The objective of HPC’s Elite Team is to take emerging elite athletes who have not reached their potential and train them to compete with and outperform the best athletes at the highest levels. If you are interested in supporting the HPC Elite Team in their quest for Beijing, please donate via the link below. This will help to cover travel to competitions, lodging, rental cars, etc. All donations will be split amongst team members unless specifically requested.
Tiina Magi
Tiina is a triple jumper hailing from Estonia. She joins the HPC Elite Team following a dominant collegiate career at Manhattan College where she was a teammate of fellow HPC Elite Team member Nick Newman. While at Manhattan College, Tiina was a talented all-around performer who earned points in a variety of events for the Jaspers, including the javelin, and all four jumping events.
Tiina broke the indoor and outdoor school records in the triple jump at Manhattan College on multiple occasions and won numerous accolades for her all-around athletic ability. Among her many achievements, Tiina was named Co-Field Performer of the Meet at the 2006 MAAC Indoor Championships, was a three-time NCAA Regional Championship Qualifier, and six-time conference champion (3 indoors, 3 outdoors) in the triple jump.
Prior to competing for the Jaspers, Tiina had a successful career competing at the national level in Estonia. She won two outdoor National Championships and one indoor National Championship in the high jump. At the youth, junior and 20+ age groups, Tiina won titles in the high jump, triple jump, and the 100m hurdles. She was also the Youth Baltic match Champion in the triple jump. Tiina joined the HPC Elite Team in the fall of 2007 and in her first competition representing HPC she jumped a personal best 13.04m in the triple jump at the Manhattan College Opener. She has since gone on to up her personal best to 13.25m.
* Personal Bests: TJ- 13.25m (2008)
Lamont Dagen
Lamont Dagen is the most senior member of the HPC Elite Team and the most decorated of all its athletes. A multiple USATF Indoor and Outdoor Finalist, Dagen is emerging as one of the top triple jumper’s in the U.S. Dagen turned in a solid season in 2006 highlighted by his top 5 U.S. performance and his 8th place finish at the Outdoor Championships. Prior to that, Dagen competed in at the 2004 Olympic Trials, but fouled out of the competition. During his collegiate career, Dagen set the school record in the triple jump 11 times and set 5 field house and 4 stadium records that remain atop the university performance list. Also, during his final collegiate season, Dagen became the first person in the history of the Mid-Continent Conference to win an event all four years Indoor & Outdoor. Lamont is an assistant track and field coach at Carthage College. Dagen joined the HPC Elite Team in the fall of 2007. Since joining the HPC Elite Team, Lamont represented the team at the USATF Indoor National Championships and jumped an indoor personal best of 16.39m at the Carthage College Gill Athletics Last Chance Meet.
* Personal Bests: TJ- 16.39m (2008i); 16.63m (2006); LJ- 7.47 / 7.57w (2001)
* Visit Lamont’s personal website
Alie Israel
Israel joined the HPC Elite Team following a successful career as a Carthage College Lady Red. While at Carthage, she earned NCAA All-America citations in 17 events over her four-year career. As a freshman in 2002, she won the NCAA Division III national title in the outdoor 100-meter dash, while finishing fifth in the 200-meter dash, seventh as part of a 400-meter relay team, fifth in the indoor 55-meter dash and fourth on the indoor 1,600-meter relay team.
In 2003, she was third in the 100-meter dash, eighth in the 200-meter dash, a member of a national-championship 400-meter relay team, fourth in the indoor 55-meter dash and fifth as a member of the indoor 1,600-meter relay team. In 2004, Israel was the national runner-up in the 100-meter dash while finishing fifth in the 200-meter dash, seventh as part of a 400-meter relay team and second in the indoor 55-meter dash.
As a senior in 2005, she finished fifth in the 100-meter dash, second as a member of the 400-meter relay team and fifth in the indoor 55-meter dash. Israel also won 16 individual CCIW titles, including four-straight titles in the outdoor 100-meter dash, four-straight titles in the outdoor 200-meter dash, four titles in the indoor 55-meter dash and three indoor titles in the 200-meter dash. She was named the “most valuable performer” at the 2005 CCIW Indoor Track and Field Championship. In her first meet competing as a member for the HPC Elite team, Alie set a new personal best in the 60m dash at the Iowa State Classic. Alie tied her personal best in the 100m and set a new personal record in the 200m at the Jim Bush Invitational with marks of 11.71 and 24.19.
