June 26, 2007
Laird picks USI to continue running career
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's cross country/track and field team announced that freshman Allison Laird (Greenville, Indiana) has signed a national letter of intent to compete for Head Coach Mike Hillyard's Screaming Eagles in 2007-08. She is the third competitor to sign with women's cross country/track and field team this year.
Laird graduated from Floyd Central High School in Floyds Knobs, Indiana, where she earned eight varsity letters in cross country and track.
In cross country, Laird was a three-time All-Conference and All-Region performer as well as a four-time All-Section performer that posted a personal-best 4k time of 15 minutes, 37 seconds.
On the track, Laird was a four-time All-Conference and All-Section performer as well as an All-Region honoree as a junior in 2006.
"Allison possesses all the attributes that are essential for success in the sport," Hillyard said. "She is a runner at heart!
"The past success of our program was a big draw for her," Hillyard continued, "and that says a lot about what she expects from herself. It may be a year or two down the road, but Allison will eventually be a frontrunner for our program."
Laird joins freshman Holly Bartelt (Huntingburg, Indiana) and Kristi Vest (Pekin, Indiana) on USI's list of incoming competitors.
Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information
