Women's Track/Cross Country Signs Two Recruits for the 2015-16 Season
11.19.14 | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field
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PHILADELPHIAÂ - Two recruits will join Temple's women's track and cross country team for the 2015-16 season. Maddie Bixler (West Chester, Pa./B. Reed Henderson) and Alexis O'Shea (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) have both signed National Letters of Intent and will compete for the Owls next fall.
"I have asked coach Snyder to find the kind of student-athletes that have a passion for track and cross country and are talented enough to start building a successful program here at Temple," said head coach Elvis Forde. "We will invest scholarships in our middle distance and distance runners as a way to create success in this discipline of the program."Â
        Maddie BixlerBixler is a West Chester native who competes in both track and cross country at B. Reed Henderson High School. In track, she competes in the 1600m and 3200m (PR 11:14.09) race. She won the 5,000m race at the adidas XC Challenge this fall in a time of 18:56.20. She also placed 15th at the PIAA District 1 Championships in the 5,000m run with a time of 18:50, a personal-best. Bixler boasts a 4.7 GPA and plans to major in actuarial science at Temple.Â
"I believe Maddie will come in right away and make an immediate impact in our distance group," said coach James Snyder. "As a president's scholar, Maddie is a model student-athlete that will be studying within the Fox School of Business."
         Alexis O'SheaO'Shea is an all-state runner in cross country along with indoor and outdoor track for West Allegheny High School. She competes in both middle distance and distance; with a personal-record time of 2:13.96 for the 800m, 5:01.41 mile, and 18:05 for 5K. O'Shea placed seventh at the PIAA State Championships in the 5,000m run in a time of 18:33 and fourth in the PIAA District 7 WPIAL Championships for the same event this fall. During her junior track season, she won the PIAA District 7 title in the 800m run in 2:13.98 and placed eighth in the same event at the PIAA T&F State Championship. O'Shea plans to major in kinesiology at Temple, concentrating on personal training/health and wellness.
"Alexis has some of the best range from 800m through cross country of any girl in the state," said Snyder. "I'm incredibly excited about her potential to elevate the competitiveness of our program on the track and course."Â
"Success means being very competitive and trying to win championships in the AAC and reaching the NCAA post season," said Forde. "Based on their previous success, Bixler and O'Shea bring that to the team and will make an impact as freshmen."
