GALLIPOLIS, Ohio - University of Rio Grande head track & field coach Bob Willey has announced the signing of Gallia Academy High School standout Tyler Campbell for the 2012-2013 academic year.
Campbell will close out a notable high school career this weekend with a fourth straight trip to the Ohio state championship meet to participate in the Division II boys' long jump competition. He finished fourth in regional competition last weekend.
Campbell has been an all-state performer in the long jump, 4x100 relay and 4x400 relay, in addition to an all-district honoree in the long jump, 4x200 relay and 4x400 relay. He owns the district record in the long jump and was also part of the 4x200 and 4x400 teams which set district records.
"I'm excited about getting to continue to run," said Campbell, an all-Southeastern Ohio Athletic League long jumper. "Having the chance to do it at the collegiate level has been a dream of mine ever since I started running."
Willey is hoping that the addition of Campbell to the RedStorm roster will pay instant dividends.
"Tyler's an outstanding athlete," Willey said. "He's made the state meet in the long jump again this year, he has a lot of leg speed and he's also very versatile. He anchored their 4x400 the other day and I split him at a low 51. We're hoping that he'll be able to come in and plug a lot of empty holes that we have in our program while also continuing to improve. I think he's a great fit for us and we're a great fit for him."
Campbell, who plans to major in business, chose Rio Grande after also receiving interest from a handful of other schools including Cincinnati, Tiffin, Capital, Lake Erie, Marietta and Mount Union.
"Hopefully, I can continue to improve on my jumps," he said. "I just want to be able to make an impact on the team's scoring."
Willey is banking on Campbell's signing - one of five current Blue Devils heading to Rio - being the latest in a string of successful connections between the two schools.
"We've had a little luck over the years with athletes from Gallia Academy, but a lot of times the kids there feel like it's too close to home and they'd like to get out on their own and get away," he said. "When we've been able to get those kids here, it's proven to be a great fit. To be able to get as many from there as we have to this point in the year is outstanding."
Campbell is the son of Dave Campbell, Gigi Neff and Lori Preston.
