BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, NY - St. Francis Brooklyn men's and women's track and cross country head coach Chris Mills has announced eight additions for the 2022-23 academic year.
Josmy Cerda, Lance Hubert, Maxwell Ming, KyMoy Phillip and JohnAnthony VanWallendael are set to join the men's teams. Angel Okafor, Lara Jacobs and Viola Alisch will join the women's team.
"I am proud to bring these eight to St. Francis," said Mills. "After the success we achieved during the 2021-22 school year, we believe these young men and women can help us continue to build on those achievements and represent us well in competition and in the classroom."
Josmy Cerda | Mid-Distance | 5-6 | Staten Island, NY (Curtis High School)
Josmy Cerda comes across the Verrazano Bridge from Staten Island where he was a mid-distance runner with Curtis High School and the Ocean Breeze Waverunners Club. He ran the 400m, 800m, and 1500m for the Warriors while also competing with the cross country team. He is originally from the Dominican Republic, moving to the United States at 10 years old. Cerda chose St. Francis because of how welcomed the team made him feel. He plans to major in Exercise Science with a plan to one day work as a physical therapist.
Lance Hubert | Mid-Distance | 6-0 | El Paso, TX (Chicago State)
Hubert comes to St. Francis after spending two seasons with Chicago State. He competed for the Cougars' cross country teams and indoor and outdoor track teams. Hubert participated in the 400m, 600m and 800m as well as the 4x100 and 4x400 relays in track competition. He logged third-place finishes in the 800m at the Illini Invitational during the indoor season and as part of the 4x400m team at the Carl Knight Invitational during the outdoor season. Hubert was named Academic All-WAC in the 2020-21 school year. Prior to his time at Chicago State, he graduated from Briar Woods High School in Ashburn, Vir. He was a two-sport athlete at Briar Woods, playing three seasons of basketball and competing for two seasons with the track team. He chose to come from St. Francis because he felt it was a great fit for him and plants to continue his Accounting degree program.
Maxwell Ming | Mid-Distance | 6-3 | Brooklyn, NY (Orchard Collegiate Academy)
Maxwell stays close to home coming to St. Francis as a Brooklyn native. He graduated from Orchard Collegiate Academy on the Lower East Side, where he was an honor roll student. On the track, Ming represented Dashing Dons and Divas Club for the past two seasons. He qualified for the USA Track and Field (USATF) National Youth Championships for the indoor and outdoor seasons. He scored four top 15 finishes at Indoor Nationals - taking fourth in the 3000m, seventh in the 1500m, eighth in the 800m and 12th in the 400m. Ming continued his success in the outdoor season; qualifying for USATF Nationals in the 800m and earning two top-three finishes at the USATF New York Association Junior Olympic Championships. Ming chose St. Francis to stay close to home and plans to major in Criminal Justice with plans toward a post-grad career in law enforcement.
KyMoy Phillip | Sprints/Mid-Distance | 5-8 | Brooklyn, NY (Brooklyn High School of the Arts)
KyMoy Phillip comes to St. Francis after making his name as one of the top youth runners in New York City. His success began at age 12 when he won the Young Runners 800m at Millrose Games for three consecutive years, and would go on to make multiple indoor and outdoor national championships in the 200m, 400m and 800m. As a member of the Prospect Park Running Club, he finished his youth career strong over the last two years, making the indoor and outdoor USATF National Youth Championships. Phillip secured a personal best in the 400m (51.85) at 2022 USATF National Youth Indoor Championships. He is also a Running Youth Ambassador for the New York Road Runners. Off the track, Phillip has been committed to professional and academic growth. He earned an internship with the Bloomberg Philanthropies programs supporting the arts. This year, he will be a research intern at Medgar Evers College. Phillip chose SFBK to stay close to home in Brooklyn and for the connection he feels to the team. While he has a passion for music and dance, he plans to major in Exercise Science at St. Francis.
JohnAnthony VanWallendael | Mid-Distance | 6-3 | Woodside, NY (Cathedral Preparatory School)
A four-sport athlete at Cathedral Prep, JohnAnthony VanWallendael comes to St. Francis as another impact runner in the mid-distance races. He finished top ten in the 800m during his junior and senior outdoor seasons at the CHSAA New York State Intersectional Championship. On the basketball court, he led the Crusaders to the 2022 CHSAA B Division Championship as a captain and was named to the All-League Team for his efforts. VanWallendael averaged 12.6 points per game his senior season. He chose St. Francis for the welcoming environment created by the team and plans to major in Exercise Science.
Angel Okafor | Mid-Distance/Relays | 5-5 | Staten Island, NY (Curtis High School)
Angel Okafor comes to Brooklyn as another Curtis High School product from Staten Island. She was a four-year member of the Warriors' cross country and track and field teams. Okafor was consistently one of the top runners in Staten Island and New York City, placing second in the 800m at the 2022 PSAL City Championships. She also ran in the 400m and as a member of the 4x400m, which placed sixth at the same meet. She has committed the same energy to her track career and her academic career; already on the fast track to becoming a nurse. Okafor received a number of academic awards at Curtis High School, including the President's Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement. She plans to enter St. Francis's pre-med program this fall and chose SFBK for the program and the school's diversity.
Lara Jacobs | Distance | 5-2 | New York, NY (Mitchell College)
Jacobs comes to St. Francis from Mitchell College after earning recognition as the 2021 New England Collegiate Conference Cross Country Runner of the Year. Jacobs placed first at the NECC Championships in Oct. 2021, beating her nearest opponent by 17 seconds. She was named NECC Runner of the Week three times during the season and closed the year being named to the NECC All-Conference First Team and the NECC Academic All-Conference Team. Jacobs earned a place at NCAA Regionals, finishing in 25:50. She chose St. Francis for the opportunity to compete at a Division I level and continue her education in a new program. She plans to major in Educational Studies.
Viola Alisch | Distance | 5-6 | Munich, Germany (Shaw University)
Alisch joins St. Francis after one season as a three-sport athlete at Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C. She competed for the Bears in women's soccer, cross country and track and field. On the trails, Alisch was one of Shaw's top cross country runners; placing seventh at the CIAA Championships in 2021 as the team's second finisher. She helped the Bears to a fourth-place finish at the meet. On the track, she earned a tenth place finish in the 1500m Final at the CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Alisch also appeared in 13 games for the Shaw women's soccer team with five starts. She scored her first collegiate goal against Allen on Oct. 17 and her first assist against King (Tenn.) on Sept. 25. Prior to beginning her collegiate career at Shaw, she graduated from Pestalozzi-Gymnasium München in her hometown of Munich, Germany. She competed in the club soccer circuit for more than ten years and has competed in cross country and track since 2018. Outside of sport, Alisch was a child actor at the regional theatre in Munich and worked with classical music in her free time. She plans to major in Management and minor in Sports Management. She chose St. Francis for the high-level education and the opportunity to compete at the Division I level.
The men's and women's cross country teams kick off the 2022 schedule Sept. 1 at the Father Bede Invitational, hosted by Saint Francis (PA).
Follow along with both programs all season on Twitter and Instagram!