Harmer Signs Two, Adds One Transfer for 2013-14

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - David Harmer, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Head Women's Cross Country Coach and Co-Head Men's and Women's Track and Field Coach, is excited to announce the addition of two student-athletes who signed National Letters of Intent. Bailey Eppard (Johnston, Iowa) and Lina Arista (Colorado Springs, Colo.) each signed during the signing period that started Wednesday.

"These student-athletes are very competitive, good students and have lots of room to grow in terms of training, which is exciting," Harmer said. "I think they are going to be big contributors for us in the coming years."

Eppard finished in the top 20 of the Iowa state cross country championships last fall and competed at the Nike Cross Country Regionals in South Dakota. She's posted career-best times of 2 minutes and 23 seconds in the 800-meter run, 4:53 in the 1,500-meter run and 10:38 in the 3,000-meter run. She will graduate this spring from Johnston High School and plans to major in engineering.

"Bailey has some strong marks and performances in a range of events from the 800-meter run to cross country," Harmer said. "She has the potential to be a very strong distance runner both on the track and in cross country in the coming years and brings a great attitude and enthusiasm for the sport."

Arista qualified for the Colorado state cross country championships last fall with Vista Ridge High School. She's ran 2:22 in the 800-metr run and 5:22 in the mile. Arista plans to study environmental studies.

"Lina's coaches have done a fantastic job slowly progressing her training, and she has made huge improvements over the last two years," Harmer said. "She is an efficient, economical runner that will be a big contributor to the team in cross country and in the longer distance events on the track."

The duo will join Emily Garneau from Division I Montana State competed in the 3,000-meter, 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs. She graduated from Castle View High School in Castle Rock, Colo., in 2011, and was an academic all-state runner in both cross country and track and field.

"Emily has made huge improvements over the last 18 months at MSU," Harmer said. "She will be a strong cross country runner and longer distance runner in track."

UCCS finished No. 10 at the NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country National Championships last fall for the second-best finish in program history. The Mountain Lions' indoor track and field team have recorded three national qualifying marks and senior Alex Colvin leads the RMAC with 11 feet, 11 ¾ inches in the pole vault.