April 11, 2008

Meagan Hoar of Miami, Fla., and Ashley Lehman of Harrisonburg, Va., have both signed National Letters of Intent to compete for Lipscomb University in Cross Country and Track and Field in the 2008-09 school year.

They are first-year Head Coach Bill Taylor's first two women to sign for next year.

"I'm very excited that Meagan and Ashley have signed with us," said Taylor. "Both women have terrific character and fit incredibly with Lipscomb University and our program. They also understand that we are moving this program dramatically forward and want to be a part of our success."

Hoar is a standout distance runner from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy. Lourdes Academy is a power at their classification in Florida, having finished first or second in the state all four years of Hoar's career there. Meagan has won two regional championships, has earned "All-Dade" honors four years in a row, was a team captain for her cross country team this year and was voted MVP of her 2006-07 team. Her PB's include 19:11 for 5K, 5:27 for 1600m and 11:37 for 3200m.

"Meagan is such a nice person who brings a ton of talent and the experience of being a part of a highly successful high school program," said Taylor. "She will be an incredible asset to our program and it will be fun to help her achieve all her goals. She is a great addition to the program in every way."

Lehman is also a standout runner from Broadway High School. Her teams have won three Cross Country or Track District Championships, while Lehman earned the District Champion individual title this past Cross Country season before securing All-State honors in the State Championships. Lehman has earned all Region and All-District honors the past four years and has served as team captain the past two years. Her PB's include 19:30 for 5K, 5:26 for 1600m, 11:37 for 3200m and 2:25 for 800m.

"I know it sound like I'm repeating myself, but Ashley is also incredibly nice, incredibly talented and will be a huge asset for our program," said Taylor. "She has high character and fits exactly what we are looking for in our recruits. She will play a major role in the success we have. I look forward to working with Ashley and to helping her accomplish amazing things in her career here at Lipscomb."

Lipscomb University is an NCAA I school competing in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Located in Nashville, TN, the school has an enrollment of 2,800 students.