Red Wolves - IU East

RICHMOND, Ind. - Indiana University East offered the chance, and Meredith Craig seized the opportunity.

Craig, a recent Tippecanoe Valley High School (Ind.) graduate, has signed a letter of intent to play golf for IU East.

Red Wolves coach Von Ebeling announced the signing July 22.

Craig has a simple explanation for her college choice:

"IU East offered the chance to play golf," she said.

Craig twice was the most improved player on the Tippecanoe Valley girls golf team. She finished as high as second in multiple summer tournaments. She was a Tippecanoe Valley scholar-athlete during all four of her varsity golf seasons.

"She possesses an incredible amount of initiative," Ebeling said. "She changed her college choice in July, drove more than three hours to visit IU East and checked out our home course on her own.

"I believe these action are telltale of her love for golf. She will definitely help solidify our roster."

Meredith is the daughter or Jacalyn Haist and Don Craig.

She plans to major in elementary special education.

Craig was active in the Mentone United Methodist Church in her hometown of Mentone, Ind. She taught middle school and elementary children at the church on Wednesdays and helped with nursery, junior church and Sunday school on Sundays. She helped with funeral dinners, local church blood banks and bingo at a local nursing home.

She also took part in the Hispanic Youth Mentoring program at her school.

Craig joins Ashley Mullin (Richmond, Ind.), Cassie Hofacker (Pitsburg, Ohio) and Stacey Davis (New Paris, Ohio), in IU East's 2010 women's golf recruiting class.

The Red Wolves will compete in a short fall season in preparation for the regular season in the spring.