Photo of Kennedi Alford courtesy of Jake Klinect (Elizabethtown) News-Enterprise

MOREHEAD, Ky. — Although the Morehead State non-distance track and field program is only in its third year of rebirth, coach Clay Dixon has struck literal gold with the second true recruiting class.

A total of 12 athletes, who compete in sprints and field events, make up the incoming group of track and field-only newcomers for 2026.

“Sprints and jumps is a big dynamic group,” said Dixon. “This class looks to have some potential big point scorers this year or in the next few years. We are excited to have this group grow to these numbers. I think we are about a year ahead of schedule after this class in reestablishing our sprints and jumps group.”

There is no bigger recruit than Kalynn Pease of neighboring Flemingsburg and Fleming County High School. Pease has won three state championships (and been runner-up five times), 11 regional titles, nine area crowns (with three runner-up finishes) and 17-of-18 conference events (and was second in the other). She is arguably the most highly regarded recruit in coach Dixon’s tenure.

She enters MSU with “pr’s” that would rank fifth (long jump), 15th (400-meter dash), 17th (200-meter dash) and tied for 22nd (100-meter dash) in the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference campaign. Her top mark of 19’05.00″ in the long jump is more than a foot farther than the current Morehead State school record, which was set back in 1977.

Pease was the Area Track and Field Athlete of the Year three times, sharing the honor in 2024, first-team all-state twice, second-team all-state twice, academic all-state four times, a USATF national qualifier twice and AAU national qualifier three times.

She also played four years of volleyball, swam for four years and ran cross country two seasons.

Junior Erin Pease (Flemingsburg, Ky./Fleming County High School) is the older sister of Kalynn Pease. She is transferring from Union Commonwealth (Ky.) after two seasons there. This past spring at the conference meet, she finished second in the heptathlon and set a school record. She also holds the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship meet record in the heptathlon 200m, 800-meter run and 100-meter hurdles. Indoors, she was fifth in the 60m hurdles this past year at the league competition. As a freshman, she was third in the heptathlon, eighth in the 400-meter hurdles and 10th in the 100m hurdles at the outdoor championships, and was ninth in the 60m hurdles at the indoor championships. She also was a member of the Union swim team.

At Fleming County High School, the elder Pease was 17th in the 300-meter hurdles, 12th in the triple jump and 19th in the discus at the 2023 state championships; and fifth in the 100m hurdles, sixth in the 300m hurdles and 15th in the triple jump at the 2022 event. As a sophomore, she was fifth in the 100m hurdles, 12th in the 300m hurdles, 13th in the triple jump and 13th in the pole vault. As an eighth-grader, she finished 13th in the 300m hurdles and 17th in the 100m hurdles. As a seventh-grader, she was 19th in the 100m hurdles. At the regionals, she won four events, placed second six times, finished third or tied for third on three occasions, and was fourth twice in 18 competitions over her five-year career.

In addition to Kalynn Pease, five other newcomers won track and field state titles in their high school careers, including freshmen Kyle Crady and Jesus Solis-Mendoza, who were included in the release on cross country recruits.

One of those state champions is freshman Luke Kelly (Harlan, Ky./Harlan County High School), who captured the 100-meter and 200-meter titles in Class 2A this past May. In 2024, he placed third in both events. The speedy Kelly owns school records in five events, including the 100m, 200m, 400-meter dash, 4×100-meter relay and 4×200-meter relay. He also has been recognized on the Kentucky Track Cross Country Coaches Association’s all-state team twice. Kelly was a four-time regional champion and was recognized twice as all-conference. The Black Bears were regional champs in his final two years on the team.

Last year, as a member of the football team, he accounted for 621 yards from scrimmage, scored seven touchdowns, had five interceptions and made 52 tackles. He played four years of varsity football, twice serving as the team captain. He earned all-district honors as a senior.

Kelly also was a valedictorian, member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society, the Gifted and Talented program and the All “A” Honor Roll.

Freshman Kennedi Alford (Elizabethtown, Ky./Central Hardin High School) was chosen as the (Elizabethtown) News-Enterprise “Runner of the Year”, as well as First-Team All-Area in both 2004 and 2025. As a senior, she finished second in the 200m, fifth in the 100m and 16th as a member of the 4x200m relay team at the Class 3A state championships. She also won seven regional titles, including sweeping the 100m, 200m and 4x200m earlier this year. At this winter’s state 3A indoor meet, she was fourth in the 200m, eighth in the 55-meter dash, 12th in the 4x200m relay and tied for 22nd in the long jump. As a junior, Alford was eighth in the 100m, ninth in the 200m and fourth in the 4x100m relay at the outdoor state competition; and eighth in the 60-meter dash and 200m, and 21st in the 4×400-meter relay indoors. In 2023, she placed fifth in the 100m at the USATF National Outdoor Championships, and second in the 55m and fourth in the 200m in the USATF Youth National Indoor Championships.

