FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

SOMERS, Wis. (Feb. 18, 2014)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside women's cross country and track & field programs and head coach Micah VanDenend announced the signing of Monica Geiser and Haley Willis to National Letters of Intent on Tuesday, headlining the Rangers' 2014 recruiting class.

Geiser (pictured on right) inks with UW-Parkside from Brillion High School in Wisconsin. The middle distance runner is a seven time WIAA Division 2 State Qualifier while also earning a bid to the State Championships in cross country in the fall of 2013. Geiser anchored the Lions' 4x400-meter relay team that placed third at the state meet in 2013 while also finishing sixth in the 800-meter dash and seventh in the 400-meter dash.

"Monica is a great addition for us," said head coach Micah VanDenend. "She has some real natural speed and she's an extremely hard worker – that's a lethal combination. I'm really excited to see how she impacts our middle distance events and gives us strength in the 400 and 800." 

She is a three-time state qualifier in the 400-meter dash and is a two-time qualifier in both the 800-meters and the 4x400-meter relay. The mid-distance runner owns school records in both the 400 (59.16 seconds) and 800 (2:16.37) while also tallying personal bests of four feet, eight inches in the high jump, 27.86 in the 200-meter dash, 8.08 in the 55-meter dash and 5:35 in the mile.

Willis (pictured on left) signs with the Rangers from Washington, Ill. where she ran for Washington Community High School. The distance runner was a First Team All-Mid Illini Conference selection all four years in cross country and helped the Panthers to a sectional championship for the first time in school history this past fall. She is a three-time IHSA State Qualifier in cross country and track and was the Team MVP in cross country and team captain the past three seasons.

"We are so excited to get Haley on board.  I truly believe that she has great untapped potential and that she is capable of coming in and contributing in our top seven right away her freshman year. She's such a bright, positive, and optimistic person and I have no doubt that she is going to make us better in many different areas." 

The Illinois native ran a personal best of 5:24 in the mile, 2:24 in the 800-meters and an 18:00 in the three mile. 

UW-Parkside returns to the track on Friday, Feb. 28, traveling to Indianapolis for day one of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships.