Coach Carlson Announces 2025-26 Signing Class for Cross Country and Track & Field

Matthew Eggen Cross Country 8/5/2025 12:00:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Cross Country and Track & Field Head Coach Andrew Carlson has announced the addition of 14 student-athletes to the program on Tuesday.

Seven women and seven men make up the 2025-26 recruiting class as the program enters its third season with Coach Carlson at the helm.

The Braves are coming off a season that featured a sweep of the team titles at the Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships in November 2024 and 11 MVC Track & Field titles in March and May 2025. Seven athletes qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, headlined by Jack Crull securing First Team All-American honors after a sixth-place finish in the Men's 1500m Championship in mid-June.

Julia Brown | Sprints | Oak Park, Illinois | Oak Park-River Forest
Julia Brown joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. Brown capped off her four-year career as one of the top 400m runners in Illinois, finishing in second place in the Girls 3A Outdoor 400m Final at the Illinois State Championship this past May. Brown ran 54.51 in the championship, the second-fastest time in the IHSA in 2025. She was also a part of a 4x100m Relay team from Oak Park-River Forest that placed sixth at the IHSA State Championships, earning all-state honors.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
We are very fortunate to have an athlete like Julia Brown joining our program. One of the top 400M runners in Illinois and the Midwest, choosing Bradley is a huge win for our program. Julia showed massive improvement in her Senior year, and her trajectory suggests she's an NCAA Championships-caliber athlete. I can't wait to see Coach Roder and Julia get to work on meeting that potential!

Christian Harris | Distance | Morton, Illinois | Morton
Christian Harris joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. Harris is coming off a third-place finish in the Boys 2A Outdoor 1600m Final at the Illinois State Championships in May. Harris was also a two-time Mid-Illini Conference Champion, winning the three-mile cross-country title in October 2024 and an outdoor track & field conference championship in the Boys' 1600m in May 2025, finishing nine seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
We were delighted to have one of the top runners in Central Illinois choose to stay in the area. Throughout the recruiting process, it became very apparent how dedicated an athlete Christian is and how much passion he has for the sport. He combines it with very good closing speed and a very high level of work ethic. We are excited to have a local student-athlete come to Bradley and be great.

Sawyer LeBlanc | Distance | Newfoundland, Canada | Gonzaga H.S.
Sawyer LeBlanc joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. LeBlanc most recently won the Ontario Track & Field Outdoor Championship in the 3000m with a personal-best time of 8:25.72, achieved this past July. LeBlanc adds the Ontario Championship to his impressive Canadian Track & Field resume. LeBlanc also won two Canadian Indoor 3000m Championships and a Canadian Indoor 1500m championship in his prep career. He holds a personal best of 3:48.71 in 1500m. Indoors, Sawyer clocked 4:10.37 for the full Mile.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
Sawyer is a very special athlete with talent that is only matched by his commitment and dogged determination to reach his full potential. During the recruitment process, I knew that we were up against some significant distance-running universities. Sawyer sees the potential in Bradley, and we are looking forward to matching his level of commitment with our own. Sawyer has not even come close to reaching his threshold of success, and we can't wait to see him continue to improve into one of the best athletes in the NCAA.

David Locke | Middle Distance | Maesycwmmer, Caerphilly, Wales | Loughborough University/Penn State
David Locke joins Bradley as a graduate transfer entering the 2025-26 season. Locke's 800m personal best is 1:46.41, a time ranking in the top 10 in Welsh Track & Field history. In 2025, Locke's season-best of 1:47.47 came at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
Having an athlete like David decide to join forces with our middle-distance group at Bradley shows the level they have reached in a short time. David adds major firepower to a group that was already ranked in the top 15 in the NCAA at 800 meters, but also brings valuable attributes as a leader with experience and a mentor to the younger athletes coming up. Coach Mulzer has done a fantastic job with the 800M group, and I am looking forward to seeing the two of them work together to take David to new heights.

