Texas A&M Makes Statement Lands Big 2018 In State Distance Recruits

Texas A&M commits post for a photo at the 2017 NXR South meet

Texas A&M is no stranger to landing the top track and field talent in the nation and even across the world. They have a rich tradition of track and field success that reaches throughout the globe. The attraction to College Station has possibly been no bigger than it is today.

Top notch facilities, coaching staff, recent NCAA titles, and the draw of the SEC have recruits from all over willing to put on the Maroon and white. 

The field events, sprints, and relays have long been the specialty at A&M. Well, that recruiting emphasis has now evolved to Cross Country and the distance events. 

Last year, the 2017 recruiting class definitely began to show the commitment to the distance side on both the women and the men's programs. The Aggies brought in two loaded classes of freshman from across the state that would be the bridge from the 2016 class and this 2018 class. In fact, this past fall, the 2017 class had several SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

This bring us to the 2018 recruiting class.

This class still adds the sprint star punch as the usual A&M track and field classes with members of the team state champions from McKinney North and The Woodlands with Jania Martin and Jake Lanier. They also cover the field events with Natalie Scheifele from St. Mary's Hall out of San Antonio and two outstanding high jumpers in Joshua's Mason Farley and Katy Tompkins' Mason Corbin

However, this class is loaded on the distance side of things where A&M not only stock piled outstanding runners, but they were able to keep some of the best in state runners within the Texas borders.

The 2018 recruits have had tons of success in their careers, but more importantly they bring national competition that will be one of the biggest impacts a class could come in with as an overall unit.

On the boys side, the recruits cover just about the entire state. Amarillo Tascosa senior Wes McPhail, covers the western part of the state.

McPhail has been one of Texas' top runner for the better half of the last three years. He helped lead the outstanding Tascosa team during that time. He finished 8th place at the 2016 state championship and has a 15:03.66 PR in the 5K.

A&M also covered the central part of the state with Austin Lake Travis' Brady Grant signing. Grant brings national level experience of running at both Nike and Foot Locker Regionals and in AAU track and field. He is also a three time state cross country qualifier.

Grant has stellar PRs over several distances such as: 1600m - 4:26.28, 3200m - 9:16.03, 5K (xc) - 15:21.25, and  a track 5K - 15:14.50. Grant may have already found his best event in the steeple chase. He has a 6:06.33 PR in the 2K distance with a second place finish at the Texas Relays and the AAU Junior Olympic Games.

The most recent addition to the class was this week's signing of Gavin Hoffpauir. The senior from The Woodlands will head to College Station having concluded his prep cross country career in a major way. Hoffpauir has worked his way up through The Woodlands program eventually landing on the squad that would be ranked the #1 in the nation in the Flo50 rankings. He currently has PRs of 1600m - 4:14.75, 3200m - 9:13.50, and 5K (xc) - 15:08.80.

Hoffpauir finished 7th at the 2016 state cross country championships and was the 6A runner up this past fall. He also has quite the national experience with Nike Cross Nationals appearances; one with his team and another individually.

The Aggie women's program will get a major lift with the 2018 class. A&M brings in six top notch recruits that are also Texas bred and nationally acclaimed. 

Everyone has heard of the Keller squad that has run themselves into national prominence. A&M picks up two of their awesome seniors. Abbey Santoro and Julia Black decided four yours as teammates just weren't enough and have both signed to run in Aggieland.

Black, declared her commitment to A&M first, which ignited the flame of everything. After making the decision for herself, Santoro decided it was a fit for her and pulled the trigger as well.  Both Keller girls take years of state meet experience with them as well as their national stage experience earned from two consecutive years of competing at NXN. 


The two Keller runners will no only take their big race experiences to A&M, but what can't be overlooked is their ability to run and succeed individually and win within a team setting. Not only did they lead Keller to two consecutive state titles and NXN qualifications, but after a fifth place finish at state in 2016, Black finished second this past Fall. Sanotoro finished third at the 6A state meet in 2015 and 2016 and followed those performances up with a 10th place finish this season.

A&M also gets two natural leaders that could step in and potentially be captains from day one.

A&M continued to add depth to their class with Frisco Independance senior Grace Plain. Plain who also brings experience with her four years of 5A state meet qualifications has placed in the top 20 three of those years including a 10th place finish in 2016. Plain also has a combination of good speed and endurance as her PRs of 800m - 2:22.89, 1600m - 5:10.22, 3200m - 11:11.05, and 5K (xc) - 18:10.00 exhibit.


Flower Mound senior Laura Fairchild's commitment continued the theme of experience state wide and nationally. Fairchild earned national prominence early as a freshman. Her Lewisville Hebron team qualified for NXN and the success just continued to flow for Fairchild. She has continued to be one of the top distance runners in the state of Texas as she has also qualified for state each of her four years in high school earning both a sixth and seventh place finish. She has also qualified for the state track meet in the 1600m with a 4:56.35 PR.

This season Fairchild's leadership was on display as she led her Flower Mound crew to become one of the top teams in the state. 

Frisco Liberty senior Carrie Fish also signed to A&M. Fish is another four year state cross country meet qualifier topping out her junior and senior seasons with seventh and second place finishes. This year, Fish led her Liberty team to a 5A state title and then went on to qualify individually for NXN. She has also had success on the track as she has qualified for the state track meet in both the 1600m and 3200m.

Katy Cinco Ranch senior Megan Hopper is yet another Aggie signee who brings tons of state success to this class. Hopper is anotherA&M recruits who is a four year cross country state meet qualifier. Hopper has also had the team success as her Cinco Ranch squad has been a regular fixture at the 6A state meet.

Watch out as A&M is showing they are taking cross country and distance serious and keeping the athletes at home.