HAMMOND, La. – Three more student-athletes signed with the Southeastern Louisiana track and field program during the recent early signing period, Lions assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Corey Mistretta announced on Monday.
 
    The newest addition to the men's team is Cliff Resias, a sprinter from Nassau, Bahamas. Joining the Lady Lions are long sprinter Milica Ozegovic from Bosnia & Herzegovina and sprinter Destinee Jeanpiere from Kenner, Louisiana.

    Resias will be a January enrollee and is eligible to compete for Southeastern in the 2017 indoor and outdoor seasons. Ozegovic and Jeanpiere will be eligible next fall.

    Those three join a class that features distance runners Adam Cortez (El Paso, Texas), Parker Phillips (Eden Prairie, Minnesota), Reed Callegan (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), Logan Thibodeaux (Donaldsonville, Louisiana), Breanna Bernard (Donaldsonville), Sophie Daigle (Donaldsonville), Lindsey Hutcheson (Bossier City, Louisiana) and Tara Stuntz (Prairieville, Louisiana); hurdler Jacquelyn Walker (Jefferson City, Missouri); and thrower Taylor Jeffers (Temecula, California).

    The early signing period ran from Nov. 9-16.

    Resias, who comes from Southeastern from Iowa Western Community College, will look to follow in the tradition of Lion sprinters from the Bahamas. That list includes current Lions Andre Colebrook, Maverick Bowleg and Ashley Riley, who helped Southeastern capture the 4x400-meter relay title at the 2016 Southland Conference Indoor Championships.

    "Cliff will bring some needed depth to our sprint group and should be a scorer for us both indoors and outdoors," Mistretta said. "We have had some great success with our Bahamian sprinters and believe Cliff is in that same category."
    
    Ozegovic has competed two seasons at the University of Banjaluka in Bosnia.

    "She has been very successful running at the international level in the 400- and 800-meter events," Mistretta said. "She will join a very strong group of 400-meter runners we currently have that could potentially be a regional qualifying group in the 1,600-meter relay. Her ability to move up to the 800 meters is going to help us cover additional events at the conference championships."

    Jeanpiere is currently competing for Archbishop Chapelle High School. She ran the 60 meters at the 2016 Division I state meet and the 200 at the Class 5A state championships.

    "Destinee is another great Louisiana pickup for us," Mistretta said. "She was used primarily in relay events in high school; however, after competing this summer at the AAU National Championships, she has positioned herself as one of the top senior female sprinters in Louisiana. We are super excited about what Destinee is going to bring to our sprint group next year with us having to replace Sharrona Williams and Kaelynn Smith."

    Southeastern is scheduled to open the 2017 indoor track and field season at the LSU Purple Tiger in Baton Rouge on Jan. 6.
 
2016 Southeastern La. Track and Field Signees
Men
Reed Callegan - Distance - Baton Rouge, La. - St. Michael HS
Adam Cortez - Distance - El Paso, Texas - Franklin HS
Parker Phillips - Distance - Eden Prairie, Minn. - Eden Prairie HS
Cliff Resias – Sprints – Nassau, Bahamas – Iowa Western CC
Logan Thibodeaux - Distance - Donaldsonville, La. - Ascension Catholic HS 
 
Women
Breanna Bernard - Distance - Donaldsonville, La. - Ascension Catholic HS
Sophie Daigle - Distance - Donaldsonville, La. - Ascension Catholic HS
Lindsey Hutcheson - Distance - Bossier City, La. - Parkway HS 
Destinee Jeanpiere – Sprints – Kenner, La. – Archbishop Chapelle HS
Taylor Jeffers - Thrower - Temecula, Calif. - Great Oak HS
Milica Ozegovic – Long Sprints – Bosnia & Herzegovina – University of Banjaluka
Tara Stuntz - Distance - Prairieville, La. - Dutchtown HS
Jacquelyn Walker - Hurdler - Jefferson City, Mo. - Jefferson City HS