FLORENCE, S.C. – Francis Marion University cross country coach Mark Bluman has announced the signing of Ben Miller of Chesnee and Jerry Roth of Avon Lake, Ohio, to national letters of intent to attend FMU and run for the Patriots this fall.

Miller, 6-5, is a senior at Chesnee High School, where he has run under the direction of coach Eric Luedeman.

Last fall, he placed third in the AA state cross country championship meet with a personal-best 5,000-meter time of 16:30, as Chesnee placed fourth in the team standings. He was a three-time All-Region selection and twice earned All-State and All-County honors.

Recently at the AA state track and field championships, he won the 800-meters with a time of 2:00.57 and helped Chesnee to an 11th-place showing.

Roth, 5-11, is a senior at Avon Lake High School, where he has performed for coach Rob Juergens. He is past recipient of his school’s most outstanding track athlete award and has been an honorable mention selection in cross country.

Roth has a personal-best time of 17:17 for 5,000-meters. On the track, he has run the 3,200-meters in 9:51, the 1,600-meters in 4:38, and the 800-meters in 2:04. He placed first in the 3,200-meters at the 2006 Southwestern Conference track and field meet, fourth at the 2006 OHSAA Division I district meet, and then finished ninth at the regional meet.

Francis Marion loses one senior from its 2006 men’s squad that placed fifth at the Peach Belt Conference Championship Meet and 17th at the NCAA Division II South Region Championship Meet.