Montana soccer announces 2008 signees
2/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
University of Montana soccer coach Neil Sedgwick announced this week that eight high school student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Grizzlies in 2008. UM??s recruiting class boasts four players from Idaho, two from Montana and one from both Arizona and Washington.
The NCAA??s soccer signing period started Wednesday, February 7.
The 2008 class features one defender to go with seven players who played forward or a midfield/forward combination. Sedgwick, who is entering his fifth season at the helm of Griz soccer, is excited about the potential of the newcomers to the program.
??We feel that a couple of these players, if they had come in last year, may have found themselves in starting positions by the end of the season,?? Sedgwick said. ??Now they will come in a year older, a year stronger, and a year more experienced.??
Blakele Bergman, a 5-7 defender from Gilbert, Ariz., was a four-year starter for Higley High School. She was selected all-state and all-region in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. Bergman, who was voted team captain and defensive MVP at HHS, helped lead her squad to a state championship in her sophomore campaign. She has earned varsity letters in basketball, cross country, soccer and track and field during her prep career.
When asked about choosing Montana, Bergman included both academics and athletics as a deciding factor. ??I am interested in majoring in health and human performance, and they have a great physical therapy program that I can continue with after I get my undergraduate degree,?? She said. ??I like the style and play of the team, and I feel like the Griz are a great fit for me.??
??Blakele is a player with a great deal of experience and technique. She has spent a lot of time developing her game to be at the Division I level,?? Sedgwick said of the signee from Arizona.
Jaymie Brown, a 5-8 forward from Meridian, Idaho, was a four-year starter and two-time all-conference selection for Meridian High School. Brown, who was an academic all-league honoree all four years, was a 2007 selection to Idaho??s 5A All-Star team. She helped lead her club team (Les Bois United) to a second-place finish at the state cup in 2006. Brown was also a member of Meridian High??s 5A State Champion 4x100 meter relay team in 2007.
??I wanted a coach that was going to get me to the next level,?? Brown said of choosing Montana. ??I feel that the coaches at UM can do that, while making it a fun and comfortable experience.??
??Jaymie??s potential is huge. She has pace and strength for the Division I game,?? Sedgwick said of Brown. ??Jaymie has continued to grow consistently as a player over the past year or more since we first identified her as a future Griz.??
Lauren Christian, a 5-4 forward from Missoula, Mont., was a two-time all-state and three-time all-conference selection for Hellgate High School. She was a versatile player for her prep team, named the squad??s most valuable defensive player in 2005 before being tabbed most valuable offensive player in 2007. Christian also has a wealth of club soccer (Missoula Strikers) and the Montana Olympic Development program experience.
??I really enjoy the environment of the campus and the academic programs offered at Montana,?? Christian said of selecting UM. ??The chance to be a part of Griz soccer is a very exciting opportunity.??
??We are delighted that she will be bringing her athletic ability and energy to Griz Soccer,?? Sedgwick said about the signee from Missoula. ??I am certain that she will be challenging everyone next year to be the hardest working player in training.??
Erin Craig, a 5-4 forward from Great Falls, Mont., was a four-year starter and two-time all-state selection for C.M. Russell High School. Craig, who was named team captain as a senior, was twice her prep team??s leading goal scorer. She played on a state champion club soccer team (Thunder-Bolts) while also boasting five years of Montana Olympic Development program experience.
??I have attended the Griz soccer camp for the past two years, and I liked the way the coaches interacted with the players,?? Craig cited for choosing UM. ??The team??s determination to improve and the campus atmosphere were both very appealing to me.??
Sedgwick and staff have been familiar with Craig??s abilities for several years. ??Erin is a Montana player that we have been watching since she was playing under-14,?? Sedgwick said. ??She??s a hard tackler, a physical player and a goal scorer. With continued refinement, Erin could become a dominant player in the Big Sky Conference.??
Ciara Kremer, a 5-8 forward from Coeur d??Alene, Idaho, was a four-year starter who led Lake City High School in scoring in each of her four seasons. Kremer, the 2007 Inland Empire League Player of the Year, was a two-time all-league selection for her prep team. She helped lead her club team to a state championship in 2007 and a second-place finish in 2006. Kremer was also a member of the Idaho ODP.
The north-Idaho native noted the community support when it came to her choice on colleges. ??Missoula is a beautiful town with a ton of local support for the Griz student-athletes. I think it will be a perfect fit for me.??
??Ciara was a player we saw at ODP camp several years ago and knew we wanted her as a Griz,?? Sedgwick said of Kremer. ??Fortunately, she wanted to be here as well.??
