TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida State track and field and cross country program has signed 12 athletes to the 2022 class Head Coach Bob Braman announced on Thursday morning. I'm really excited for this upcoming class, Braman said. This is one of our best women’s classes we’ve ever signed during the early period. We have signed several athletes who are in the top tier of their events in the nation. Overall, the class boasts 16 All-America honors across the 12 athletes. The Seminoles signed six distance runners, four sprinters, a hurdler and jumper. There are five transfers in the class and three athletes from the Netherlands. Highlighting the class is jumper Kayla Pinkard and sprinter Kaniya Johsnon. Pinkard is currently the No. 1 triple jumper in the nation, and Johnson leads the nation in the 60m dash and the 200m dash. On the men's side, the class is led by a couple of junior college All-Americans in Denzell Feagin and Antoine Evans Jr. Feagin was the 2021 NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Champion in the 200m dash and finished second in the 100m dash while also helping the Barton Community College 4x100m relay team to a second-place finish. Evans Jr. finished third in the 200m dash at national meet and helped his Coffeyville Community College 4x100m relay team to a national championship. Men Antoine Evans Jr. (Sprints) - Delray Beach, Fla. - Coffeyville Community College Evans Jr. earned two All-America honors for Coffeyville Community College in the short sprints. Evans Jr. finished third in the 200m dash (20.66) at the NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He also helped the 4x100m relay to a national championship performance with a time of 39.47. Evans Jr.’s best times came at the NJCAA Region VI Championships with a time of 10.23 in the 100m dash and 20.64 200m dash. Evans Jr. is the son of Antoine Evans Sr. and Tameka Edgecombe. He has two siblings, Taniah and Jamarion Evans. He was named to the honor roll his freshman and senior years of high school. He plans to major in social science at FSU. What They’re Saying: “AJ is a multiple time juco All-American, as well as a champion running the third leg for Cofffeyville’s National Champion 4x100 meter team. I feel as though somehow he’s still a diamond in the rough. He has untapped potential, and he’s already ran very well. His future is very bright. Also being from Delray Beach, FL, he continues our tradition of bringing in-state talent to Tallahassee. I am very excited for his future.” - Assistant Coach Ricky Argo Denzell Feagin (Sprints) - Canal Winchester, Ohio - Barton Community College Feagin enters the men’s sprints group after a phenomenal 2021 season at Barton Community College. Feagin was the NJCAA national champion in the 200m dash with a time of 20.53. Feagin also finished second in the 100m dash with a time of 10.11 and helped the 4x100m relay team to a second-place finish. In 2020, Feagin qualified for the 2020 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 200m dash and was a member of the 4x400m relay team that finished third at the 2020 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. What They’re Saying: “Denzell is a phenomenal talent, and his resume proves that. The NJCAA runner-up in the 100 meters and NJCAA 200 meter national championship speak for themselves. Speaking with his junior college coaches during his recruitment, they all speak of his work ethic. I can’t wait to coach him. He is going to be a pillar now as well as the future in the sprints for FSU.” - Assistant Coach Ricky Argo Andrew Hammel (Distance) - Clyde, N.C. - Furman Hammel comes to Tallahassee after a short stint at Furman. Hammel was one of the top runners in the Southern Conference in the outdoor track season. Hammel ran a personal best time of 30:36.21 in the 10,000m run to finish second at the Southern Conference Outdoor Championships last May. Hammel competed at the FSU Open in September and ran a personal best time of 24:51.1 in the 8k race. Hammel attended Christ High School where he was a cross country state champion in 2019. Hammel will be eligible to compete in the spring for the Seminoles. Hammel is the son of Steve and Lori Hammel and has two siblings, Katelyn and Matthew. He was named to the Headmaster's Honor Roll at Christ High School. He will be majoring in exploratory at FSU. What They’re Saying: “We are excited that Andrew is a Seminole. He’s a tough runner and will be a great addition for our group. He has great experience at Furman and separated himself as one of the top runners in the Southern Conference.” - Head Coach Bob Braman Andy Martinez (Distance) - Melbourne, Fla. - Daytona State College A two-time JUCO cross country All-American, Martinez is another key piece to the men’s distance crew for the Noles. A product of Daytona State College, Martinez finished fifth at the NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships last November. His top time in the 8k came at the FSU XC Invite/Pre-National meet where he ran a 24:59.5. In three seasons, Martinez has posted nine top 10 finishes and two victories. Martinez will be eligible for competition this spring season. Martinez attended Viera High School in Melbourne, Fla., and was teammates with FSU signee Michael Toppi. He was a conference champion in the 1600m run and finished 13th at the 2019 Florida State Cross Country Championships. What They’re Saying: “Andy has some cross country chops, and he will be valuable to our squad right away. We are really excited to get him on campus.” - Head Coach Bob Braman. Michael Toppi (Distance) - Melbourne, Fla. - Viera High School Toppi is staying in the Sunshine State and has put himself at the top of the Florida high school record books. Topp has the top time in Florida high school history in the 5000m run with a time of 14:41.45 at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships on Dec. 4. Toppi was one of 40 athletes to qualify for the Eastbay Cross Country Championships. He finished second in the FHSAA Cross Country State Championships at Apalachee Regional Park and helped Viera High School to their first cross country championship in school history. Toppi is the son of Michelle and Jon Toppi. He plans on majoring in criminology at FSU. What They’re Saying: “We are really excited to bring Michael to Tallahassee. He was the top cross country runner in Florida this year, and he ran the fastest 5k in Florida high school history.” - Head Coach Bob Braman Women Suus Altorf (Middle Distance) - Hillegom, Netherlands - Atheneum College Hageveld Altorf was the final Dutch athlete to sign with the Noles and is a top ten 800m runner in the Netherlands. Altorf plans to run in the 800m and the 400m hurdles. Her top time in the 800m came at the Gouden Spike meet on June 12 where she finished fifth with a time of 2:05.99. Her time put her eighth among Dutch runners in the 800m. Altorf is a native of Hillegom, Netherlands, where she attended Athenueum College Hageveld. She is the daughter of Nico Altorf and Irma Beentjes and has a twin brother Rens. What They’re Saying: “Suus is well rounded. She’s a great student and outstanding on the track. Rarely have I run across an athlete with the range of ability that Suus has displayed. She’s ranked in the top 20 in the world for her age group (U18) in four different events. We are very excited to have an athlete of her caliber choose FSU.” - Assistant Coach Matt Kane Dajaz Defrand (Sprints) - Lincoln, Neb. - Lincoln High School One of the most decorated high school track athletes in Nebraska history will be a key contributor to the Noles sprinters group. DeFrand is a five-time All-American and holds the Nebraska record in the 100m (11.73) and is fourth on the all-time state list in the 200m (24.34). She was named the 2020-21 Nebraska Athlete of the Year and was a state champion in the 100m dash and 200m dash while helping the Lincoln High School 4x100m relay team to a state championship. DeFrand plans to major in interior design upon her arrival at FSU. She is the daughter of Laquanda Ellison and Donald DeFrand. Her father played football