MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Aug. 12, 2009) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's track and field teams has signed eight high school seniors to National Letters of Intent, head coach Pete Corfeld announced today.

Awa (Florence) Mafany of Skokie, Ill., Chiamaka Okonkwo of Osseo, Minn., Moriah Myles of Riverdale, Ill., Chantel McConville of Sauk City, Wis., Samia Taylor of Madison, Wis., Erika Suchla of Arcadia, Wis., Brittany Aslum of Randolph, Wis., and Elise Sigg of Mineral Point, Wis., will join the women's track and field squad as freshmen next season.

Mafany was a three-time state qualifier in both the 100m and 300m hurdles at Niles North High School. She competed in both events at the state meet her sophomore through senior seasons. She capped her career with Illinois state runner-up finishes in both events as a senior.

"The signing of Flo was a huge step in the growth of our program," Corfeld said. "For an athlete who received significant scholarship offers from the Nebraska and Florida, to choose our program is huge. Our program has reached a point where we have success recruiting against the top track programs in the nation.

"Flo is an exceptionally talented athlete who will make an immediate impact on our program. Her high school performance of 14.22 would put her second in school history."

Okonkwo is hurdler out of Osseo High School, coming to Milwaukee after competing at the Minnesota state meet three times. Her junior season, she took third at the state meet with a time of 15.04. She was eighth as a sophomore and placed fifth with the 4x100m relay after helping the 4x100m relay to a state championship as a freshman.

"Chiamaka is a solid high hurdle who has yet to reach her full potential," Corfeld said. "She will make an immediate impact in the hurdle group."

Myles has qualified for the state meet as a sophomore and junior in the long jump, triple jump and 100m hurdles at Thornton High School. Her junior year, she competed in all three events after qualifying for the state meet in the 100m hurdles as a sophomore.

"Moriah is a natural talent," Corfeld said. "She will add needed youth to our senior class of heptathletes next season."

McConville competed at the state meet in both the high jump and pole vault each of her last two seasons at Sauk Prairie High School. As a junior, she tied for fifth in the pole vault. She tied for 10th in the high jump as a sophomore.

"Chantel is a talented athlete who will add depth to our vertical jumps," Corfeld said. "Her ability to do both vertical jumps will be a real asset to our team."

Taylor qualified for the state meet her final three years at LaFollette High School. As a senior, she placed fourth in the triple jump and competed with both the 4x100m and 4x200m relays. She also made three relay appearances over her sophomore and junior seasons.s

"Samia is a very gifted jumper who has yet to reach her potential in the horizontal jumps," Corfeld said. "She has all of the tools to become a great Division I jumper."

Suchla is a jumper and sprinter out of Arcadia High School. She placed third in the triple jump at state as a junior, also competing in the long jump, 4x200m relay and 4x400m relay. As a sophomore, she took seventh in the triple jump and also ran with the 4x400m relay. Her freshman year, she qualified for state in the long jump and with the 4x200m relay.

"Erika will add youth to our experienced horizontal jumps group," Corfeld said. "Her background in the sprints and jumps will be an asset for her development as a collegiate jumper."

Alsum is a thrower out of Randolph-Cambria High School. As a junior in 2008, she took second place in the discus throw at the state meet. She also placed third as a sophomore and was 16th as a freshman.

"Brittany will come in and solidify our women's throwing corps," Corfeld said. "Her PR in the discus is 154 feet. That would have won the Horizon League last season."

Sigg is another three-time state competitor in track, while also competing at state twice in cross country. She finished third in the 1600m as a junior at the Wisconsin Division III track meet. She also placed eighth in the 800m and ran with the 4x400m relay at the meet. As a sophomore, she ran with the 4x100m relay at the state meet after running with both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays as a freshman. She also placed fourth at the state cross country meet her senior year after a second-place finish when she was a junior.

"Our women's distance squad and cross country team took a big hit on graduation, so Elise will help to make up for that," Corfeld said. "Her time at the state cross country meet (14:55) is the best we've ever had for an incoming freshman."