Women's Cross Country Inks Two

ROCHESTER HLLS, Mich.—On Thursday, July 11, Rochester College Head Cross Country Coach Laura Murphy announced the signing of Kimberly Ferns and Brandi West.

Ferns found a home at RC after chasing many dreams since she graduated from Woodhaven High School in Flat Rock, MI. She started out as a student at Michigan State University before leaving to pursue her dream of performing on Broadway. She spent the next few years studying voice and acting at different Michigan venues before moving to New York City to further her pursuit of making it to Broadway. In 2008, Ferns decided to move back to Michigan and go back to school. Ferns has been a student at RC for the past two years and is headed into her junior year. She has spent the summer running and is eager to compete and help the Warriors cross country team chase down some of the top NAIA talent in the country.

Coach Murphy on Kimberly:

"Kim will add an extra dimension to our young team, demonstrating her confidence and courage to join us as a non-traditional student. I know it will be great for her to experience this slice of collegiate life and she will also gain something from seeing how she measures up to the youngsters."

West is no stranger to RC athletics as she played basketball for the previous two years for Head Women's Basketball Coach Eric Sims. West has decided to take her talents to the trails this year as she brings with her a plethora of running experience. Prepping for Ladybirds Head Coach Jeff Ransford at North Central High School in Farmersburg, Ind., West lettered four times and garnered many individual accomplishments. West was a first-team all-league runner all four years of high school and regional qualifier in her junior and senior seasons. She also lettered four times in track and basketball, bringing her total number of varsity letters won to twelve. During track season West put her running skills on display as she was the league-champ in both the 1,600 meter and 3,200 meter run and also named to the all-league team all four years.

Coach Murphy on Brandi:

"Brandi has excellent cross country credentials from high school and is clearly determined to regain her previous form after two years of exclusive basketball play. She is a hard worker and her example will put her squarely in a leadership role for this season."