University of Minnesota Athletics
GOPHERS SIGN SIX TO NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT
6/22/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
The distance runners, both of whom will compete in both cross country and track and field, are Laine Misch of Dobbinton, Ontario, and Darja Vasiljva of Jelgava, Latvia. Misch was the Ontario provincial champion in both the 800 and 1,500-meter runs in 2000. She has lifetime bests of two minutes, 13 seconds in the 800 and 4:37 in the 1,500. Vasalova is a former national junior champion in the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs. She has lifetime bests of 4:26 in the 1,500, 9:32 in the 3,000 and 16:28 in the 5,000.
The sprint recruits are Tahesia Harrigan of Tallahassee, Fla., and Jessica Mittelstadt of Mankato, Minn. Harrigan is a three-time conference champion in the 100 and 200-meter dashes and won two conference and two state titles in the long jump and triple jump. Mittelstadt was the 1999 class AA state champion in both the 200 and 400-meter dashes. She finished fifth in the 400 this year, despite suffering a stress fracture in her foot, and was eighth in the triple jump. She was unable to defend her 200 title but, for the third consecutive year, anchored Mankato West's 4x200-meter relay to the state championship.
The throwers are Amy Netland of Bagley, Minn., and Megan Johnson of Big Fork, Mont. Netland won the Minnesota state class A championship in the shot put and was runner-up in the discus this year. Johnson was the class a runner-up in both the shot and discus in Montana this year.
Wilson also announced a group of 18 prospects who have accepted offers of admittance and will compete next season. The group includes distance runners Krista Anderson, Deerwood, Minn.; Amanda Backes, Rapids City, S.D., the daughter of former Gopher Ron Backes, a five-time All-American and 1992 U.S. Olympian; Laura Bjork, Colfax, Wis., Erika Espeset, Roseville, Minn.; Andrea Gaetz, St. Cloud, Minn.; Rachel Kuhn, Starbuck, Minn.; Meghan McArdy, Mauston, Wis.; Zoey Nagell, Robbinsdale, Minn.; Anne Scheibel, Verona, Wis.; and Nicole Terlouw, Benson, Minn., the daughter of former Gopher middle distance runner CeCe Cox; high jumper Victoria Jackson, New Hope, Minn.; hurdlers Nadine Conboy, Duluth, Minn., Caese Martine, Bagley, Minn.; and Elizabeth Woolford, Oak Creek, Wis.; long jump-triple jumper Saree Zweifel, Whitewater, Wis.; and pole vaulter Monica Stearns, Wadena, Minn.