Brandee Marone, a 5-9 midfielder/forward from Kirkland, Wash., was a three-time All-South Puget Sound League selection for Kentlake High School. Marone, who was voted as team captain in 2006, was a three-year varsity letterwinner for KHS. Her club team (Fenix 89) was a two-time state champion while making four total appearances in the title match. Marone was also a member of Washington??s ODP.
??I liked the quality of the business school and the chemistry of the soccer team,?? Marone said about UM. ??Montana has a wonderful environment on campus.??
??Brandee is an exciting attacking player who has proven to be very versatile,?? Sedgwick said of the Seattle-area signee. ??She is a great athlete and a player that has the character that we want for Griz Soccer.??
Lauren McCreath, a 5-11 forward from Boise, Idaho, was a co-captain on the 2007 Bishop Kelly High School state championship squad. McCreath competed for the Boise Capitals soccer club with fellow signee Anna Pingree, winning state championships in both 2006 and 2007. Also a standout student, McCreath received the President??s Education Award for academic excellence in chemistry and physics.
"I decided to come to Montana because I loved the idea of the hometown college," McCreath said. "The support for UM is tremendous from the community, and it was something I was really looking for."
??Lauren is one of two Boise Capitals club team products to join us this year. Over the past two years we have had exciting young prospects join us from that club,?? Sedgwick said. ??We feel that Lauren holds the mental and physical strength to be a contributor for our program in the years to come.??
Anna Pingree, a 5-6 midfielder/forward from Boise, Idaho, was a two-time All-South Idaho Conference selection for Timberline High School. She was named team captain and helped her prep team to a state championship in 2007. Pingree played on the two-time state champion Boise Capitals Club Soccer team, along with fellow signee McCreath. She was also a member of the Idaho ODP.
??The coaches and campus were both very attractive to me in my decision on picking Montana,?? Pingree said.
??Anna is a solid soccer player that has the confidence to do the unexpected, and the physical drive to do the work in midfield,?? Sedgwick said of Pingree. ??She has proven to compete without fear of opponents or the physical game.??
Montana returns nine starters and 15 letterwinners from the 2007 season.
??The 2008 class of signees has tremendous experience and athletic ability,?? Sedgwick said. ??If they commit themselves to their development and raising their competitive standards quickly to the Division I level, and we believe they will, this could be a program changing class.??
The NCAA??s soccer signing period started Wednesday, February 7.
The 2008 class features one defender to go with seven players who played forward or a midfield/forward combination. Sedgwick, who is entering his fifth season at the helm of Griz soccer, is excited about the potential of the newcomers to the program.
??We feel that a couple of these players, if they had come in last year, may have found themselves in starting positions by the end of the season,?? Sedgwick said. ??Now they will come in a year older, a year stronger, and a year more experienced.??
Blakele Bergman, a 5-7 defender from Gilbert, Ariz., was a four-year starter for Higley High School. She was selected all-state and all-region in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. Bergman, who was voted team captain and defensive MVP at HHS, helped lead her squad to a state championship in her sophomore campaign. She has earned varsity letters in basketball, cross country, soccer and track and field during her prep career.
When asked about choosing Montana, Bergman included both academics and athletics as a deciding factor. ??I am interested in majoring in health and human performance, and they have a great physical therapy program that I can continue with after I get my undergraduate degree,?? She said. ??I like the style and play of the team, and I feel like the Griz are a great fit for me.??
??Blakele is a player with a great deal of experience and technique. She has spent a lot of time developing her game to be at the Division I level,?? Sedgwick said of the signee from Arizona.
Jaymie Brown, a 5-8 forward from Meridian, Idaho, was a four-year starter and two-time all-conference selection for Meridian High School. Brown, who was an academic all-league honoree all four years, was a 2007 selection to Idaho??s 5A All-Star team. She helped lead her club team (Les Bois United) to a second-place finish at the state cup in 2006. Brown was also a member of Meridian High??s 5A State Champion 4x100 meter relay team in 2007.
??I wanted a coach that was going to get me to the next level,?? Brown said of choosing Montana. ??I feel that the coaches at UM can do that, while making it a fun and comfortable experience.??
??Jaymie??s potential is huge. She has pace and strength for the Division I game,?? Sedgwick said of Brown. ??Jaymie has continued to grow consistently as a player over the past year or more since we first identified her as a future Griz.??
