Feb. 10, 2010

LARAMIE, Wyo. -

University of Wyoming track and field head coach Don Yentes announced Wednesday the signing of 11 student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent to compete for the Cowboys and Cowgirls in the upcoming 2010-11 season.

The Cowgirls will add eight to the squad with mainly distance runners and sprinters signing on Wednesday. The additions include: Natalie Hurst, a sprinter from Larkspur, Colo.; Samantha Kee, a sprinter from Longmont, Colo.; Andrea Klimowski, a distance runner from Flagstaff, Ariz.; Christine Nelson, a distance runner from Shawnee, Kan.; Kate Striepe, a sprinter from Great Falls, Mont.; Emily Swigart, a distance runner from Waterford, Wis.; Dannika West, a distance runner from Kansas City, Mo., and Candace Wollert, a sprinter from Lingle, Wyo.

The Cowboys added three to their squad: Michael Banks, a distance runner from Kings College Auckland, New Zealand; Caleb Her Many Horses, a middle/long distance runner from Lander, Wyo., and Kiel Pickett, a sprinter from Cherry Creek, Colo.

"We feel very good about the addition of these 11 athletes to our program but we are not done yet," said Yentes. "These 11 individuals all fit specific needs that we were looking for and I truly believe that they will contribute to our team in the very near future."

Following is a list of Cowgirls:

Natalie Hurst - Sprints, Larkspur, Colo. (Douglas County HS)
Hurst is a sprinter with very good range but will probably concentrate in the 400-meter dash for the Cowgirls next season. She plans on majoring in business while at UW.

Samantha Kee - Sprints, Longmont, Colo. (Longmont HS)
Kee will add immediate talent to the short sprints, as she will mainly run the 60, 100, and 200-meter dashes for the Cowgirls. She finished the 2009 Colorado State Championships in third-place in the 200-meter dash with her personal best time of 24.82 and also had a fourth-place finish in the 100-meter dash.

Andrea Klimowski - Distance, Flagstaff, Ariz. (Northland Preparatory Academy)
Klimowski comes to Wyoming from Flagstaff, Ariz., where she was the 1A State Champion in the 800, 1,600, and 3,200-meter races. She was also the runner-up in the State 1A/2A Cross Country Championships. Klimowski plans on studying Animal Science and/or Health Science and Kinesiology.

"Andrea is an excellent student and will provide us with a wide range of ability over several events," said head cross country coach and distance coach Randy Cole.

Christine Nelson - Distance, Shawnee, Kan. (Shawnee Mission Northwest HS)
Nelson is one of the top distance runners in the state of Kansas as she placed 11th in the 6A State Cross Country Championships, with her time of 15:58 in the 4k race. On the track, she placed fourth in the 3,200-meter run at the State Championship with a time of 11:34.

"Nelson is a very solid endurance athlete and she is going to provide a top-notch quality athlete to our program," said Cole.

Kate Striepe - Sprints, Great Falls, Mont. (C.M. Russel HS)
Striepe is a sprinter that has very good range, she will concentrate on the 200-meter dash as a Cowgirl. Her personal best in the event was run at the Montana Eastern AA Divisional where she ran a time of 26.63. She plans on studying Kinesiology while at UW.

Emily Swigart - Distance, Waterford, Wis. (Waterford HS)
Swigart is a State Qualifier in the 800-meter run and also in Cross Country where she was a first team All-Southern Lake Conference selection as well as being named the Racine County Girls Runner of the Year by the coaches in the county. She is interested in studying Pre-Med/Biology degree while at UW.

"Emily will provide us with some good range, from the 800-meter to the 5,000-meter run," said Cole. "She has a very solid cross country background and is an excellent student."

Dannika West - Distance, Kansas City, Mo. (North Kansas City HS)
West will provide the distance team with depth and was a multiple State finalist in Missouri. She has a personal best in the 5k race of 19:41, and will continue to improve with experience at the collegiate level. West is interested in pursuing a Pre-Med Degree here at Wyoming.

"Her swimming and running background provides her with a great start to collegiate running," said Cole.

Candace Wollert - Sprints, Lingle, Wyo. (Lingle/Ft. Laramie HS)
Wollert is a 400, and 800-meter runner who has earned multiple All-State honors in Wyoming. She was the 400-meter State Champion in 2008 and was the runner-up in `09. She will bring a sense of versatility to the squad that will help out in many areas.

Following is a list of Cowboys:

Michael Banks - Distance, Kings College Auckland, New Zealand (University of Auckland)
Banks has experience representing his country in International competition in Cross Country and in Mountain Running. He is the current U-19 New Zealand Cross Country Champion as well as placing second in `08 and third in `07. Banks is a transfer student from the University of Auckland where he will continue his studies in business.

"Michael will give us immediate strength in events varying from the 3,000-meter steeplechase to the 10,000-meter run as well as compete for the cross country team," said Cole.

Caleb Her Many Horses - Middle/Long Distance, Lander, Wyo. (Wyoming Indian HS)
Her Many Horses may be one of the most talented middle distance and distance runners to come out of the state of Wyoming in some time. He has a lot of strong athletic gifts as he also competes for the basketball team at Wyoming Indian High School. He is the State Champion in the 800, 1,600, and 3,200-meter races, as well as being a three-time State Champion in Cross Country. Her Many Horses will pursue a degree in Education while at UW.

"Caleb is a top-notch student and has the determination to be very successful at the collegiate level," said Cole.

Kiel Pickett - Sprints, Cherry Creek, Colo. (Cherry Creek HS)
Pickett is a very versatile sprinter that will help the Cowboys out in many different areas. He will mainly compete in the 60, 100, and 200-meter dashes for the `Pokes. His personal best times in the 100 and 200-meter dashes are 10.97 and 21.72 respectively.

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