GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College head cross country coach Cory Pratt has announced the signing of Deondra Thomas of Columbia, Tennessee as a member of the Pioneers women's cross country team's 2015 signing class.

Thomas is a product of Columbia Central High School and earned three cross country letters under the direction of head coach Tim Wood. She received the Queen of Cross Country award as a senior and qualified for the Tennessee state meet in her sophomore campaign. Her personal-best 5,000-meter time is 21:10.

Thomas also lettered in track for the Lions and set the school record for the 300-meter hurdles as a freshman.

"Deondra has a contagious passion for running, and is always striving to improve," said Pratt. "She has a unique combination of speed and endurance, which is hard to find in cross country runners. I look forward to watching her progress over the next few years."

Thomas joins early signees Mackenzie Newsome and Lindsey Mank along with Makenzi Alley of Cincinnati, Ohio, Ashley Andrukonis of Greeneville, Tennessee and Lillian Wallace of Memphis, Tennessee and to make up the Pioneers' incoming class.

Tusculum is scheduled to compete in five regular season meets this season beginning on September 4th at the Catawba/Chick-Fil-A Invitational in Salisbury, North Carolina. The South Atlantic Conference Championship will take place on October 24th in Ewing, Virginia while the NCAA II Southeast Regional will be held in Wingate, North Carolina on November 7th.