Lauren Christian, a 5-4 forward from Missoula, Mont., was a two-time all-state and three-time all-conference selection for Hellgate High School. She was a versatile player for her prep team, named the squad??s most valuable defensive player in 2005 before being tabbed most valuable offensive player in 2007. Christian also has a wealth of club soccer (Missoula Strikers) and the Montana Olympic Development program experience.
??I really enjoy the environment of the campus and the academic programs offered at Montana,?? Christian said of selecting UM. ??The chance to be a part of Griz soccer is a very exciting opportunity.??
??We are delighted that she will be bringing her athletic ability and energy to Griz Soccer,?? Sedgwick said about the signee from Missoula. ??I am certain that she will be challenging everyone next year to be the hardest working player in training.??
Erin Craig, a 5-4 forward from Great Falls, Mont., was a four-year starter and two-time all-state selection for C.M. Russell High School. Craig, who was named team captain as a senior, was twice her prep team??s leading goal scorer. She played on a state champion club soccer team (Thunder-Bolts) while also boasting five years of Montana Olympic Development program experience.
??I have attended the Griz soccer camp for the past two years, and I liked the way the coaches interacted with the players,?? Craig cited for choosing UM. ??The team??s determination to improve and the campus atmosphere were both very appealing to me.??
Sedgwick and staff have been familiar with Craig??s abilities for several years. ??Erin is a Montana player that we have been watching since she was playing under-14,?? Sedgwick said. ??She??s a hard tackler, a physical player and a goal scorer. With continued refinement, Erin could become a dominant player in the Big Sky Conference.??
Ciara Kremer, a 5-8 forward from Coeur d??Alene, Idaho, was a four-year starter who led Lake City High School in scoring in each of her four seasons. Kremer, the 2007 Inland Empire League Player of the Year, was a two-time all-league selection for her prep team. She helped lead her club team to a state championship in 2007 and a second-place finish in 2006. Kremer was also a member of the Idaho ODP.
The north-Idaho native noted the community support when it came to her choice on colleges. ??Missoula is a beautiful town with a ton of local support for the Griz student-athletes. I think it will be a perfect fit for me.??
??Ciara was a player we saw at ODP camp several years ago and knew we wanted her as a Griz,?? Sedgwick said of Kremer. ??Fortunately, she wanted to be here as well.??
Brandee Marone, a 5-9 midfielder/forward from Kirkland, Wash., was a three-time All-South Puget Sound League selection for Kentlake High School. Marone, who was voted as team captain in 2006, was a three-year varsity letterwinner for KHS. Her club team (Fenix 89) was a two-time state champion while making four total appearances in the title match. Marone was also a member of Washington??s ODP.
??I liked the quality of the business school and the chemistry of the soccer team,?? Marone said about UM. ??Montana has a wonderful environment on campus.??
??Brandee is an exciting attacking player who has proven to be very versatile,?? Sedgwick said of the Seattle-area signee. ??She is a great athlete and a player that has the character that we want for Griz Soccer.??
Lauren McCreath, a 5-11 forward from Boise, Idaho, was a co-captain on the 2007 Bishop Kelly High School state championship squad. McCreath competed for the Boise Capitals soccer club with fellow signee Anna Pingree, winning state championships in both 2006 and 2007. Also a standout student, McCreath received the President??s Education Award for academic excellence in chemistry and physics.
"I decided to come to Montana because I loved the idea of the hometown college," McCreath said. "The support for UM is tremendous from the community, and it was something I was really looking for."
??Lauren is one of two Boise Capitals club team products to join us this year. Over the past two years we have had exciting young prospects join us from that club,?? Sedgwick said. ??We feel that Lauren holds the mental and physical strength to be a contributor for our program in the years to come.??
Anna Pingree, a 5-6 midfielder/forward from Boise, Idaho, was a two-time All-South Idaho Conference selection for Timberline High School. She was named team captain and helped her prep team to a state championship in 2007. Pingree played on the two-time state champion Boise Capitals Club Soccer team, along with fellow signee McCreath. She was also a member of the Idaho ODP.
??The coaches and campus were both very attractive to me in my decision on picking Montana,?? Pingree said.
??Anna is a solid soccer player that has the confidence to do the unexpected, and the physical drive to do the work in midfield,?? Sedgwick said of Pingree. ??She has proven to compete without fear of opponents or the physical game.??
Montana returns nine starters and 15 letterwinners from the 2007 season.
??The 2008 class of signees has tremendous experience and athletic ability,?? Sedgwick said. ??If they commit themselves to their development and raising their competitive standards quickly to the Division I level, and we believe they will, this could be a program changing class.??
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