MILWAUKEE, Wis. (July 28, 2006) - Six student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to enroll at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and join the women's track and field team, head coach Pete Corfeld announced today.

Rasheedah Helm of Sheboygan, Wis., Erin Havener of Green Bay, Wis., Kelsey Conrad of Robbinsdale, Minn., Carly Behnke of Belle Plaine, Minn., Jamie Woods of Glendale, Wis., and Laura Ring of Twin Lakes, Wis. will join the Panthers for the 2006-07 track and field season.

"We graduated quite a few top senior women last year," Corfeld said. "So this class should help bridge their departure. We are excited to once again field a throwing group. This should help balance our attack at the league meet and regionals."

Helm was a two-time defending state champion in the 100m hurdles at Howards Grove High School. She won the event as a junior and senior, while also placing fifth in the 100m and fourth with the 4x100m relay as a senior. In her junior year, she also placed ninth with the 4x100m relay and competed with the 4x200m relay.

Havener also comes to UWM after winning a Wisconsin state championship as a senior at Ashwaubenon. She cleared 12-0 in her final year to win the championship after top-five finishes in each of her previous two visits to the state meet. As a junior, she finished second and she tied for fourth as a sophomore.

An alumnus of Cooper High School, Conrad finished her senior year ranked first in the state of Minnesota in the 100m (12.14), second in the 200m (24.79) and fourth in the 400m (56.81). At the state meet, she placed second in both the 200m and 400m, took third in the 100m and added a fifth-place finish in the long jump. In her career, Conrad posted three other top-five state finishes.

Behnke is the first of two throwers in this recruiting class, coming to Milwaukee from Belle Plaine High School. In limited competition as a senior, she was ranked fifth in the state of Minnesota in the discus. She placed sixth in the event at the state meet as a junior and took ninth as a sophomore.

A product of nearby Nicolet High School, Woods competed at the state meet in both the shot put and discus as a junior and senior, taking seventh in the shot put and 12th in the discus in her final season. Woods also competed in the shot put at the state meet as a sophomore.

Ring competed for Wilmot Union High School, qualifying for the state meet in three different events in her high school career. As a junior, she finished seventh in the 800m at the state meet, while also competing with the 4x400m relay. She also qualified in the 400m as a freshman.