* Personal Bests: 55m- 7.10 (2003); 60m-7.56 (2008); 100m-11.71 (2004/2008); 200m- 24.19 (2008)
Alonzo Moore
Alonzo is a former Wisconsin Badger who earned three All-American titles and two Big Ten titles in the triple jump while competing for the Badgers. His top finish at the NCAA Championships was a 3rd place in 2005. Alonzo is also a four time finalist at the USATF Championships and in 2005 was ranked 9th in the U.S. by Track and Field News. His best finish at the USATF championships is a 6th place finish at the U.S. outdoor national championships in 2005 and a 4th place finish at the indoor championships in 2007. Also in 2007, Alonzo won the triple jump at the University of Tennessee’s Sea Ray Relays and was 2nd at the USA Outdoor Club Championships. Moore joined the HPC Elite Team in the winter of 2007. Since joining the HPC Elite Team, Moore represented the team at the USATF Indoor National Championships and jumped a seasonal best of 16.28m at the Meyo Invitational. Alonzo is currently serving as a volunteer assistant coach with the University of Wisconsin Badger Track & Field Team.
* Personal Bests: LJ- 7.47m (2005); TJ- 16.28m (2008i); 16.40m (2005)
Nick Newman
Nick is a promising young long jumper from the UK. Nick recently finished a great collegiate career at Manhattan College. While at Manhattan, Nick won the Metropolitan Atlantic Athletic Conference long jump 4 times (twice outdoors and twice outdoors) in a row. Nick also won a MAAC championship while competing for the Jaspers.
Not without international experience, Nick recently competed at the 2006 Norwich Union AAA Championships where he claimed fifth place in all of Great Britain. Prior to jumping for Manhattan College, Nick competed for Tiffin college in Ohio and attended Durham Academy in the UK where he primarily was a basketball player averaging over 17 points per game. Newman joined the HPC Elite Team in the fall of 2007. Since joining the HPC Elite Team, Nick has made tremendous improvements in speed.
* Personal Bests: LJ- 7.54m (2007)
Babatunde Ridley
Babatunde Ridley is a successful sprinter and long jumper originalyl hailing from Chicago, IL. Tunde enjoyed success early in his track career, achieving individual Illinois state championships in the long jump and triple jump in 1995. He came back a year later to lead his team to the team championship by winning the long jump, triple jump, 100m, and 200m at the Illinois state championships. Following high school, Tunde attended the University of Illinois where he earned a BS in Tourism Management and an MS in Recreation Management. While competing for the Fighting Illini, Tunde was a three time Big Ten Champion, three time NCAA All-American, and set Big Ten Conference records in the 60m and University of Illinois school records in the 60m and 200m. Following his collegiate career, Tunde continued to jump and sprint. In 2003, Tunde was a USATF Indoor National Championships Qualifier in the 60m and 200m. The following year, he competed in the Olympic Trials in the long jump. More recently, Tunde again qualified for the Indoor National Championships in the 60m (2005, 2007, 2008) and long jump (2005).Babatunde joined the HPC Elite Team in the winter of 2008. In his first meet in an HPC uniform he jumped 7.52m in the long jump at the Triton Invitational. Tunde currently resides in San Diego, CA.
* Personal Bests: LJ- 7.84m (2004); 60m- 6.67 (2007); 100m- 10.33w (2001); 200m- 20.81 (2001); 400m- 47.34 (2004)
James Jenkins
James Jenkins is a promising young jumper who joined the HPC Elite Team following a dominant collegiate career at the Junior College, NAIA and NCAA levels. In 2003, James was a National Junior College All-American both indoors and outdoors. Indoors, he placed 4th with a best of 15.04m and outdoors he improved to the silver medal position with a best jump of 15.46m. In 2004, James moved to the NAIA level where he won individual national championships in 2004 (indoors) and 2006 (indoors and outdoors) with jumps of 15.46, 15.65, and 15.94m respectively. Between those two championship campaigns, James did not compete collegiately but did travel overseas where he jumped a wind-aided PR of 16.38m in Italy. Following his stint at the NAIA level, James joined the Arkansas State University Indians where he continued to excel. In 2007, James placed 4th at the outdoor NCAA National Championships with a best of 16.08m and later went on to take 8th at the USATF outdoor national championships with a leap of 15.88m. James joined the HPC Elite team in the winter of 2008. In his first meet competing as a member for the HPC Elite team, James jumped 15.65m in the triple jump to place second at the Vanderbilt Invitational.
* Personal Bests: HJ- 2.16m (2007); LJ- 7.65m (2003); TJ- 16.08m (2007) / 16.38w (2005); 100m- 10.57 (2004); 200m- 21.70 (2004)