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Soccer Team Signs Nine Players In Highly-Touted Recruiting Class
Feb. 2, 2005 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford University head soccer coach Todd Yelton announced the signing of nine players to National Letters-of-Intent on Wednesday as the Bulldogs took their first steps towards a third-consecutive Ohio Valley Conference title. Samford's highly-touted recruiting class consists of Michelle Bird, Candace Clippard, Lauren Fabion, Valerie Kikkert, Jennifer Mlakar, Morgan Montague, Marchele Olds, Jenna Sturgill and Cayley Winters. All nine of the talented prep stars have signed to play for the Bulldogs next season. "I am very excited about this class," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "It is a large class with an abundance of talent. They have all played at a high level over the last few years, which will allow them to make a quick transition to the college game." "This freshman class will make training more competitive and as a result will make the entire team better from top to bottom. After having nationally-ranked recruiting classes in each of the last two seasons, I sincerely believe that this one is equally as talented, if not better." Last season, Samford's recruiting class was ranked 14th in the talent-laden Southeast Region and 79th in the nation by Soccer Buzz. Two years ago, following Yelton's first full season at the helm of the Samford soccer program, the Bulldogs were ranked 19th in the Southeast Region by Soccer Buzz. This season's rankings will be announced after the various magazines and websites are able to evaluate each team's talent. Michelle Bird Bird comes to Samford from Stockbridge, Ga., where she is currently playing club soccer for the Tophat Soccer Club. In 2000-01, Bird won both a state and regional championship and was also a national finalist. She plays on the Georgia State Olympic Developmental Program team and has been in the Region Pool. Bird attends and plays soccer for Heritage High School where she serves as the team captain and was named MVP in 2004. She was also a member of All-Area and All-State teams in Georgia in both 2003 and 2004. "Michelle is a skilled soccer player who has outstanding athletic ability," Yelton said. "Those things combined with a year of growth will allow her to transition easily to the college game and battle for a starting position right away." Candace Clippard Clippard, from Nashville, Tenn., will join the Bulldogs in 2005 after playing her prep career for the Brentwood Impact. She led her team to three state championships from 2002-04 and advanced to the regional quarterfinals in 2004. Clippard has played ODP and was a member of the Tennessee State team in 2001, 2003 and 2004. She currently attends Brentwood Academy and has lettered all four years of high school (2001-04). Clippard was a team captain during her senior season and earned all-state honors. "Candace is an extremely talented player that has gained great experience by playing a number of different positions," said Yelton. "Her technical ability and versatility will allow her to compete at a number of positions here next season." Lauren Fabion Fabion, a native of McKinney, Texas, currently plays for the D'Feeters Soccer Club in one of the strongest soccer leagues in the country, the Lake Highlands Girls Classic League. She served as a team captain during the 2004-05 season and came to the D'Feeters from the Texas Spirit where she also served as a team captain. Fabion attends McKinney High School where she was twice named to the first-team all-district squad. She was also her team's Offensive Player of the Year in 2003-04. "Lauren is a hardworking forward that continually puts defenders under pressure," said Yelton. "Her work rate and ability on the ball makes her extremely dangerous in front of the goal." Valerie Kikkert Kikkert is from Roswell, Ga., and plays club soccer for the GSA '87 Phoenix Red. The team finished second in the state in consecutive seasons (2003 & 2004) and she serves as a co-captain on her club team which plays in the Region 3 Premier League. Kikkert, a member of the Georgia ODP State team, has attended Region Camp the last two years and plays at North Springs High School where she is a four-year letter winner. She has been a team captain in both her junior and senior seasons and has started every game for NSHS since her freshman year. Kikkert has been the leading scorer on her high school team every season and was awarded with the Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2004. She will join fellow GSA club players Sara Geiger, Rebecca Mock and Sharon Young on Samford's 2005 squad. "Valerie is a versatile soccer player," Yelton said. "Her ability to play numerous positions and to win balls in the air will allow her to compete for playing time from the start." Jennifer Mlakar Mlakar comes to Samford from Brentwood, Tenn., where she currently plays goalkeeper for the Brentwood