The 'Dream Team?' FSU Track lands super signing class
You'll have to pardon the Florida State track and field coaching staff if there were a lot of cheers and screams coming from their offices this past week. When the early signing period ended on Wednesday, the Seminoles had wrapped up not only one of the best recruiting classes in the country, but one of the best in school history.
FSU signed 12 athletes, including the nation's top-ranked athletes in the boys' 110-meter hurdles, the 200 boys' meters and the girls' 100 meters.
“It’s just an incredible recruiting class,” said FSU head coach Bob Braman, who begins his 14th season at the helm of the men’s and women’s program. “All of our coaches participated; everybody had a hand in it. … We worked together on this and it made a big, big difference. It’s an unbelievable class that ranks up with one of the best ones we’ve had.”
The Seminoles landed elite prospects who will help in several areas of the program, but perhaps the biggest splash will come from the sprinters.
Sprints coach Ricky Argro, an FSU alum who was hired last year when former assistant Ken Harnden bolted for Georgia, landed several of the nation's top athletes, including Texas product Shamon Ehiemua and Florida's Chauncy Smart. Ehiemua ranks No. 1 nationally in the 200 meters and No. 2 in the 100. Smart is currently No. 4 in the 100 meters.
On the women's side, the Seminoles snared Florida product Katia Seymour, who ranks No. 1 in the 100 and No. 4 in the 200, as well as Alabama's Jayla Kirkland, who ranks No. 3 in the 200 and No. 5 in the 100.
"We are very, very happy across the board when you see how we did both on the men's and women's side for this class," Argro said. "We definitely put ourselves in great position for the future, and we look forward to build from here. For me personally, I wanted to sign some talented athletes, but two things that were priorities for me was re-establish our name in the state of Florida and also landing outstanding young men and women that want to compete and understand the tradition of Florida State."
One of the keys to accomplishing those goals was winning a huge recruiting battle with the rival Florida Gators for Smart, the No. 1 sprinter in the state.
"His potential is special," Argro said. "He's not a kid that has been running track for a long time. He didn't start running track until he got into high school. He's done a lot in a short time. He's a tough kid with a football background, which I always loved."
According to Argro, Smart will be able to help FSU in the 60 meters immediately and then also in the 100. While UF was major competition, the Seminoles' sprints coach said his biggest worry was whether Smart was going to choose football as his primary sport in college.
"He's a very powerful athlete when you see him run," Argro said. "The major concern for getting him was football. But one day he gave me a call about a month ago, and he talked to me about giving up football. Once he made that decision, I felt we had a good chance. We also had a great relationship, so I was confident there."
Smart, who stars at Auburndale High, also had high praise for the 'Noles.
"I know I made the best choice of my life," he said. "I would say what is special about FSU is they care about you past just being an athlete. They kept everything real with me from the start."
Smart said his relationship with Argro was a key factor in his decision for two reasons. Number one, he knows that Argro has a proven record when it comes to developing sprinters. And number two, he appreciated Argro's no-nonsense approach.
"Coach Rick is really cool. He's going to tell you how it is," said Smart, who plans to return to FSU's campus for the Florida game on Nov. 26. "That's one thing different about him compared to other schools I would say. He's real about everything. That is one thing that caught my attention about him. I think when I get to FSU, he's going to help me get more relaxed as I come out really hard on my starts and run. So he'll help a lot improving my time."
As important as the Smart signing was, landing Ehiemua out of Houston was even bigger from a national standpoint. It caps off a yearlong pursuit that started as soon as Argro was hired by Braman last summer.
"Shamon was a humongous get," Argro said. "What was funny is I sent him a letter when we first got the job. It was a handwritten letter from me. And once he signed, Shamon told me he still has that letter and that it meant a lot to him that I did that. Knowing that he saved that was something special to me."
Argro said Ehiemua has posted times of 10.29 in the 100 and 20.56 in the 200, and he believes Ehiemua could run the 400 on the college level as well.
"With the proper training and working hard, he has the potential to be a national champion as long as he keeps his goal right," Argro said. "You also have to remember he ran those times as a junior. His potential is tremendous. Those times are pretty rare at his age, especially running those times in different events. It's special."
Ehiemua announced his commitment on Monday morning after choosing the 'Noles over Texas A&M, LSU and others.
"The family point was a big thing for me, and I have a great coach with the staff there," Ehiemua said. "I thought it was perfect for me. One thing that made a big impression on me was when I went to the airport for my official visit, the entire team was there to greet me. That showed how much they cared about me. Tallahassee is a fun city. Great college town."
Ehiemua also talked about the letter he received from Argro last year.
"That letter is actually on my wall," he said. "It's always been my dream to run track at FSU, ever since I was eight. Now I'm living out a dream going to FSU."
Ehiemua and Smart both said they are just as excited as about the rest of the Seminoles' class as they are about the opportunities for themselves. They've taken to calling this group recruits, "The Dream Team."
"It really is. I honestly think this is the best class in the country for any track program, although I might be biased," Ehiemua said. "It's something about FSU. When you think about track, you think about FSU. They might not win it every year, but they are consistently there every year, especially for sprinters."
Make no mistake, this class was far more than just about the sprinters.
FSU assistant coach Brandon Hon, who led the efforts to bring in Seymour and Kirkland for the women's team, also landed elite hurdlers Trey Cunningham on the men's side and Courtney Jones on the women's.
"The kids see that we are 100 percent what we say," Argro said. "We are going to coach you hard and work you, but it's a family and we are trying to build a brand and a place where you can win national championships."
