Dec. 12, 1997

Notre Dame Track and Field Signs Three to National Letters of Intent

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Notre Dame's track and field team has signed three high school seniors to national letters of intent, announced head coach Joe Piane. Thrower Dore DeBartolo, sprinter Liz Grow and distance runner Luke Watson have signed letters of intent to attend Notre Dame in 1998.

DeBartolo comes to Notre Dame as a standout in throwing events at Rosary High School in Aurora, Ill. She broke the state record in the discus as a junior in winning the state championship. DeBartolo holds the United States Track Association national record for 16-year-olds with her throw of 164-5 and is currently ranked third in the country among high school discus throwers. She was invited to train at the Olympic Training Center in August, 1998, for the second consecutive year. DeBartolo, who is also a two-time captain of the Rosary golf team, will also excels in the shot put, javelin and hammer throw.

"Dore DeBartolo will have an immediate impact on our women's track and field team," said Scott Windsor, Notre Dame's jumping and throwing coach. "She is very talented will score a lot of points for us in a number of throwing events."

Grow is currently the sixth-ranked junior in the nation in the 400 meters with her career-best time of 54.20. She won the state championship in Texas in the 400 meters as a junior at New Braunfels High School.

"Liz Grow is an outstanding, gifted runner who will help us in the short sprints and certainly in the 400 meters," said Notre Dame sprint and hurdles coach John Millar, who was recently named head coach of the United States women's national team for the 1999 World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Maebashi, Japan. "She definitely will be an impact runner at the BIG EAST championships and at the NCAA championships."

Luke Watson led Stillwater High School to the cross country state championship title and won the state individual race himself after finishing second as a junior. Watson led Stillwater to the No. 1 ranking, according to The Harrier magazine. Watson should help the Irish in both cross country and the distance events in track and field.

"We expect Luke Watson to be among our top seven cross country runners in 1998," said cross country and track and field head coach Joe Piane. "He will be one of the top freshmen in the country next year."

Notre Dame's men's cross country team is coming off a season this fall in which the Irish won their first BIG EAST title and qualified for their sixth straight NCAA championship. Notre Dame will open its 1998 track and field season on Jan. 16-17, at Purdue.