Huff secures bid in cross country finals

ISU junior Jessica Huff has earned an at-large berth in the 2002 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Huff placed sixth in the women’s 6,000-meter race at Saturday’s Midwest Regional meet in Bloomington, Ill., to qualify for the national championships.

Mike Mwangong earned an automatic berth in the men’s championship race with a third-place regional finish.

Indiana State will play host to the 2002 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., Nov. 25.

Volleyball team signs two players

Two prep standouts signed national letters of intent to play volleyball at Iowa State, head coach Linda Crum announced Monday.

The 2002—2003 recruit class includes an outside hitter and one middle blocker.

Katie Jessen, a 5’11” outside hitter from Kansas City, Mo., was a four-year starter at Park Hill High School and earned first-team all-conference and first-team all-district honors her sophomore, junior and senior years. She earned all-regional and all-metro honors her junior year and was named to the All-Northland first team her sophomore and junior years. Her club volleyball team placed fifth at the USAV Nationals in 1999.

The daughter of Jon and Patty Jessen was also a four-year starter in basketball, earning first-team all-conference honors her sophomore year.

“Katie’s a great athlete and she comes from a strong club background,” Crum said. “She’s a strong all-around player who’s a physical attacker and a tenacious defender. She’s going to be a great fit for our program and I really see her having a significant role on the team as we continue our upward movement in the Big 12.”

Amanda Amon, a 6’2″ middle hitter from Williamston, Mich., earned second-team all-league, first-team all-region and honorable mention all-area honors as a junior at Okemos High School. She was the No. 1 blocker on her team and set the school records for blocks in a game (10) and for a season (189).

“Amanda is another great athlete that is used to the high level of play in the Big 12,” Crum said. “She moves very well and is very fluid on both offense and defense. We anticipate her contributing to our team right away. Both Katie and Amanda are strong in what our team needs and I really think they will add to our chemistry and make our team better.”

Four commit to gymnastics team

After signing national letters of intent, four recruits committed to the Iowa State gymnastics team.

The signees include Ashley Alden, Janet Anson, Jade Kvach and Katie Lasher.

“We’ve had two back-to-back recruiting classes that rank amongst the best ever at ISU,” head coach K.J. Kindler said. “Each of these gymnasts accepted their offers immediately because they know that Iowa State is a great place to be.”

Alden comes from Warren Township High School in Park City, Ill., where she was the 2001 Illinois High School all-around champion.

She competed as a Level 10 USA gymnast for six years and placed 10th all-around at the 2000 Junior Olympic Nationals. At the 2001 Nationals, Alden placed 12th all-around and fourth on balance beam.

Anson hails from Kansas City, Mo., where she competed for Park Hill High School, as well as EDGE Gymnastics. She captured 10th place in the all-around at the 2001 USA Nationals and 10th in the vault in 2000. Anson was the Missouri state champion on vault and bars for three consecutive years, as well as a three-time Level 10 national qualifier.

“Janet and Ashley complement each other’s strengths,” Kindler said. “Ashley is strong on bars and is an incredible beam worker, while Janet’s power will enable her to be a top contributor on vault and floor for the Cyclones.”

Kvach, an Ames native, was the national champion on the balance beam and placed sixth in the all-around at the 2000 Junior Olympic Nationals. In the 2002 Junior Olympics, she placed fifth in the floor exercise.

Kvach was the all-around champion at the Junior Olympic Regionals for two consecutive years, as well as the floor exercise champion in 2002. In 1996, she was Iowa’s Gymnast of the Year.

“Jade will bring with her the crowd support of the Ames community and a wealth of talent as an all-around athlete,” Kindler said.

Lasher, from Omaha, Neb., placed first on the bars and fourth all-around at the 2002 Junior Olympic Nationals. In the 2000 Junior National Olympics, Lasher placed fourth on the vault.

— ISU Media Relations