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.
