Nov. 16, 2004

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue women's basketball coach Kristy Curry announced the signing of Danielle Campbell, Stephanie Helgeson, Jodi Howell and Lauren Mioton to National Letters of Intent on Tuesday, the second-to-last day of the NCAA early-signing period.

Curry paid high compliments to all four future Boilermakers.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have student-athletes the caliber of Danielle, Stephanie, Jodi and Lauren join our Purdue family," Curry said. "We feel our front line is solidified with players like Danielle and Stephanie, while our backcourt gets even better with pure shooters like Jodi and Lauren.

"Once again we feel like we've done well close to home and nationally. From Indiana to Illinois to my home state of Louisiana, these four players make up a recruiting class that I am extremely proud to have signed. The future just got bigger and brighter in Boilermaker country."

Campbell is a 6-foot-3 forward/center from Chicago. She averaged 16.7 points and 11.3 rebounds as a junior at Whitney Young High School. Following her 2003-04 season, Campbell was named fourth team All-American by Street & Smith's. She was an all-city and all-area pick, and a third team all-state selection.

Helgeson (pronounced HEL-jah-son) is a 6-foot-4 center from New Orleans. She averaged 16.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots per game as a junior at Dominican High School, leading her team to a 35-5 record and Class 5A state runner-up finish. A 60 percent shooter from the field last season, Helgeson received district most valuable player honors, was named Orleans Parish MVP, and was a second team all-state pick. Helgeson also competes for the Dominican track and field team, for which she captured the state shot put championship with a throw of 27 feet, 6 inches last spring.

Howell is a 5-foot-11 guard from Alexandria, Ind. A first team Associated Press all-state pick as a sophomore, Howell was sidelined for all but four games of her junior season due to a knee injury. In 53 career high school games prior to the injury, Howell racked up 1,395 points, an average of 26.3 points per game. As a sophomore, Howell averaged 28.0 points per game to rank second in the state in scoring behind current Boilermaker Katie Gearlds of Beech Grove. A sharpshooter, Howell has connected on 57 percent of her field goals, 41 percent of her three-pointers, and 83 percent of her free throws. With Howell on the court, Alexandria-Monroe High School, coached by her father, Jon Howell, has posted a 49-4 record.

Mioton (pronounced MEE-uh-tahn) is a 5-foot-9 guard from River Ridge, La., a suburb of New Orleans. Entering her senior season at prestigious Isidore Newman, Mioton already owns the school record for career points, with 2,749. She poured in 696 points in her junior season alone, averaging 21.8 points per game. Mioton earned all-district, All-Orleans Parish, all-metro and honorable mention Class 3A all-state honors after the 2003-04 season. Like Helgeson, Mioton plays AAU basketball for the New Orleans Domino's program.

Campbell, Helgeson and Howell all participated in the 2004 USA Basketball Women's Youth Development Festival. Blue Star rankings have Campbell ranked 23rd, while Helgeson and Howell are ranked 51st and 57th.

Quotes from Kristy Curry
On Danielle Campbell
"Danielle comes from a tradition-rich high school at Whitney Young. She is a rare triple threat; she gives us size, athleticism and versatility. She is eager to learn, and she is a hard worker. Her potential is unbelievable, and we think she will have a chance to make an immediate impact."

On Stephanie Helgeson
"Stephanie will help us fill a void in the middle. She is fundamentally sound and brings a tremendous amount of skill at the post position. She plays on a very good high school team, and her AAU program, Domino's, is one of the best in the country. Plain and simple, she knows how to win."

On Jodi Howell
"Jodi is one of the premier pure shooters in the country. Having been coached by her dad, she grew up in a gym and learned how to make herself into a great player. Beyond her physical talent, she also is a true student of the game."

On Lauren Mioton
"We watched Lauren this summer and felt she would be a great addition to our backcourt. She's a sleeper in this class. She is an outstanding shooter, has great court savvy and is a tremendous student of the game. She also is an excellent student in the classroom."

Purdue Class of 2009

Danielle Campbell	6-3	Chicago, Ill. (Whitney Young)
Stephanie Helgeson	6-4	New Orleans, La. (Dominican)
Jodi Howell	        5-11	Alexandria, Ind. (Alexandria-Monroe)
Lauren Mioton	        5-9	River Ridge, La. (Isidore Newman)

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