Nathan Miller | Sprints/Hurdles | Center Point, Iowa | Center-Point Urbana
Nathan Miller joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. Miller joins after a sensational senior season capped off with four titles won at the Iowa Outdoor Track & Field State Championships. Miller won the 400m and 400m Hurdles championships individually, setting new personal records in each event. He was also the anchor man on Center-Point Urbana's 4x400m and 800m Sprint Medley Relay championship-winning teams. Miller set new personal bests in the 400m (47.88) and 400m Hurdles (51.04) IHSAA State Championship races.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
Nathan is one of the best High School 400M hurdlers in the country, and we couldn't be more excited that he is bringing his talents to Bradley. As we continue to work to build the sprints side of our program, Nathan allows for an immediate injection of high-level performance and instant success at the MVC and NCAA levels. He will also add an elite leg of our men's 4x400 squad, which is a sleeping giant in the MVC.

Landon Pogue | Distance | Hillsboro, Missouri | Hillsboro
Landon Pogue joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. In Pogue's junior season, he finished 10th at the Missouri Class 4 State Cross Country 5K Championship in 2023 and eighth in the 3200m Final at the Missouri Class 4 Outdoor Track & Field State Championships.
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COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
Landon adds depth to the Missouri faction of our program. Following in the footsteps of greats like Jack Crull, Michael Rebello, Jaxson Copelin, the Lind Brothers, and many more, Landon will look to carry the torch as the next great Missouri athlete.

Ayva Rush | Sprints | Vienna, Illinois | Vienna
Ayva Rush joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. Rush qualified for the 2025 IHSA 1A Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 200m and 400m events after winning her sectional race. She also qualified for the 400m IHSA 1A Outdoor State Championship in 2024. She set new personal bests in the 200m (26.85) and 400m (1:00.25), both of which were set at the Bluford (Webber) Class 1A TRG Sectional in 2025.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
Ayva is an ATHLETE and a COMPETITOR. A 1000+ point scorer in basketball and one of the top 200M/400M runners in 1A, her upside is tremendous when she brings her focus to the track year-round. We always like to see someone at their best during the biggest meets of the season, and Ayva has consistently done that throughout her high school career. She will join a great group of 200/400 athletes at Bradley and I am looking forward to what they can accomplish together.

Michael Schmalz | Distance | Ontario, Canada | Notre Dame Catholic Secondary
Michael Schmalz joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. In 2025, Schmalz earned a third-place finish in the 800m Final at the 2025 Ontario Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Schmalz's bronze medal earned him another podium finish in Ontario Track & Field, adding to his bronze in the 800m Final at the 2024 Ontario Outdoor Track & Field Championships and silver in the 3000m OFSAA Championship in 2023. Schmalz also holds an eighth-place finish in OFSAA in 2023. Schmalz holds an 800m personal best of 1:53.10 and a 1500m personal best of 3:53.80.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
Michael has had success in Canada, from 800M to Cross-Country. His future lies in events of 3000M and higher, as his body continues to adapt to higher volumes of training. Moreover, Michael is the type of person we want to have at Bradley. Hard-working, receptive to change, supportive of the people around him, and with a great attitude. It's those characteristics, along with tremendous talent, that I believe have Michael on track for a great future in Peoria.

Wiepke Schoeman | Distance | Gauteng, South Africa | Hoërskool Zwartkop
Wiepke Schoeman joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. Schoeman is a three-time South African Champion, having earned track & field, cross-country, and road racing championships throughout her athletic career. Schoeman has also qualified for the World Cross Country Championships twice. In 2025, she finished third in both the 3000m and 5000m Finals at the South African U20 Championships in Cape Town. Schoeman holds personal bests of 4:30.84 (1500m) and 9:48.45 (3000m).

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
We were very excited to maintain Bradley's connection with South Africa by bringing in one of their top athletes, Wiepke Schoeman. Wiepke had an incredible breakthrough on the track this year, lowering her PBs significantly at 1500M and 3000M. Momentum is huge when you are entering the NCAA, and she has it. We are looking forward to welcoming Wiepke to the Hilltop and are confident that she will have an immediate impact on our program.

