Florida State University Track and Field Recruiting - Class of 2026

The Florida State track and field and cross country program has signed 12 athletes to the 2022 class Head Coach Bob Braman announced on Thursday morning.

“I’m really excited for this upcoming class,” Braman said. “This is one of our best women’s classes we’ve ever signed during the early period. We have signed several athletes who are in the top tier of their events in the nation.”

Overall, the class boasts 16 All-America honors across the 12 athletes. The Seminoles signed six distance runners, four sprinters, a hurdler and a jumper. There are five transfers in the class and three athletes from the Netherlands.

Florida State University is a public institution that was founded in 1851. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 32,543 (fall 2020), its setting is city, and the campus size is 487 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Florida State University's ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #55. Its in-state tuition and fees are $6,517; out-of-state tuition and fees are $21,683.

A sprawling public school in Tallahassee, Florida State University has more than 600 student organizations as well as 18 NCAA Division I sports teams, known as the Seminoles. Freshmen at FSU are not required to live on campus, but students who wish to should request housing early to secure a room, since housing is limited. Florida State has centers in Florence, Italy; London; Panama City, Panama; and Valencia, Spain, and offers students other study abroad programs. The university also has a wide variety of graduate schools, including a College of Business, a College of Law and a College of Medicine, as well as a joint College of Engineering with Florida A&M University. Among Florida State’s notable alumni are fitness expert Richard Simmons and Spanx apparel line founder Sara Blakely.

Men

Antoine Evans Jr. (Sprints) – Delray Beach, Fla. – Coffeyville Community College

Evans Jr. earned two All-America honors for Coffeyville Community College in the short sprints. Evans Jr. finished third in the 200m dash (20.66) at the NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He also helped the 4x100m relay to a national championship performance with a time of 39.47. Evans Jr.’s best times came at the NJCAA Region VI Championships with a time of 10.23 in the 100m dash and 20.64 200m dash.

Denzell Feagin (Sprints) – Canal Winchester, Ohio – Barton Community College

Feagin enters the men’s sprints group after a phenomenal 2021 season at Barton Community College. Feagin was the NJCAA national champion in the 200m dash with a time of 20.53. Feagin also finished second in the 100m dash with a time of 10.11 and helped the 4x100m relay team to a second-place finish. In 2020, Feagin qualified for the 2020 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 200m dash and was a member of the 4x400m relay team that finished third at the 2020 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Andrew Hammel (Distance) – Clyde, N.C. – Furman

Hammel comes to Tallahassee after a short stint at Furman. Hammel was one of the top runners in the Southern Conference in the outdoor track season. Hammel ran a personal best time of 30:36.21 in the 10,000m run to finish second at the Southern Conference Outdoor Championships last May. Hammel competed at the FSU Open in September and ran a personal best time of 24:51.1 in the 8k race. Hammel attended Christ High School where he was a cross country state champion in 2019.

Andy Martinez (Distance) – Melbourne, Fla. – Daytona State College

A two-time JUCO cross country All-American, Martinez is another key piece to the men’s distance crew for the Noles. A product of Daytona State College, Martinez finished fifth at the NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships last November. His top time in the 8k came at the FSU XC Invite/Pre-National meet where he ran a 24:59.5. In three seasons, Martinez has posted nine top 10 finishes and two victories.

Michael Toppi (Distance) – Melbourne, Fla. – Viera High School

Toppi is staying in the Sunshine State and has put himself at the top of the Florida high school record books. Topp has the top time in Florida high school history in the 5000m run with a time of 14:41.45 at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships on Dec. 4. Toppi was one of 40 athletes to qualify for the Eastbay Cross Country Championships. He finished second in the FHSAA Cross Country State Championships at Apalachee Regional Park and helped Viera High School to their first cross country championship in school history.

Women

Suus Altorf (Middle Distance) – Hillegom, Netherlands – Atheneum College Hageveld

Altorf was the final Dutch athlete to sign with the Noles and is a top ten 800m runner in the Netherlands. Altorf plans to run in the 800m and the 400m hurdles. Her top time in the 800m came at the Gouden Spike meet on June 12 where she finished fifth with a time of 2:05.99. Her time put her eighth among Dutch runners in the 800m.

Dajaz Defrand (Sprints) – Lincoln, Neb. – Lincoln High School

One of the most decorated high school track athletes in Nebraska history will be a key contributor to the Noles sprinters group. DeFrand is a five-time All-American and holds the Nebraska record in the 100m (11.73) and is fourth on the all-time state list in the 200m (24.34). She was named the 2020-21 Nebraska Athlete of the Year and was a state champion in the 100m dash and 200m dash while helping the Lincoln High School 4x100m relay team to a state championship.

Marit Griep (Distance) – Oosterhout, Netherlands – Sint-Oelbert Gymnasium

Griep was the second Dutch runner to sign with the Seminoles. Griep made a name for herself in the Dutch ranks winning titles in the Dutch U18 cross country, outdoor and indoor championships. She also took home the title in the 1500m run at the 2021 U18 Dutch Championships with a time of 4:39.54. Griep’s best time came at the Runnersworld competition in Utrecht, Netherlands, where she finished with a time of 4:27.07 in the 1500m to finish fifth.

Kaniya Johnson (Sprints) – Valdosta, Ga. – Lowndes High School

A Valdosta, Ga., native, Johnson will be another key contributor to Coach Kane’s recruiting class. Johnson currently leads the nation in the 60m dash (7.29) and the 200m dash (23.67). Johnson is a two-time All American and won the state championship in the 100m dash (11:66) in 2019 and again in 2021 (11:53) along with a title in the 200m dash (23:58). Johnson was awarded the 5A Track Athlete of the Year award in the state of South Carolina in 2019.

Kayla Pinkard (Jumps) – Carrollton, Ga. – Carrollton High School

The No. 1 triple jumper in the nation is coming to Tallahassee. Pinkard currently holds the best mark in the triple jump with a mark of 42-5.75 which she set at the Outdoor Nationals. She was undefeated in the 2021 season in the triple jump and has won 18 consecutive triple jump titles dating back to July 11, 2020. Pinkard is a three-time All-American and is a Georgia state champion in the triple jump. She also was the Nike National triple jump champion and the USATF triple jump champion.

Bieke Schipperen (Distance) – Dussen, Netherlands – Dongemond College

Schipperen was the first of three Dutch distance runners to sign with the Seminoles. A Dussen, Netherlands, native, Schipperen had her top race at the Next Generation Athletics meet with a time of 4.27.68 in 1500m race. She had three top three performances at the Dutch U18 national championships.

Jazmine Tilmon (Hurdles) – Chesapeake, Va. – University of South Carolina

Tilmon comes to Tallahassee after starting her career at South Carolina. Tilmon competed in nine meets over the course of two seasons for the Gamecocks. Her best performance came at the Clemson Opener in 2019 where she finished third with a personal best time of 8.39.