KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. –  Two stars from Indiana and one each from Illinois and Wisconsin have signed their National Letters of Intent (NLI) to compete for the Indiana State University combined women's cross country and track & field team starting next fall according to Angela Martin, Indiana State women's track & field coach.

Alethia (Alis) Marrero (Ben Davis High School/Indianapolis, Ind.) and Natalie Nolting (Franklin Central High School/Indianapolis, Ind.) will join Jessica Melchi (Mahomet-Seymour High School/Dewey, Ill.) and Bridget Murphy (Seymour Community High School/Seymour, Wis.)  on the Indiana State squads starting with the Fall 2013 semester.

“All of these young women come from great families and we are very happy that they have chosen to come and join our Sycamore Track and Field family,” Martin said.

Marrero has competed in middle distance and distance while also a high jumper on the Ben Davis cross country and track & field teams. She ran a career best 2:16.42 in placing ninth in the 800 meters at the state meet as a sophomore and nearly matched that time with a second place finish at the 2012 regional. She went on to finish 10th at state (2:17.59) as a junior. She cleared a career best height of 5-foot-3-inches in the high jump at the 2012 regional.

In cross country, Marrero has a career best 19:31 for the 5K event which she ran in placing ninth at the 2012 regional. She has advanced to the semi-state twice with her best finish coming in 2011 when she was 62nd (20:08).

“Alis is a great addition to our team,” Martin said. “She is a tremendous all-around athlete who will add depth to our long sprints and middle distance groups. She can sprint, has great endurance and can jump also. She is very enthusiastic and I cannot wait to see how her positivity will add to our team.”

Marrero was also a member of the Ben Davis 4x800 meter relay team that advanced to the state meet twice and placed ninth in 2011 (9:31.67) and 24th in 2012 (10:04.16).

Nolting is the second middle to long distance athlete to join the Sycamore family. Nolting reached the state championship in cross country as a sophomore and finished 78th (19:58.1) but ran a career best 19:24.9 in the 5K event at the Conference Indiana meet as a senior. She also ran in the state championship as a senior as Franklin Central finished fourth as a team and she finished 64th individually (19:39).

“Natalie will be a nice addition to our distance program,” Martin said. “She is a young runner and has a lot of potential for improvement. She has been a part of a highly competitive high school team and has improved greatly in one year of training. She brings a great attitude and will to win to our team.”

Nolting has also been successful on the track, running a career best 5:18.53 in the 1600 meters and 11:37.42 in the 3200 meters. She was second in the 1600 meters at the 2012 sectionals and placed fourth at the regionals. Indoors she has career bests of 4:11.10 in the 1200 meters, 5:49.61 in the 1600 meters, 5:41.12 in the mile, and 11:34.28 in the 3200 meters.

Melchi has had a successful high school career in the 400 meters and pole vault a Mahomet-Seymour High School. She has competed in the Illinois State meet for three seasons, placing fourth in the 400 meters last year with a career best time of 57.67 seconds and 12th in the pole vault. She was also a member of the 4x400 meter relay that finished sixth at state in 2012 with a time of 3:59.2 in the finals.

“Jessica is a wonderful young lady with high goals,” Martin said. “She will be a great complement to our pole vault tradition here at Indiana State. Jessica is also a good sprinter who can come in and make an immediate impact on our team within our conference. I look forward to the chance to work with her.”

Melchi has cleared a career best height of 11-feet-9-inches in the pole vault and has career bests of 13.94 in the 100 meters and 27.84 in the 200 meters.

Murphy is the third recruit that will have an immediate impact in both cross country and track & field at Indiana State. The Wisconsin native has run in the 800 meters at the state meet for three straight years with her best finish coming last year as a junior when she finished third (2:14.58). She was also fourth as a sophomore in a career best 2:14.13) and was 18th as a freshman.

“It is very exciting to have someone coming to Indiana State from my hometown in Wisconsin,” Martin said. “Bridget is a very hard worker and she does not settle for anything on the track or in the classroom. She has great potential in the 800 meters and will add depth to our relays.”

Murphy ran a career best 15:41.49 in the 4K event at the Bay conference meet as a senior where she placed eighth. She also had her best finish in the sectionals as a senior with an 11th place finish (16:36.42). Murphy also has career bests of 26.93 in the 200 meters, 59.40 in the 400 meters, and 5:33.95 in the 1600 meters. She was part of the 4x400 meter relay team that finished fifth and the 4x800 meter relay that was seventh at the 2010 state track meet.