 9:54.19; 5000 meters (track) – 17:43.25

Garcia is coming off her second appearance at Foot Locker Nationals, which followed her victory at the Washington 2A State Cross Country Championships. The Sedro Woolley, Washington, native competed against current Badger Alicia Monson at the 2017 USA Junior Cross Country Championships and went on to represent the U.S. at the 2017 IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships in Uganda last spring. Garcia placed 11th in the two-mile at the 2017 New Balance Nationals and was eighth in the 5000 meters at the 2015 USATF Junior National Outdoor Track and Field Championships despite being a high school freshman.

Mariah Hoepner (Altoona, Wis.)

High School: Altoona
Events: High jump
Personal bests: High jump - 5-5 (1.65m)

A talented athlete at Altoona High School, Hoepner, the Wisconsin Division 1 champion in the high jump, will focus on the high jump with the Badgers. During her junior year, Hoepner was first or second in every high jump event she competed, setting a personal best of 5 feet, 5 inches at the 2016 WIAA Track and Field State Championships to win the state crown. She also finished 12th at the state meet in the 100 hurdles a year after she was seventh in the 300 hurdles at the meet. Hoepner earned top-10 high jump finishes at the 2015 and 2016 WIAA Track and Field State Championships.

Madison Mooney (Broomfield, Colo.)

High School: Broomfield
Events: Middle distance
Personal bests: 800 meters – 2:10:18; Mile – 4:47.32, 1600 meters – 4:53.85

Mooney is the No. 3 returner in the country in the mile after running a personal best of 4:47.32 to win the event at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational. She also picked up a mile victory at the Festival of Miles before finishing ninth in the event at the Brooks PR Invitational. Mooney finished runner-up in the 800 meters at the 2017 Colorado state meet, a year after taking third at the state meet. In 2016, Mooney won the Emerging Elite section of the 800 meters at New Balance Nationals thanks to a personal-best time of 2:10.18 before winning the 1500 meters at the Nike Festival of Miles.

Hannah Reale (Shenendehowa, New York)

High School: Shenendehowa Central
Events: Middle distance
Personal bests: 800 meters – 2:07.27; 1500 meters – 4:26.88

Reale is the No. 4 returner in the nation in the 800 meters after picking up a PR of 2 minutes, 7.27 seconds to win the New York state title in the event last spring. Her 800 meter time ranked in the top-20 among high school athletes last year. Reale also finished third in the 800 meters at the 2017 New Balance National Indoors thanks to an indoor PR of 2:09.05 and ran the anchor on the Shenendehowa Track Club 4x800 relay team that also finished third. The No. 48 athlete in Milesplits' Top-50 Recruits for 2018, Reale has also excelled on the cross country course, competing three times at Nike Cross Country Nationals and helped Shenendehowa Central to runner-up finishes at the New York State Meet and the New York Federation Meet.

Men's Signees

Shuaib Aljabaly (Coldwater, Mich.)

High School: Coldwater
Events: Distance
Personal bests: 3200 meters – 9:11.84; 5000 meters (cross country) – 14:53.60

The reigning Michigan Division 2 state cross country champion, Aljabaly was one of only 42 runners in the country to break the 15-minute barrier in the 5000 meters during the 2017 cross country season. Aljabaly earned honorable-mention All-America honors at the 2017 Foot Locker National Cross Country Finals and was named Mr. Cross Country by the Michigan Interscholastic Track and Field Coaches Association. On the track, Aljabaly was runner-up in the 3200 meters at the Michigan state meet in 2017 and competed in the 5000 meters at the 2017 New Balance Nationals, where he finished 11th.

Nathan Garczynski (Sheboygan Falls, Wis.)

High School: Sheboygan Falls
Events: Throws
Personal bests: Discus 178-10 (54.50m)

A top-25 returner in the country in the discus, Garczynski finished third at the 2017 WIAA State Championships in the event this spring. Garczynski enjoyed a great run leading up to last year's state meet, throwing more than 175 feet at the regional and sectional round, including a toss of 178-7 at the Freedom Sectional. A three-sport athlete as the 6-4 thrower also competes in basketball and football, Garczynski was runner-up in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference in the discus his sophomore year.

Derick Peters (Hartford, S.D.)

High School: West Central
Events: Distance
Personal bests: 5000 meters (cross country) – 14:53.65

The 2016 South Dakota Gatorade Boys' Cross Country Athlete of the Year, Peters will come to UW after winning a pair of state cross country titles and a state track title in the 3200 meters. Peters won the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational this fall by more than 22 seconds and before winning his second-straight state title. The No. 36 athlete in Milesplits' Top-50 Recruits for 2018, Peters recently capped off his prep cross country career at the 2017 Nike Cross Nationals, where he finished 26th. Peters won his first state title in track this past spring, winning the 3200 meters at the 2017 South Dakota State Championships by almost 12 seconds. .

University of Wisconsin Athletics