MState Distance Runner Rob Ellis Joins Signing Class
STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Mississippi State Associate Head Track and Field Coach Steve Dudley has announced the signing of Rob Ellis of Tupelo, Miss., to a national letter-of-intent. Ellis will begin competition for the Bulldogs during the 2008-09 season.
As a distance runner, Ellis will work closely with Assistant Coach Houston Franks.
Ellis was part of the Tupelo High Golden Wave cross country and track and field team that swept both the 2007 Mississippi High School 5A Cross Country and Track and Field championships. The senior posted his career-best time of 4 minutes, 32.12 seconds in the 1600-meter run en route to capturing the individual title in the event at last year’s state championship. Ellis also ran a career-best time of 2:00.90 in the 800-meter run, finishing second.
Ellis took home top honors in the 5000-meter run at the Saltillo Cross Country Invitational, crossing the line in a personal-best 15:49.43. He also placed second at the 2007 Mississippi High School Cross Country meet, where his teammates garnered seven of the top 10 spots in the race.
“We are really excited to have Rob sign with us,” said assistant coach Houston Franks. “He is a very accomplished distance runner who has won individual state championships both in track and in cross country. He comes from a program at Tupelo High that has established a great winning tradition in the state of Mississippi with seven straight state championships in cross country, in which Rob has played a huge role.
“He is a very talented, hard working young runner who will be a great addition to both our cross country and track and field teams. It is always important for us as a program to try to sign the best track and field athletes in the state of Mississippi, and we feel that we have done that in signing Rob.”
Ellis was honored as Mississippi’s top cross country runner in 2007 with the Mississippi Blue Cross Blue Shield PopStar award.