INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Head Men’s Cross Country Coach Chuck Koeppen announced that four in-state preps have signed agreements and will join the Jaguars this fall. Dustin Neff (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) signed a departmental grant-in-aid document and will join the Jaguars after spending the past season at Grand Valley State University. In addition, Cody Marowski (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville), Tucker Settle (Hope, Ind./Columbus East) and Austin Young (Kokomo, Ind./Western) all signed National Letters of Intent to join the program and will be true freshmen be in 2010-11. 

The quartet will join a roster that already boasts a pair of All-League returners and a senior laden core.

"I’m happy with the guys coming in," Koeppen said. "We hit a homerun with these guys. They’re all good runners, have high character and are good students. They’re just a really good group of guys and we’re excited to blend them in with the guys coming back."

Marowski earned eight varsity letters in cross country and track and was a three-time state competitor in cross country. In 2009, he was an All-Regional performer and in 2007 earned All-Conference honors. This past season, he served as team captain for both the cross country and track teams and was twice named Noblesville’s Most Valuable Distance Runner after the track season. Twice he qualified for the state track meet during his prep career. His career best 5K time was 15:46 and his best 3,200 meter time was 9:35.

Neff redshirted in both cross country and track last year at Grand Valley State and will retain all four years of eligibility. He earned six varsity letters in cross country and track while at Westfield High School was a two-time All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference performer in cross country. He was a two-time All-Sectional performer and an All-Regional honoree in 2008. In track, he was an All-HCC runner his senior year. He intends on majoring in exercise science at IUPUI.

Settle earned eight varsity letters in cross country and track at Columbus East High School and was a two-time XC Team MVP. He also earned All-Area Runner of the Year honors in 2008 and 2009 and was the team’s top point getter each of his final two seasons. He was picked as the team’s Top Freshman in 2006 and earned the Effort Award in track in 2009. He intends on studying mechanical engineering at IUPUI.

Young earned eight varsity letters in cross country and track while at Western High School. His senior year, he won the Howard County and MIC Conference Championship with a time of 16:27. On the track, he was the Howard County and MIC Conference champ in the 3,200 meter run and later qualified for the IHSAA State Meet in that event. On the indoor track, he earned All-State honors by finishing eighth in the 3,200 at the Hoosier State Relays. For his cross country career, he was a three-time All-MIC performer and a two-time New Prairie Semi-State Meet qualifier. He capped his career by earning Team MVP honors in cross country and the Most Valuable Distance Runner Award in track. Academically, he intends on studying business in the Kelley School of Business.

IUPUI’s 2010 cross country season is slated to begin on Sept. 4 when the Jaguars take part in the Dayton Flyer 5K Challenge in Kettering, Ohio. The Jags finished fourth in The Summit in 2009, accumulating 115 total points.