FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2006 Women's track/cross country announces five signees Newest additions bring '06 class up to 10 members JOPLIN, Mo. - Missouri Southern State University head coach Patty Vavra has announced the additions of five new student-athletes for her women's track & field/cross country program. Ciara Lipsey, Kimi Shank, Erin Steffens, Courtney Waltbillig and Jessie Wood have signed to join the Lions in the 2006-07 academic year, Vavra said. Shank and Waltbillig will also compete in cross country at MSSU. Lipsey, of Wichita, Kan., is a four-year letterwinner as a pole vaulter in track & field at Maize High School. She was the Kansas Class 6A state runner-up in the pole vault as a junior in 2005, after winning the league and regional championships in the event. Lipsey holds the school record in the pole vault with a mark of 11 feet, 0 inches. Lipsey is also a four-year starter on the MHS bowling team and holds school records for high game, high series and high average. She also earned one letter in volleyball for the Eagles. The daughter of Craig and Denise Lipsey, she intends to major in marketing at MSSU. Shank has been a four-year letterwinner in both cross country and track & field at Rolla (Mo.) High School. She's a three-time all-state performer and a four-time state qualifier in cross country. In 2005, Shank finished fourth at the Missouri Class 4 state meet. She's a two-time district champion and two time district female athlete of the year. In track & field, Shank has qualified for the state meet each of the last three years and she earned all-state in the 3200-meter run as a junior. Her best 5000-meter cross country time is 18 minutes, 12 seconds and her top 3200-meter track & field clocking is 11:14.75. A native of St. James, Mo., she is the daughter of William and Lynn Shank and is undecided on a major at MSSU. Steffens comes to Southern from Festus, Mo. and Herculaneum High School, where she has excelled as a thrower in the Blackcats' track & field program. Steffens is a three-time state medalist i the shot put and in 2005 was named Jackie Joyner-Kersee Outstanding Field Athlete. Steffens' best marks are 42 feet, 1 inch on the shot put and 127-3 in the discus. Also a four-year starter as a shortstop in softball, Steffens intends to study radiology technology at Southern. She is the daughter of Kent and Mary Steffens. Waltbillig, from Rogersville, Mo., joins the Lions after an outstanding prep career at Logan-Rogersville High School. She's a four-time all-state runner in cross country and was also an all-state honoree in track as a junior in the 1600-meter run. Three times Waltbillig earned Southwest Missouri Runner of the Year in Class 2, including in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2003, Waltbillig, a four-year letterwinner in both track & field and cross country, led the Wildcats to a third-place state finish in cross country. The daughter of John and Tracy Walbillig, she is undecided on a major at MSSU. Wood, a native of Washington, Mo., is a four-year letterwinner in track & field from Washington High School. She's finished as Missouri Class 4's state runner-up in the high jump in each of the last two years, and is a three-time all-conference high jumper. Wood also earned all-conference honors in both the triple jump and the long jump and was an all-district performer in the high jump and triple jump in 2004 and 2005. Wood holds the school record in the high jump and has been on the all-academic team every year in each of the three sports she played. She also participated in volleyball and basketball for the Blue Jays. She is the daughter of Frank and Kelly Wood and intends to study mass communications at MSSU. Her mother, the former Kelly Bauman was a tennis player at Southern in the early 1980s. The five new additions join five other signees who inked with Southern during the November early signing period. Missouri Southern women's track & field 2006-07 signees: Ashley Bunch, 5-7, distance/cross country, Loose Creek, Mo. (Linn HS) Victoria Kline, 5-7, distance/cross country, Miami, Okla. (Fairland HS) * Ciara Lipsey, 5-9, pole vault, Wichita, Kan. (Maize HS) Danielle Oliver, 5-4, sprints/jumps, Olivette, Mo. (Ladue Horton Watkins HS) Kayla Piley, 5-7, jumps/hurdles, Lamar, Mo. (Lamar HS) * Kimi Shank, 5-3, distance/cross country, St. James, Mo. (Rolla HS) * Erin Steffens, 5-4, throws, Festus, Mo. (Herculaneum HS) * Courtney Waltbillig, 5-6, distance/cross country, Rogersville, Mo. (Logan-Rogersville HS) Ysatis Williams, 5-9, sprints/relays, St. Louis, Mo. (Ladue Horton Watkins HS) * Jessie Wood, 5-8, jumps, Washington, Mo. (Washington HS) * new signee announced in April signing period.