Women’s Track signees 9

The SIUC women’s track and field team has put together one of its biggest early signing periods in recent history with the addition of four new runners.

Women’s coach Don DeNoon announced Wednesday that he signed four athletes for the 1998-1999 season in the NCAA early signing period.

Advertisement

The signees are Marian Appiah-Kubi, from Toronto, Kelly Booker, from Chicago, Julia Roundtree, from Decatur, and Ronica Sozou, from Nicosia, Cyprus.

DeNoon is excited about the potential of the upcoming recruiting class.

I’ve never signed more than two athletes during the early signing period, so I’m excited about this group, DeNoon stated in a press release. The two foreign athletes may be the strongest performers we have brought into the program in years.

Appiah-Kubi, who plans to major in communicative disorders, finished fourth in the Canadian Junior Championships as a senior, running the 400-meter dash in 56 seconds. She also holds a time of 24.75 in the 200-meter dash.

Booker placed first in the Chicago City High School Championships in the 100-meter dash (12.3) and owns a personal best of 26.3 in the 200 meters. Booker led Julian High School to a sectional title the past two seasons.

Roundtree finished eighth in state last season in the 800-meter competition (2:21.2) and owns a personal best of 2:19.30 in the 800. Roundtree plans to major in pre-medicine.

Sozou is expected to have an immediate influence for the Salukis, after she has posted times of 2:13.69 in the 800-meter and 58.03 in the 400-meter.

Advertisement*

DeNoon said Sozou will be a solid performer in the future for the Salukis.

She probably is one of the better Cypriot athletes we have had here at SIUC, DeNoon stated in a press release. Obviously, she will factor in the 4 x 400 group in the future and should be a key performer for the Salukis.