Earlier this week, we took a look back at some of the former AJC girls soccer players of the year and how they have fared in their post-high school careers. Now we look ahead to the recruiting classes signed by some of Georgia’s largest colleges. Several of those classes are dominated by in-state players, particularly at Georgia State, where all of its signees are from Georgia high schools.
*Georgia State: The Panthers signed seven in-state players, including two from Buford – center back Isabelle Grest and forward Brie Smith. Buford is 11-2 and ranked No. 6 in Class AAAA by EurosportScoreboard.com, and the Wolves reached the state quarterfinals in 2015, losing to eventual champion St. Pius. The rest of the Panthers’ class includes Kendall Avery (Loganville), Lily Barron (Northgate), Alex Melnyk (South Forsyth), Erin Rhodes (Northview) and Mikella Rodriquez (Eagle’s Landing). Georgia State went 11-6-4 in 2015.
*Georgia: The Bulldogs added four players on signing day, including three in-state players – forward Katie MacGinnitie (Marist), defender Erin Ratchick (George Walton) and midfielder Daria Stan (Westminster Schools of Augusta). They will be joined in Athens by goalkeeper Jessie Harvey of Franklin, Tenn. Georgia finished 5-12-1 last year in Billy Lesesne’s first season as head coach.
*Kennesaw State: First-year Owls coach Benji Walton has added eight players for the 2016 season, including seven from Georgia. The signing class includes Sydney Crowley (Camden County), Martina Juric (Brookwood), Reagan Peters (LaGrange), Tiffany Sornpao (Duluth), Charlotte Rindt (Augusta Preparatory Day School), Morgan Harrison (Cherokee) and Haley Worthy (Alexander). The Owls also signed forward Emely Sosa of Pembroke Pines, Fla. Kennesaw State finished 6-10-3 in 2015.
*Georgia Southern: The Eagles’ four-player signing class includes center midfielder Nicole Aussin of Milton along with Marcela Montoya (Medellin, Colombia), Frida Braatum (Oslo, Norway) and Lauren Karinshak (Mount Pleasant, S.C.). Georgia State was 6-11-2 in 2015.
*Mercer: The Bears reached far and wide for their six-member signing class. The newcomers include midfielder/forward Logan Culber (Caledonia, Mich.), defender/midfielder Megan Delmonico (Indian Hills, Col.), forward Sterre Harsveld van der Veen (Utrecht, Netherlands), forward Hayley Moore (Dubai, UAE), forward Emma Musson (Golden, Col.) and Emma Tokuyama (Saline, Mich.). Mercer went 9-8-4 in 2015.
*North Georgia: The Nighthawks signed a five-player class that includes three Georgians – forward Veronica Cappas (McIntosh), defender Olivia Dumphy (North Forsyth) and defender Katlyn Kauffman (Harrison). They will joined by Kaitlyn Siberski of Jockessin, Del., and Payton Bisso of Hoover, Ala. North Georgia was 16-4-1 in 2015, losing to Columbus State in the Division II Southeast Regional.
*Valdosta State: Blazers coach Rebecca Nolin signed a 12-woman class that included four players from Georgia and eight from Florida. The Georgia additions were defender/midfield Haleigh Carr (Cambridge), midfielder Stephanie Fox (Pope), defender Morgan Haase (East Coweta) and defender/midfielder Liz Lott (Lowndes). Valdosta State was 4-10-3 last season.
