Top Prepster Heidi Magill Signs

PROVO -- Top track and cross country high school recruit, Heidi Magill, signed with BYU this week in the early collegiate signing period.

Magill hails from Orem's Mountain View High School where she has led the cross country and track and field teams to national performances throughout her high school career.

"Heidi Magill is arguably the best recruit in the nation," women's cross country coach Patrick Shane said. "An athlete like her comes along so infrequently that when they do and you sign them, it has a huge impact on the direction the program will take in the future."

Shane describes Magill as a franchise athlete. She has a 54 second 400 meter speed, the ability to generate power in the 800 meter and a unique aerobic capacity that has allowed her to be one of the top six cross country runners as a junior in high school.

As a 5'11" runner she placed 6th in the 2002 Foot Locker cross country championships in 17:50.5. Currently she holds both the 4A and 5A record in both the 400 and 800 meter run, with a faster time than All-American's Kassi Andersen and Nan Evans. She placed first in the nation in the 800m with a time of 2:06 and in 2003 she won 4th overall in the 4A State Cross Country Championships in 19:09 after being injured early this season in the BYU Autumn Classic.

"There hasn't bee an American female distance runner with her physical attributes since Mary Decker who was the best distance runner we have ever had in the U.S.," Shane said. "We are excited for her to join us and feel that her abilities will have a synergistic effect over the next four or five years."