Noelle Steines | Distance | Tipton, Iowa | Tipton
Noelle Steines joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. Steines amassed 14 Iowa State Championships in her four-year career at Calamus-Wheatland and Tipton High School, closing with four in her senior outdoor track & field season at Tipton. Steines won IHSAA 2A titles in the 800m, 1500m, and 3000m events individually and added a 1600m Sprint Medley Relay title. Steines holds personal bests of 2:11.49 (800m), 4:35.19 (1500m), and 9:53.95 (3000m), all of which came at the 2025 IHSAA Outdoor State Championships.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
Noelle is a proven winner and has the potential to be one of the best to represent the B. Noelle is super versatile with the ability to compete at a high level in many disciplines. We were thrilled when Noelle made her commitment to Bradley University, as we continue to establish ourselves as one of the top programs in the Midwest, bringing in some of the best athletes from the region.

Jacob Trangmar | Distance | Fordham, England | Hills Road Sixth Form College
Jacob Trangmar joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. Trangmar is the Anglian Schools Cross Country Champion, finished fourth at the English Schools Cross Country Championships and placed in the top 10 at the Leeds XC Challenge. Trangmar has a personal best of 8:33.60 in 3000m, 3:54.12 (1500m), and 14:38 at 5000m.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
Jacob has only begun to scratch the surface of his potential at 1500 M and above. Following a breakout season in Cross-Country, he has continued to set new bests at all distances while competing at the highest levels of U18 competition in England. I am very confident that his progression has only just begun and will make a big splash in his first year on the Hilltop on both the grass and the track.

Bente Van Milligen | Middle Distance | Apeldoorn, Netherlands | Veluws College Walterbosch
Bente Van Milligen joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. In June, Van Milligen finished second in the 800m Final at the ASICS Dutch U20 Championships. She also had a silver medal in the 800m Final at the 2024 Dutch U18 Indoor Championships and a bronze medal in the 800m Final at the 2023 event. Van Milligen holds a personal best of 2:09.89 in 800m and 4:35.31 in 1500m.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
Coach Mulzer identified Bente as one of our top recruits and a main priority early in the process last year. We were thrilled when Bente decided to come to Bradley, and we believe she will be a standout athlete in the MVC and NCAA upon arrival. Her training and skill set match up very well with Coach Mulzer's program, and I know they will be a dynamic duo from the start.

Lindsey Wenz | Middle Distance | Plainfield, Illinois | Plainfield North
Lindsey Wenz joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. Wenz qualified for the 2025 Illinois 3A Outdoor State Track & Field Championships, competing in the 800m preliminary round. Wenz won a state championship as a part of the 4x400m Relay team from Plainfield North and earned a silver medal in the 4x800m Relay. Wenz competed at the Nike Outdoor Nationals meet in the summer of 2025, running the anchor legs in Plainfield North's 4x400m and 1600m Sprint Medley Relay teams. She holds a personal best of 57.89 in the 400m event and 2:14.04 in the 800m.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
It was clear during the recruiting process that we wanted an athlete like Lindsey Wenz as a part of our program. Positive, upbeat, and team-centered, Lindsey is going to be a tremendous athlete and teammate at Bradley. Like many of the other athletes we have coming in, her future is very bright. Running PBs in all events and anchoring a state championship 4x400 shows that she knows how to close out a high school career strong, and we look forward to helping her keep that momentum at Bradley.

Ava Wilson | Sprints | Long Grove, Illinois | Adlai E. Stevenson
Ava Wilson joins Bradley as a freshman entering the 2025-26 season. Wilson won an Outdoor 100m North Suburban Conference Championship in 2025 and qualified for the Illinois Class 3A State Championship in multiple events. Wilson competed in the 200m State Championship preliminary race and was a member of the state-qualifying 4x100m Relay team. She has a 200m personal best of 25.02 seconds and a 400m personal best of 58.92 seconds.

COACH CARLSON'S COMMENTS
An established 100M/200M athlete with the potential to be a force at 400M, we were fired up when Ava chose Bradley! Getting to know her and her family during their time on campus was all we needed to know that Ava is going to excel at a high level both athletically and academically at Bradley. Coach Roder and his crew have a lot to be excited about in the 2025-26 season, and Ava will be a dynamic part of our sprints program.

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