2,000 miles to Hattiesburg

Kofa cross country coach Charlie Splawn estimates that Stephanie Ledgerwood has run almost 2,000 miles in her high school career.

Even if that number is off a bit, that's more than enough for her to run to Hattiesburg, Miss., home of Southern Mississippi, to start her college career.

Ledgerwood signed a letter of intent to run with the Golden Eagles Wednesday, one of just two area prep athletes reported to The Sun to sign with an NCAA Division I school.

The two-time 5A-II state runner-up had her original list of about six schools narrowed down to two. But in the end, the Golden Eagles edged out the Naval Academy.

"I just decided that I wanted more of a traditional college setting," Ledgerwood said. "I believed that this could be more of the right fit for my personality than the Naval Academy."

Ledgerwood said the Golden Eagles are being rebuilt under first-year coach Danielle Keplinger, who's said to Ledgerwood she's looking to build a team of mostly freshmen - a very appealing situation to Ledgerwood.

"I knew that definitely if we train like we knew that we could and (Keplinger) helped us," Ledgerwood said, "we'd get to our senior year and have this team that could do well at our conference (Conference USA) meet and even possibly get to nationals."

Splawn said that Ledgerwood will mesh with the program very well.

"She's going to add some leadership to that program," Splawn said. "She's got a great work ethic, and she's a very determined athlete. With that, she's going to add some great running skills."

Ledgerwood said she plans to major in political science.

"I like the atmosphere and the program and everything that Southern Mississippi was basically about," Ledgerwood said. "So I decided that this is where I wanted to spend the next four years and this will help me academically and athletically."

Ledgerwood joins classmate Katelyn Weddle as D-I signees. Weddle, a breaststroker for four years with the swim team, committed in October to San Diego State.

Weddle not only won two events at the 5A-II swimming finals this year, she swam this past summer at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100-meter backstroke.

"San Diego State is rising fast. They used to be not even heard of, and now they're drawing swimmers from all over," Weddle said in and earlier interview with The Sun. "It's going to be interesting starting over as a freshman in college. It's a little different as far as rules go, but I still have my goals set and I know their team goals."

Yuma Catholic quarterback Matt Inman had not signed and did not return messages left by The Sun.

His mother, Gail Inman, said Inman had offers from D-II schools South Dakota and Western New Mexico as well as some talks with Football Championship Subdivision Cal-Poly and Football Bowl Subdivision Colorado. Mrs. Inman also said her son had "preferred walk-on" status to the University of Arizona.