Freshman Kyler Witt (London, Ky./South Laurel High School) brings versatility to MSU as both a sprinter and distance runner. Overall, he qualified for 10 state championships, including three in cross country. During his track and field career, he won five regional crowns and added five more top-three finishes. Indoors as a senior, he qualified for the Adidas Nationals in the 200m, and placed fourth in the 400m, 15th in the 60m and 21st as part of the 4x800m relay team at the state championships. His efforts helped propel the Cardinals into a tie for 15th. During the outdoor season, he was the regional champion in the 400m, and the runner-up in both the 100m and 200m. At the state meet, he was 19th in the 400m and 22nd in the 100m. He withdrew from both the 200m and 4x400m relays. As a junior, he won the 200m, placed second in the 100m and third in the 400m at the regional outdoor meet. He also qualified for the Adidas Nationals. He followed by taking 18th in the 100m and tied for 23rd in the 200m at the state competition. Indoors, he was 21st in the 400m.

As a sophomore for Perry County Central High School, he again won the regional 400m and the 1,600-meter run. That year, he was 11th in the 400m, 18th in the 1,600m and 23rd in the 4x400m relay. As a freshman, he added the 1,600m to his list of regional titles, while also placing third in the pole vault. That season, he finished 20th in the 1,600m and 23rd in the 4x400m at the state meet. He did not compete in the pole vault. In 2021, he placed second in the pole vault and helped lead the Commodores to the team title, while also scoring in the 400m (sixth), and 4x200m (fifth) and 4x400m (third) relays.

In Witt’s cross country career, he finished 145th (2023), 175th (2021) and 208th (2022). In addition, he played football one season and started on special teams. Academically, he earned a spot on the Honor Roll in his final two years.

Freshman Sam Afari (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West High School) won the conference title and was the district runner-up in the 200m, and finished third at the regionals in the 400m as a senior. He also qualified for the state championships in the 400m, taking ninth, while guiding his team to a runner-up performance in the 4x100m. Despite just running the 400m for the first time as a senior, he set the Lakota West record. He also holds the school’s top marks in the 200m and the 4x200m. As a senior, he was tabbed as the team MVP. Afari was a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Board and finished his academic career with a 3.7 GPA in the year’s final quarter.

Freshman Kyle Stepteau (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier High School) was part of the 2025 indoor state championship team. At that meet, he was a member of two victorious relays (4x200m and 4x400m) and placed 11th individually in the 55-meter hurdles. As a senior at the state outdoor meet, he finished eighth in both the 100m and the 300-meter hurdles, with the Tigers placing third in the final team standings. His top-seeded 4x100m relay did not finish its race at that competition.

The previous year, the team won the second of back-to-back state crowns, while his 4x100m and 4x200m relays each captured second. That year, he was 10th in the 100m. His first state appearance came in 2023, when he placed 22nd in the triple jump. Regionally, Stepteau was a member of three relay title quartets as his Tiger squad captured every team championship from 2019-25. He also had a pair of individual runner-up finishes in the 100m and 300m hurdles.

Freshman Addison Poole (Brandenburg, Ky./Meade County High School) enters MSU along with high school teammate Josey Corbin, who primarily will run cross country and distance events. Poole has been MCHS’ girls’ track and field team MVP for two years. She also earned Second-Team All-Area honors from the Elizabethtown News-Enterprise in each of her final two seasons. Poole is the school record holder in the 4x200m relay and earned News-Enterprise “Relay Team of the Year” honors this spring. Her 4x400m relay team won the regional title and placed second in the state in her senior season, while her 4x200m quartet finished second in the region and 13th in the state this past year as well. As a junior, her 4x200m relay placed third at the regional meet, while the 4x400m group was third. That season, her 4x200m quartet placed ninth at state.

Individually, Poole is a two-time regional champion in the 400m and was a third-place finisher as a freshman. She did not run the event at the 2025 state outdoor meet, but she finished sixth in the race indoors. She also placed 13th indoors and 14th outdoors in 2024. As a freshman, she made the podium in the 4x400m (fifth) and 4x800m (seventh) at the regionals. As an eighth-grader, she claimed a third-place (4x400m) and 10th-place (triple jump) finish at the regionals. Meade County claimed a pair of fifth-place finishes at the regionals in her final two years at the school.

In addition to running track for four years, Poole also was a four-year starter and a team captain on both the soccer and bowling teams, and ran cross country one season. In soccer, she scored 33 goals and recorded 25 assists for the four-time district champs. In bowling, she twice competed as an individual at the regionals, with her top finish of 22nd coming in 2024. In the team competition, Meade County advanced to the semifinals twice and quarterfinals once. An outstanding student, Poole was recognized by the KHSAA on its All-Academic state team each year from 2022-24. She also served as an MCHS student ambassador, was a member of the National Honors Society and an Honor Roll student.

