May 4, 2000

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest women's track team will add seven runners to its roster next season, head coach Annie Bennett announced today.

Highlighting the group are middle distance runners Nikeya Green and Shauna Danos. Green, from Woodbridge, VA and Hayfield Secondary High School will specialize in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter events at Wake Forest. She placed 2nd in the 800-meter run in the Nike Indoor High School National Championships this past season. She boasts a top time of 2:12.10 in the 800-meters and placed third in the 1,000-meter event in the 2000 Virginia Indoor State Meet with a time of 2:55.93.

"We're losing our best outdoor miler this year (Jill Snyder) and I'm hoping Nikeya can come in and fill that spot," Bennett said.

Shauna Danos, an 800-meter runner from Groton, MA, placed 2nd in the Massachusetts State Indoor Meets in each of the last two indoor seasons. Danos will bring a personal best time of 2:11.44 in the outdoor 800 meters. She holds five school records at Acton-Boxboro Regional H.S., including the 400, 600, 800, 1,000 and 4x400 meter relay events.

"Shauna and Nikeya will be great training partners this season, and I am excited about the two of them bringing new energy to our middle distance group," said Bennett.

Rebecca Veenstra, from Racine, WI, is the reigning Wisconsin State Cross Country Champion. Veenstra, who competed at Racine Park H.S., will be a 5,000 meter specialist for the Deacs. Carol Merritt, of Raleigh, NC, earned a state championship in the 400 meters a season ago as a junior at Garner H.S. She owns the best time in North Carolina in that event at present with a 57.10 mark, and placed 11th at the Foot Locker National Championships held at NC State in 1999.

Denise Hefferin, a distance runner from St. Charles, IL, earned a 4th-place finish in the 3,200 meter race in the 2000 Chicago Times Indoor High School Championships. As a senior at St. Charles H.S., Hefferin placed 12th in the Mid-East Cross Country Championships, featuring competitors from six states. Catherine Fortin Major, a middle distance runner from Gloucester, Ontario, boasts personal bests of 2:14.64 in the 800-meter run and 10:16.47 in the 3,000-meter race. She is a five-time Eastern Ontario Champion in the 800- and 1,500-meter events, and was named team MVP at De La Salle H.S. each of her four years. Jennifer Walker, from Chancellor H.S. in Fredericksburg, VA, will join the Deacs after earning a berth in the Virginia State 400-meter hurdle finals.

"I'm really excited about the possibilities that this group brings to Wake," said Bennett. "They all bring in good marks in their events, but are underdeveloped as a whole. I hope they can build on those marks and make a definite impact in their first year."