June 06, 2006
Eagles announce three signings
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's cross country/track and field team announced that freshmen Samantha Eliason (Crawfordsville, Indiana), Leslee Getts (Corunna, Indiana), and Tiffney Whitley (Crossville, Illinois) have signed national letters of intent to compete for Head Coach Mike Hillyard's Screaming Eagles in 2006-07.
Eliason earned 10 varsity letters in cross country, track, and basketball at Southmont High School. She was a state qualifier and set a school record in the 1,600 meters on the track in 2005. Eliason also won the conference title and was a state qualifier in cross country as a senior this past fall.
SHS won four county championships and two conference championships in both cross country and track during Eliason's four-year prep career.
Getts comes to USI from DeKalb High School, where she earned 12 varsity letters in cross country, track, and gymnastics.
She helped lead DHS to four sectional championships and two conference championships in cross country as well as a pair of sectional titles in track. Getts was a four-time first-team All-Conference and three-time first-team All-State runner in cross country and was a state qualifier in the two mile in track.
Whitley also was a multiple-sport varsity letter winner at Carmi-White High School. She was the team's Most Valuable Runner in 2004 and 2005 after earning All-Conference honors in both years. She qualified for state in cross country and track in 2004 and helped CWHS to the conference title in 2004.
She also won the regional championship and was CWHS's first female student-athlete to qualify for state in cross country during her junior year in 2004.
"Tiffney, Samantha, and Leslee all have the potential to contribute immediately," Hillyard said. "All three have solid high school credentials and, more importantly, they all have the necessary work ethic and self discipline to excel in our program. Our returning athletes are excited to welcome them to the team because they understand that the added competition will only make them better."
Getts, Eliason, and Whitley join Lauren Crick (Evansville, Indiana), who signed during the early signing period last fall, on USI's list of incoming freshman in 2006-07.
Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information