Freshman Lily Metcalf (Lexington, Ky./Lafayette High School) played three sports for the Generals. She had her most success in indoor track and field, finishing 10th in the 200m, 13th in the 55m and sixth as a member of the 4x200m relay, helping the team into seventh place, at the 2025 state championships. She also placed 15th in the 200m and 18th in the 60m as the team tied for ninth at the 2024 indoor meet. She holds the indoor school record in the 60m and 4x200m. As a junior at the state outdoor championships, she finished 20th as a member of the 4x200m relay. Lafayette won the city track and field title each year from 2023-25.

In regional action, Metcalf earned three top-10 finishes in the 100m in her final three years. She also was 11th in the 200m her junior season, and was a member of the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams. As a senior, the former group placed sixth with the latter group in fifth. The previous year, both relays finished fifth. As a sophomore, both quartets placed eighth. As a freshman, she competed in the discus and finished 10th. In her last two seasons, the Generals placed third and second, respectively at the regional meet.

As a goalkeeper on the soccer team, Metcalf played 27 games over three seasons and finished with a 0.63 goals against average and 2.93 saves per game. She also participated in eight varsity football games as a sophomore in 2022. In addition, Metcalf was a member of the National Honors Society and student council at Lafayette.

Freshman Jayce Stewart (Corbin, Ky./Corbin High School) adds to the list of state title holders after winning the 4x400m relay with a state indoor record as a junior. He also holds his school’s indoor school record in the 400m, the outdoor mark in the 4x200m relay and is part of the 4x400m relay that twice set the Corbin school outdoor record. In his career, he has been named first-team and second-team all-state twice each in track and field.

Overall, Stewart qualified for five state track meets, with his two best individual performances coming indoors when he was fourth in the 400m in 2025 and fifth in the same race in 2024. He also finished 12th outdoors in the 400m as both a sophomore and a junior and 17th as a senior. He ran the indoor 200m and was 17th in 2024 and 19th in 2025. In addition to his 2024 indoor state championship in the 4x400m relay, he also placed second in that event outdoors in 2023, fifth in 2024 and 13th in 2025. His 4x200m relay squad placed fifth his sophomore year and 13th in his junior season. During his career at the state championships, Corbin finished fourth (2023 outdoors), tied for fourth (2024 indoors) and sixth (2024 outdoors and 2025 indoors).

In regional competition, Stewart’s 4x400m relay quartet won in 2023 and 2024, and placed third in 2025. His 4x200m relay squads were third outdoors in both 2023 and 2024. In 10 regional events, he never finished below eighth. His best individual performances all came in the 400m, when he placed third (2025), fourth (2023) and fifth (2024). He also finished fourth (2024) and sixth (2025) in the 200m. In both 2024 and 2025, the Redhounds placed third as a team. He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the National Honors Society, and graduated with High Honors.

Freshman Ava Claggett (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West High School) joins former high school teammate Sam Afari as a newcomer to the MSU program. She holds two records as a relay team member for the Firebirds. She first set the marks in the 4×200-meter and 4×400-meter relays and then proceeded to break them. In her junior year, the 4x400m foursome finished third in the region and 11th in the state. As a sophomore, Lakota West won the district track and field title. A four-year track and field runner, Claggett served on the school’s Student Athletic Advisory Board and qualified for the state semifinals as part of the school’s entrepreneurship program.

Freshman Darian Bell (Paris, Ky./Paris High School) had his best success of 2025 in the indoor campaign, when he was second in the triple jump, fourth in the long jump, seventh in the 200m and 16th in the 55m at the state championships. The Greyhounds tied for 10th at that meet. At the outdoor state meet, he finished 14th in the triple jump, with Paris tying for seventh in the team standings. In 2023, he was fourth in the 200m and 16th in the 100m.

On the regional level, Bell was second in the triple jump, sixth in the long jump and seventh in the 100m as a senior. Two years prior to that, he won the 200m, was second in the 100m and fifth in the long jump. As a freshman, he was fourth in the 100m and eighth in the 200m. The Greyhounds best regional team finish in his tenure was second in 2025. He also participated as a partner in the unified events in 2023 and 2024 at the state competitions.

Bell also played football for four years, compiling 638 rushing yards on 93 carries with 12 touchdowns. He made his biggest impact in the defensive backfield, where he accounted for seven interceptions in 31 career games.

The group will join 12 additional cross country/distance running newcomers this fall. Collectively, they will need to replace Wes Grogan, Carter Hurley, Damien Lee, Austin Montgomery, Ethan Vance, Jacob Vogelpohl, Megan Bush, Aa’Nya Freeland, Hope Harris, Aaliyah Rodgers, Lucy Singleton and Mia Underwood, who will not be returning in 2025-26.