Cross Country Inks Two Student Athletes
University of Wyoming head coach Bryan Berryhill announced Friday the addition of two student-athletes to the Cowgirl track and field roster for the spring semester.
Stephanie Wicksell of Lynnwood, Pretoria, South Africa, and Kerry White of Te Aroha, Waikato, New Zealand, will compete immediately for the Cowgirls and have four years of eligibility. "Stephanie and Kerry are both going to make an immediate impact for our program," Berryhill said. "They are two athletes that have the versatility to come in and score points for us right away in multiple events. Plus they have a lot of international racing experience, which will make their transition to the NCAA Division I level smoother.
Recruiting athletes from abroad can be challenging, but as my staff and I got to know these two more, we realized they are not only good athletes, but good people. Both come from strong family backgrounds and will be welcome additions to our track family." Wicksell competed at Die Hoerskool Menlopark High School under the coaching of her mother, Ilze, during her prep career. She owned personal bests of 24.2 seconds in the 200 meters and 54.2 seconds in the 400 meters, while competing in several world competitions over the last several years.
Her father, Ray, was raised in southern California and competed collegiality for Arizona State in the late 1970s, before going on to run in three U.S. Olympic Trials from 1980-88. Ray broke the four-minute barrier in the mile 24 times during his career. Her mother was the first South African woman to break two minutes in the 800 meters and still holds the country's record for the 1,000 meters. She ran 2:37.20 in 1983.