April 28, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The 2002 Terps cross country teams reaped the benefits of a stellar class of recruits, led by newcomers Katie Purcell and Cori Koch for the women's team. Next year's squads are looking to keep the positive momentum rolling with the signing of three talented new athletes announced this week.

Meghan Braffet, a 2002 Nike Athlete of the Week, is hailed as one of Illinois' best female high school runners. She encountered a sudden explosion of success this year, winning each of her races by 30-40 seconds. Running for the Normal Community West High School Lady Wildcats, Braffet was coached by Den Patten. She was selected to run in the 2002 Mideast Meet of Champions in Kettering, Ohio, where she placed eighth with a time of 18:46.30. She holds high school indoor records in the 600, 800, 1600 and 3200 meter runs, and outdoor records in the 1600, 3200 and 3200 meter relay. Braffet will be a welcome addition to the Terp women, who are looking to achieve a national ranking next season.

Peter Hess comes to the men's team from Toms River High School in Toms River, N.J., the same high school of Courtney Fiorovanti, who runs for the women's squad. At the 2002 New Jersey Meet of Champions, Hess led his team to a second place finish, taking third in the meet with time of 15:57.0. At the 2002 Shore Conference Championships, Hess broke the 21-year-old record for Holmdel Park of 15:41 with his time of 15:36.5-the fourth-fastest time ever recorded at the park.

Another signee for the men's team is Patrick Bailey, who comes from C. Milton Wright High School in Bel Air, Md. His cross country team became the Class 4A Maryland State Champions in 2002, under the coaching of Eric Clark. At that meet, Bailey claimed his second consecutive state individual title, winning as a junior and a senior. He and his team also won the 4A East Regional championships, thanks to his talent in running and his keen leadership abilities.

Head coach Trent Sanderson says he still has several more new recruits to be announced, once the mandatory paperwork is completed. Announcements will be posted on this web site as the signees become official.

"I am very optimistic about what the future holds for our stellar class of distance runners, as well as the future of our program." said Sanderson.