April 24, 2007

CONTACT: Luke Brymer, Sports Information Assistant, Wallace State
Community College, luke.brymer@wallacestate.edu, 256/352-8118



Wallace Track Signs Two to University Teams



HANCEVILLE, Ala.- The Wallace State-Hanceville track and field team
continued its commitment to sending student athletes on to four-year
schools this week. Jeremy Cline, who competes in the pole vault event,
signed with Troy University, and Antoine Fant, a multi-event competitor,
signed with East Carolina University. Both athletes will be on full
scholarships between their academic and athletic awards to the
respective schools.



"Both of the boys are good students, and I'm proud of them for that,"
Wallace State track head coach Stan Narewski said. "They have been
committed not only to the track, but to the classroom as well, and
that's something I've always tried to stress to my athletes. I'm very
pleased with their efforts and am excited for what they have
accomplished. I look forward to what the future holds for both of them."



Cline hails from Fairview, Ala., and has been competing in the pole
vault event for five years. He played football and ran cross country,
but he shifted his focus to pole vaulting his freshman year in high
school. Cline holds a 3.9 GPA at Wallace and will graduate early in May
with an Associates' in Science degree after dual enrolling in high
school. He was named to the Dean's List and plans to pursue a math and
pre-law degree at Troy.



"I didn't think playing sports in college was an option for me," Cline
said. "Of course, I dreamed about it, but I never thought it would
become a reality for me."



He won the state high school competition in indoor pole vaulting in the
spring of 2006. That win inspired him to focus on training hard in the
event and he continued to improve. However, the loss of a close friend
made him rethink his commitment to competing, and he entered the outdoor
state competition without much preparation that year.



"When I lost my friend, I really didn't care about track, but after I
began to think about it, I realized that I didn't want to wonder my
whole life about what if I had kept trying," Cline said. "When I won the
state outdoor competition my family pushed me to keep working hard. I've
always known I wanted to make something myself, and I knew I had to keep
working hard to do that."



Cline was a walk-on to the track team last summer, but he quickly
emerged as a strong competitor in the event. He is now an All-American
in pole vaulting.

"My mom is a school teacher and has always made me work hard on my
school work. I knew that I would have to work hard and keep my grades up
if I wanted to make it in college," Cline said. "I just keep taking
steps toward my final goal. I've gone from high school, to Wallace and
now to Troy. It's a long process and I have to keep working hard. I'm
really excited about the opportunity that Troy is offering me and I look
forward to the next step in the process."

Narewski said, "I'm very proud of what he's accomplished here, and I
look forward to seeing him become a hero at Troy."



Fant is a native of Anderson, S.C. and came to Wallace last January. He
will graduate with an associate's degree from Wallace and finish his
education with a communications degree at East Carolina. He has been
running the 110 meter hurdles since the eighth grade, but played
basketball in high school as well and could have gone to college in
either sport.



"It was always my dream to be a college athlete and I've worked hard to
achieve that goal," Fant said.



At the end of the summer of his 10th grade year he realized that his
real love was track.



Once he arrived at Wallace he began to compete not only in the hurdles,
but the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays as well. He now ranks third
nationally on the NJCAA ranking for 110 meter hurdles, according to
Narewski. He also has a GPA of better than 3.0 and was nominated to the
National Dean's List.



"Coach Narewski always stressed to us that we had to work hard on our
grades. He told us that if we can't do it in the classroom, we can't do
it on the track," Fant said. "I wanted to work hard here at Wallace and
go to a four year school so I could get my degree."

Fant was recruited by several schools but after looking at his options
decided that East Carolina was his best choice. "When I found out in
December that I was going to get a full ride to East Carolina I was so
excited. All I can say is that I never gave up on my dreams and now
they're finally coming true."



"I am so proud of the work he has done at Wallace not only on the track
but in his classes as well. He is always the last person out of the
weight room and he works hard on his school work," Narewski said.



"I've always told the guys that you have to do the same in life. Work
hard, come early and stay late if you want to be a success and both
Antoine and Jeremy have done that," he said. "We send a lot of athletes
to Division I, II and III schools in both sports and academics. Whether
they come here on a scholarship or not, we will invest the time in them
that it takes to make them better. We want our kids to move on and I
will do my best to help them achieve that."



For more information about Wallace State track, visit
www.wallacestate.edu.

  Kristen Holmes
  Director, Communications and Marketing
  Wallace State Community College
  P.O. Box 2000
  Hanceville, AL 35077
  256/352-8118
  E-mail: Kristen.Holmes@WallaceState.edu