Excel. She has been a member of the club state championship team three years in a row (2002-04) and was also a three-time member of the Iowa ODP team before moving to Tennessee. Mlakar currently plays for Brentwood High School and has been a vital member of the varsity team for four years. During her senior season, she lead the team to 13 shutouts and was named to the all-district team and a member of the Second-Team All-Tennessee. Mlakar also earned Most Valuable Defensive Player honors at BHS. "Jennifer is very athletic in goal," said Yelton. "Her athleticism will allow her to make many saves and to control the action in the penalty area." Morgan Montague Montague comes to the Bulldogs from Sugar Land, Texas, where she played with the Texas Premier Black 86/87 club team (formerly Eclipse Black). She led the team to the South Texas EDDOA Championship title in both 2003 and 2004. Her team also won the 2003 Plano Labor Day Tournament and finished second in the Texas Cup behind Olds' Sting team. Montague's club team has consistently been ranked in the Soccer Buzz Top 20. She attends Clements High School, which has won District 20 every season since her arrival. The team finished her four seasons with an undefeated record and has not lost a District game while she has been there. "Morgan is a tremendous athlete with great speed," Yelton said. "Her physical ability and awareness on the ball will allow her to make an easy transition to college soccer and help her make an immediate impact." Marchele Olds Olds comes to Samford from Dallas, Texas, where she currently plays for the Sting Soccer Club, one of the premier women's soccer teams in the country. She has garnered two third-place finishes at the USYSA National Championships (2002, 2003), a pair of Region 3 Championships (2002, 2003) and three state titles (2001-03) during her prep career. Olds attends Bryan Adams High School and has been a varsity starter for four years. In 2002, she was named the district's freshman of the year and in 2003 was voted both all-district and Defensive Most Valuable Player. "Marchele is a very physical defender and is confident with the ball at her feet," Yelton said. "Her power and speed make her an excellent defender that seldom gets beat." Jenna Sturgill Sturgill comes to Samford from Peachtree City, Ga., where she currently plays goalkeeper for the Peachtree City Lasers. She helped guide the Lasers to state championships from 2000-03, and also won both the Premier League Championship and the WAGS Cup Championship. Sturgill currently attends McIntosh High School and helped her team to the Georgia State Championship in 2004. She was a 2004 NSCAA High School Scholar All-South Region Team member, a 2004 All-American Nominee and a 2003-04 all-area goalkeeper. "Jenna is a very talented, athletic goalkeeper," Yelton said. "She has played at a high level throughout her prep career and she brings great experience to the goalkeeper position. With the incoming and returning talent at goalkeeper, it is sure to be a very competitive position come fall." Cayley Winters Winters comes to the Bulldogs from Littleton, Colo., where she currently plays goalkeeper for the Colorado Girls Soccer Academy. With her club team, Winters won three state championships and advanced to the Region IV semifinals twice. She has also played in the Olympic Development Program (ODP) for the Colorado State Team for four years and was named to the Region IV Pool. Winters has won a regional championship with her state team and participated in the national championships. She played her high school soccer at Chatfield Senior High School where she received numerous honors, including being named to the all-conference team three times. She was All-Colorado as a junior and helped lead her team to a state championship her junior year. "Cayley is a very technical goalkeeper and a tremendous shot-stopper," said Yelton. "Her ability in goal will make her competitive from the start." Yelton took over the reigns of the Samford University soccer program prior to the 2002 season and immediately helped the Bulldogs become contenders in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Under his guidance, Samford won its first eight matches of the 2002 season and opened the campaign with an impressive school-record 9-0-1 start. After joining the Ohio Valley Conference in 2003, the Bulldogs have earned back-to-back regular-season championships and have compiled a near-perfect 14-2 conference record. Yelton was named the OVC Coach of the Year in 2003 and led Samford to its initial Soccer Buzz Southeast Regional ranking prior to the 2004 season. In 2005, the Bulldogs return 18 of their 23 letterwinners from last year's championship squad, including seven of their 11 starters.
2005 Samford Soccer Recruiting Class Player, Pos., Hometown, High School, Club Team
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Samford University Athletics Women's Soccer
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