May 30, 2002

MILWAUKEE - The UWM track and field team has signed 11 student-athletes to national letters of intent to compete for UWM next year, head coach Pete Corfeld announced today. The 11 additions bring to 16 the total number of signees for the upcoming school year.

The latest group of signees includes ten athletes from Wisconsin, nine of whom have qualified in individual events for this weekend's state championship meet in LaCrosse. Joining the women's team will be Katie Anderson and Michelle Blomquist from Eau Claire, Katie Slamka and Stephanie Ray of Racine, Andrea Ziebell of Sussex, Tenia Fischer of Milwaukee, and Griffin McNulty of Johnsburg, Ill. Adam Swanson of Neenah, Gabe Wagoner of Peshtigo, Nate Weiland of Middleton, and Nick Wichert of Milwaukee, will join the men's track team next season.

Katie Anderson and Michelle Blomquist are currently teammates at Eau Claire Memorial High School. Anderson has qualified for this weekend's Division I state meet in the 1600m with a seed time of 5:26.60. She is a four-time state qualifier in track and cross country, placing as high as 12th in the 1600m at last year's state championships. Her best finish in cross country at the Division I state meet was 34th last fall. Blomquist is a three-time state qualifer in track and cross country, finishing 24th in the state cross country meet last fall. She was also a part of the third place 3200m relay team at Eau Claire Memorial last year.

Katie Slamka and Stephanie Ray, from Racine Horlick High School, are another pair of current teammates who will compete at UWM next year. Slamka has qualified for this year's Division I state meet in the 300m hurdles with a seed time of 46.00, making her a four-time state qualifier. She finished second in the 300m hurdles a year ago at the state meet, and was the top returner from a year ago. Ray is a triple jumper who has also qualifed for the state meet, jumping 35'2 1/4" at the regional meet.

Andrea Ziebell is a four-time state qualifer in Division I from Sussex Hamilton. She qualified in both hurdle events this year with a 15.00 seed time in the 100m hurdles and a 46.30 time in the 300m hurdles. A year ago, she was third in the 300m hurdles at the state championships.

Tenia Fischer, from Milwaukee King High School, is another four-time state qualifier in track and field. She qualifed in the 400m for this weekend's state meet with a time of 58.80. She finished as high as 10th in the 400m dash a year ago at the state championships.

Griffin McNulty was also a state qualifier at Johnsburg High School in Illinois. She competed in both the 400m and the 800m at the Illinois State meet, finishing 12th in the 800m with a time of 2:23.65. She also qualified for the state championships a year ago in the 800m run.

Adam Swanson, from Neenah High School, is a state qualifier in the 800m with a time of 1:58.00. He finished 22nd in the 2001 state cross country meet with a time of 16:28.

Gabe Wagoner of Peshtigo High School will compete in the 400m run at this weekend's Division 2 state championships. He is the top returner in the state in the 400m and 800m run in Division 2, after winning the 400m at last year's championship meet. He was also third in the 800m at last year's championships.

Nate Weiland of Middleton High School qualified for the 1600m at this weekend's championships with a time of 4:39.90. He was also 16th in the 2001 state cross country championships, finishing with a time of 16:23.

Nick Wichert of Milwaukee Pius XI is the top qualifier in this weekend's Division I discus competition. He qualified with a throw of 181'11" at the Mukwanago Sectional. That throw stands as the 15th-best discus throw ever in Wisconsin state high school competition and also qualified him for the U.S. Junior National Competition.

The 11 signees join Jason Miller of Neenah, Wis., Joshua Nygren of Marinette, Wis., Sean Cludy of Stillwater, Minn., and Amber Perri of Stevens Point, Wis., who signed in the fall early-signing period, and Elliot Enright, who signed earlier this spring, to bring to 16 the total number of signees for next year.

The UWM men's and women's track and field teams each won the Horizon League Outdoor Track and Filed Championship earlier this month. The men took their fifth-straight title, while the women set a league record for margin of victory in winning their second-straight and third overall title. In addition, head coach Pete Corfeld was named Horizon League Coach of the Year for both the men's and women's teams.