June 16, 2006 WOMEN’S TRACK ADDS THREE MORE FOR 2006-07 SEASON TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State women’s track and field coach John Gartland announced the signing of three athletes for the 2006-2007 track and field season. The list includes Illinois products Lauren Martin and Stephanie Smith as well as University of Arkansas transfer Kayla Tucker. Martin (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Conant Hills High School) is a two-time state qualifier in the long jump and triple jump. In 2005, she cleared a qualifying distance of 17 feet 9.75 inches in the long jump and then soared 17 feet 8.5 inches for an 11th-place finish in the state meet. Her triple jump of 37 feet 3 inches was also good for an 8th-place finish at the meet. In 2006, Martin finished 11th in the triple jump and anchored the third-place 800-meter medley relay team with a 57.0 leg. “Lauren is a very versatile athlete who will help us immediately in both the jumps and the sprints,” Coach Gartland said. “She will be our top triple jumper right away, and she may be one of our top relay people in her freshman year.” Smith (Belleville, Ill./West High School) has the chance of making an immediate impact at Indiana State after a successful high school career in the throwing events. As a senior, Smith placed fourth in the discus and tenth in the shot put in the Illinois AA State Meet. She also qualified for the state meet as a junior and placed fifth in the discus. Her personal best of 141 feet 4 inches in the discus is close to four feet greater than the 2005-06 season best mark of any Indiana State thrower. “Stephanie will help us right away in the throws area where we have lost a number of people to graduation over the past two years,” Coach Gartland said of Smith. “Her discus best should allow her to contend for an MVC placing spot immediately. She has made good progress in the shot and we anticipate her learning the hammer throw.” Tucker (Evansville, Ind./University of Arkansas) is a two-time Indiana State Champion in the high jump. She is the only track and field athlete to have won state titles for two different schools - Evansville Harrison and Evansville Reitz. Her best of 5 feet 10 inches during her senior year in high school made her one of the top high school jumpers in the country. “I am very pleased that Kayla is returning home to Indiana to compete for ISU,” Coach Garland said of the Evansville native. “She is a very talented athlete, who wanted to come back to her home state to continue her career. Teamed with Santia Spight, our two-time MVC Champion and two-time NCAA Regional Qualifier, Kayla will give us a very strong one-two punch in the high jump.” The threesome will join the class of Terre Haute products Adriane
Wunderlich, Diana Price, Kayla Alexander, Kylie Hutson and Sullivan
High School product Erica Moore who signed in the fall.
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