Blue Devils Round Out Incoming Freshman Class with Eight Sprinters

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke track & field program has rounded out its incoming class for the 2021-22 season, with the Blue Devils adding five more to the sprints and hurdles unit. Danielle Bryant, Abby Geiser, Megan McGinnis and Chyler Turner will join the women's team, while Bri'Yon Watts is set to join the men this fall. The five will accompany the previously announced trio of Maddy Dietz, Amarachi Onuoha and Meredith Sims.

"I am extremely excited about this new group of sprinters and hurdlers to join the program and eager to get to work with them," said Associate Head Coach Mark Mueller. "On the women's side, it is the largest and deepest class of sprinters we have had, and I know that they are up to the task of carrying the momentum we have built and ready to take the program to new heights. On the men's side, Bri'Yon is a great talent, who I know will step in and immediately contribute at the conference level, and excited for him to be joining some seasoned transfers to help the men's program to the next level."

Danielle Bryant

A native of Wexford, Pa., Bryant joins the Blue Devils after a decorated tenure at Pine Richland High School in Gibsonia, Pa, where she set numerous school records in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m. Ranked as the top hurdler in the state of Pennsylvania during her junior and senior seasons, Bryant is a 17-time All-American in various sprints and hurdles events. She made some of the biggest waves in the 300m hurdles, where she ranked eighth in the nation in the event as a sophomore. Bryant also comes from an athletic family, as her father, Donald, played football at Virginia from 1985-89, while her mother, Pamela ran track & field at Temple.

Maddy Dietz

One of three announced in January, Dietz comes to Durham via Los Angeles, Calif., and Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif. Dietz is a two-time Most Valuable Sprinter on Notre Dame's team and was named her school's Athlete of the Year as a sophomore. Dietz navigated COVID-19 affected seasons by setting several PR's at virtual meets, running times of 12.00 seconds in the 100m and 24.46 seconds in the 200m. Dietz is also an accomplished student, as she is a National Honor Society member and graduated Maxima Cum Laude, with a GPA of over 4.0 her entire high school tenure.

Abby Geiser

Hailing from Keller, Texas, Geiser will compete in several events for the Blue Devils, as both a sprinter and long jumper. Geiser had a decorated career at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, Texas, winning a state title and setting the meet record in the long jump. She also set school records in the 100m, 200m and long jump and was named a two-time Player of the Year. Geiser was also a talented soccer player, earning All-State honors and leading the Dallas-Fort Worth area in scoring as a striker. In addition, Geiser comes from an athletic family as her mother, Diane, was a cross country and track & field athlete at Notre Dame from 1991-93.

Megan McGinnis

Joining the Blue Devils from Roanoke, Va., and Patrick Henry High School, McGinnis brings an experienced pedigree as both a sprinter and distance runner. McGinnis was the 2021 Class 5 State Champion in the 500m, placed second in the 400m and third in the 300m at the same state championship. She also ranked in the top-10 nationally in the 500m in 2021 and 2019. A team captain in both track & field and cross country, McGinnis set the school record in the 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m, 4x100m relay and 4x200m relay. McGinnis was also a seven-time 5D region champion and two-time All-Region honoree in cross country. In addition, she was an experienced lacrosse player, who was named to two 5D First Team All-Region teams.

Amarachi Onuoha

One of three announced in January, Onuoha joins the Blue Devils from Denver, Colo., and DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School. A gifted sprinter, Onuoha was a USATF Colorado Indoor Champion and the 2020 Air Force Open Champion in the 200m. In addition, she was named the 2021 DPS Outstanding Female Student-Athlete award winner in track & field and ran personal bests of 24.70 seconds in the 200m and 7.73 seconds in the 60m.

Meredith Sims

The final of three announced in January, Sims comes to Duke from Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas. One of the sprinters and hurdlers in the state of Texas, Sims was the 2021 Texas 5A UIL District Meet, Area Meet and Regional Meet champion in the 100m and was named to several All-State teams in her high school tenure. Sims helped lead Highland Park to the Texas 5A UIL District and Area Championships and finished as the school record holder in the 100m and 300m hurdles. Sims come from an athletic family, as her father, Scott, was an All-Ivy League football player at Dartmouth from 1985-89 and her great-grandfather was an international Swimming Hall of Famer and world record setting swimmer in the 100yd, 100m, 200yd breaststroke and 300yd medley relay at Princeton from 1935-39.

Chyler Turner

Coming to Durham from Shreveport, La., and the DreamKeepers Academy, Turner joins the Blue Devils as a three-time All-American. In the 2021 and 2019 seasons, Turner took home the state, district, and regional championships in the 100m, 100m Hurdles, 200m and 300m Hurdles and was named an LHSAA 4A Most Valuable Player in both seasons. Turner holds the Louisiana 4A 100m hurdles record at 13.70 seconds and will fill a valuable role competing in several sprints and hurdles events in Durham. Turner is also a gifted student, having been named to the Louisiana All-State Academic Track & Field Team and becoming a National Honor Society member among several academic honors.

Bri'Yon Watts

A native of Richton Park, Ill., Watts brings a strong record of success in the sprints and hurdles from his tenure at Southland College Prep Charter High School. Watts was the 2019 USATF Boys 15-16 400m Hurdles Champion, the 2019 Athlete of the Year at Southland College Prep Charter and the 2019 Team Most Valuable Player. In addition, Watts delivered several top performances in the competitive state of Illinois, finishing eighth in the 2021 state 300m Hurdles and finished 12th in the 2021 state 110m Hurdles. Watts is also an accomplished public speaker, winning several awards, including being the 2021 IHSA Speech Dramatic Interpretation State Champion and placing as a finalist in the 2021 August Wilson Monologue Competition and the August Wilson Monologue Chicago Division Competition three years in a row (2019-2021).

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