DePaul University

CHICAGO DePaul head cross country and track and field coach Pat Savage announced the signing of 11 student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent this week.  One male and ten females join the Blue Demons for the 2008-09 academic year, with talent coming from Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

"The incoming class of freshmen will strengthen our middle distance, distance, hurdle and throws teams," Savage said.  "These student-athletes are proven winners who chose DePaul for academics as well as athletics."

Dennis Baliga hails from Rockford Auburn High School in Rockford, Illinois to run cross country and track.  A regional cross country champion and four-time sectional qualifier who placed 34th at the 2007 IHSA Cross Country State Championship, Baliga holds a Rockford Auburn school record with his 3,200m time of 9:46.00.

Five distance runners come to DePaul from across Illinois as Kimberly Boisvert, Kelsey Dolan, Erin Lakie, Cari Krikorian and Claire O’Brien signed Letters of Intent.  Boisvert won conference, regional and sectional titles with the Belvidere High School cross country and track teams, while Lakie earned All-State honors twice for cross country at Lockport Township.  Dolan comes from Loyola Academy with four IHSA State Championship qualifications in cross country and a personal-best three-mile time of 18:07.  Krikorian, also a Chicagoland native, posted Niles West records in the 1,600m and 3,200m races in addition to making All-Conference teams in cross country and track.  O’Brien joins the Blue Demons from St. Charles North, where she notched personal-best marks of 5:34.00 in the 1,600m run and 18:08.00 on a three-mile cross country course.

A pair of Wisconsin natives head south in the fall as Esther Anderson of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and Stacy Schmitz of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin come to DePaul.  Anderson, a regional and sectional discus champion for Wauwatosa East, adds depth to the Blue Demon throwing corps.  Schmitz posted Fond du Lac High School records in the 4x400m and 4x800m relays while making her All-Conference cross country team three times.

Kelcie Daniels of Grand Rapids, Michigan enters DePaul from Forest Hills Northern High School, where she earned All-Conference honors three times in cross country and three times in track.  A member of the Academic All-State team, Daniels holds Forest Hills Northern records in the 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles and 800m relay.

Kelly Pickering of Medina, Ohio and Toni Salvatore of Shoreview, Minnesota round out DePaul’s Letter of Intent class.  Pickering gave conference titles to Medina High Shool in the 800m run and 4x800m relays while making four All-Conference cross country teams.  Salvatore made All-Conference teams for cross country and track in addition to setting a Roseville High School 800m record of 2:18.73.

The Blue Demons continue their indoor track and field season, February 23-24, at the BIG EAST Conference Indoor Championships in New York City.