By Jon Litchfield - Thursday, July 2, 2009, High Point, NC

The High Point University women's cross country and track & field team will welcome 11 newcomers for the 2009-10 season, head coach Mike Esposito announced on Thursday. Joining the Panthers this year will be Francesca Carrone (Basking Ridge, N.J./Basking Ridge), Kelsey Hunt (Bedford, N.H./Manchester West), Gabi Hunter (West Windsor, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro South), Brittany Killough (Bowling Green, Va./JJ Kelly/Virginia-Wise), Kelsey Paine (Daniels, W.Va./Shady Spring), Dani Paul (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little), Kaylyn Peck (Lutherville, Md./Dulaney), Lynee Pena (Stafford, Va./Brooke Point) and Vanessa Piacente (Toronto, Ont./Cardinal Newman Catholic).

"This class is very strong, particularly in the distance and middle distance events," said Esposito. "It's going to create a lot of depth, the kids are strong academically and they will represent the program well. The recruits in the distance events, particularly, should help us compete for a Big South Championship this season."

Carrone is a distance runner and was a member of the New Jersey state runner-up cross country team. Basking Ridge won the state sectional title in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track & field her senior year. Carrone brings a 19:16 personal record for the 5K in cross country and was a member of Basking Ridge's school-record setting 4x800 relay team.

Hunt set the Manchester West record of 11:12 in the 3,200-meter and was a four-time All-State selection in New Hampshire. She also garnered All-Class and All-City honors in cross country, was two-time state championship runner-up and was city champ three years in row in distance events on the track. Her best 5K time in cross country was 18:36.

Hunter is a middle distance specialist, arriving with a personal record of 2:18.7 in the 800-meter. That was the West Windsor-Plainsboro South record, and Hunter was also a member of the school-record 4x400 relay team (3:59). Her team was Group 3 Section champ and runner-up for the Mercer County Championship.

Killough will be a junior in 2009-10 after transferring from Virginia-Wise. At JJ Kelly High School, Killough set school records in several events and was state champ in the 800-meter in 2007. Killough qualified for the Virginia state cross country championship four years in a row. At Virginia-Wise, Killough was the first athlete to qualify for the NAIA national championship as both a freshman and sophomore and set the school record of 18:16 for 5K in cross country.

Paine was valedictorian of Shady Spring High, where she helped the cross country team to an undefeated season and a West Virginia state championship in 2008. The team won several league championships in cross country and track & field and Paine was a member of the state champ 4x800 relay team. She brings a personal best of 2:23 in the 800-meter.

Paul arrives at HPU with personal bests of 2:20 in the 800-meter and 5:20 in the 1,600-meter. She was two-time Kennebec Valley champ in the outdoor 1,600 as her team won the title her final three seasons. She was a member of several championship 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams. With Paul on the team, Edward Little won several league championships, the 2009 state championship, and continued its streak of 11 years without a regular season loss.

Peck earned the 12 Season Athlete Award, participating in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field her whole four years. She was All-County and team MVP in cross country in 2008 and was a member of two Baltimore County champion teams. Peck was Baltimore County champ in the indoor mile in 2009 and was regional champ in the 800-meter during the 2009 outdoor season. She arrives with a mile PR of 5:19.33.

Pena is a thrower from Stafford, Va. and attended Brooke Point High School. In track & field, she threw the shot put and discus and she was also a member of the basketball team at Brook Point.

Piacente arrives at High Point after a stellar prep career in Ontario. She comes in with personal bests of 2:13 in the 800-meter and 4:39 in the 1,500-meter, which were both Cardinal Newman Catholic records. She placed ninth in the 800 at the Canadian Junior Championships in 2007 and was Ontario runner-up in the 1,500 and took third in the 800 the same year. She was three-time team MVP in both cross country and track & field. Piacente also played soccer before focusing on cross country.

Sinnott competed primarily in the long jump, high jump and 800-meter at Commack High School and will focus on the multi events at HPU. She earned All-League and All-County honors as well as All-Academic honors in high school.

Tobin was on a Weston team that won indoor and outdoor Southwest Conference (SWC) titles every season and won three indoor state titles and one outdoor state championship. She was SWC champ in the indoor 1,600-meter as a sophomore and SWC champ in the 800 her junior and senior years. She was a member of several championship 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams and brings personal bests of 2:20 in the 800 and 3:03 in the 1,000.

The Panthers are coming off six straight third-place finishes in the Big South Championship for cross country. HPU was fourth at the Big South indoor title meet and placed third at the Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championship.