Wolverines Receive Eight Letters of Intent for 2001-02
6/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field program have added eight student-athletes to compete in both cross country and track for the 2001-02 season, head coach James Henry announced today (Thursday, June 7). Of the eight student-athletes, five will be coming from outside the state of Michigan, including one individual from Canada.
Michigan expects two student-athletes to have an immediate impact once they arrive. Theresa Feldkamp (Lorain, Ohio/Amherst Steele HS) is a two-time Division I Ohio state 800-meter run champion. Her personal-best time in the event is 2:10.05 and she has a 5:02 in the mile. Stephanie Hirtle (Salmon Arm, B.C./Salmon Arm SS) represented Canada at the 2001 World Junior Cross Country Championships. She has a 2:11 and a 4:27 in the 800 and 1,500, respectively.
"We are really excited to have Teresa," said associate head coach Mike McGuire, who also heads the cross country program. "We think she can continue the tradition of middle distance success at Michigan. She has accomplished a lot already, but there is room for improvement. Stephanie comes highly regarded and is an outstanding athlete. She has had a lot of success without the benefit of an outdoor track. She has tremendous potential, and may be one of the top two junior level runners in Canada."
In addition to Feldkamp and Hirtle, the Wolverines signed three other tracksters for their middle distance and distance areas. Emily Anderson (Marquette, Mich./Marquette HS) is coming in after an injury limited her 2001 season. Anderson won the Michigan Upper Peninsula Cross Country Championship back-to-back in 1998 and 1999. She is also the 2000 state champion in the 3,200-meter run and has personal-best times of 9:58 and 17:06 in the 3,000 and 5,000, respectively.
Chelsea Homan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson HS) joins the Maize and Blue as the 1999 Division I Ohio State Cross Country champion, and she took third in 2000. She is a 2000 Footlocker Finalist in cross country. Like Anderson, Homan sustained injuries in 2001, but she does boast a 2:16 in the 800 and a 5:02 mile. Sarah Pizzo (Denver, Colo./Mullen HS) is the final distance runner in the class. An All-State runner in both cross country and track, she holds a 4:41 in the 1,500.
Michigan is also adding two highly skilled high jumpers. Jennifer Kulchar (Burton, Mich./Atherton HS) is a two-time Division IV state champion in the 800-meter run and high jump. A potential multi-event athlete, her best time in the 800 is 2:17, while she has cleared a height of 5-8 in the high jump. Stephanie Linz (Okemos, Mich./Okemos HS) is the two-time Michigan state champion in the high jump (1999 and 2000) but broke her wrist in the fall of 2000, limiting her track season. In addition to track, both Kulchar and Linz played on their respective varsity volleyball teams in high school.
Rounding out the incoming freshmen class is Sharifa Jones (Marietta, Ga./Wheeler HS). Jones is the Georgia state champion in the 300-meter hurdles. A versatile athlete, Jones has personal bests of 56.00 in the 400, 42.06 in the 300-meter hurdles and 18-6 1/2 in the long jump.
The eight incoming freshmen may also be joined by two other incoming student-athletes: basketball signeee Sierra Hauser-Price (Van Nuys, Calif./Notre Dame Prep HS) and swimming's Tracy Egnatuk (Albion, Mich./Albion HS).
"Overall, we added eight student-athletes who will continue the tradition of excellence in both the classroom and on the track," predicted McGuire. "We solidified some of our strong areas and addressed some areas of need. They will all contribute and strengthen the Michigan program."
Michigan Spring Signees
| Name | Hometown (High School) | Event(s) |
| Emily Anderson | Marquette, Mich. (Marquette) | Distance |
| Teresa Feldkamp | Lorain, Ohio (Amherst Steele) | Middle Distance/Distance |
| Stephanie Hirtle | Salmon Arm, B.C. (Salmon Arm SS) | Middle Distance/Distance |
| Chelsea Homan | Cincinnati, Ohio (Anderson) | Middle Distance/Distance |
| Sharifa Jones | Marietta, Ga. (Wheeler) | Sprints/Hurdles/Long Jump |
| Jennifer Kulchar | Burton, Mich. (Atherton) | High Jump/Multi-event |
| Stephanie Linz | Okemos, Mich. (Okemos) | High Jump |
| Sarah Pizzo | Denver, Colo. (Mullen) | Middle Distance/Distance |
Contact: Steve Grialou (734) 763-4423
