Aug. 28, 2014
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State lacrosse team released its 2014 recruiting class for the 2015 spring season, head coach Kylee White proudly announced today. The 10-member class is comprised of seven incoming freshmen and three transfers to an Aztec team that returns 11 starters, and earned the program's first-ever postseason berth in 2014.
The group features four All-Americans, four all-State selections and a pair of former teammates from Northern California's prestigious Carondelet High School. The class also includes some of the top players from Ohio, New Jersey, Colorado, New York, Texas and Maryland. In addition, three players will bring previous collegiate experience to The Mesa, as Ijeoma Ikpe (Old Dominion), Erin Jeffery (Hofstra) and Alex Watson (La Salle) have transferred from other Division I programs.
"Our staff is very excited to welcome these 10 new Aztecs!" White said. "They are an incredibly gifted group, bringing size, speed and creativity to our program. Throughout the recruiting process, we not only look for talent, but also student-athletes with incredible character. These young women are a hard-working, dedicated group who possess our team's core values. We are very confident that they will challenge our returning players and be outstanding additions to our team."
Below is a look at each of the signees:
Liza Carey
Hometown: Worthington, Ohio
Last School: Worthington HS
Position: Attack
A four-year varsity letterwinner and two-year captain at Worthington High, Carey was a three-time first-team all-Ohio selection, and was twice named to the Central Ohio US Lacrosse Women's National Tournament team. With 212 career goals and 72 career assists, Carey closed her high school career in third place in the program's all-time scoring list. Worthington's offensive player of the year as a sophomore in 2012, Carey was also voted team MVP in both 2013 and 2014. She finished her career with an impressive senior season, scoring 78 goals and tallying 26 assists. Carey excels in the classroom as well, earning the Academic all-Ohio award all four years and was a four-time winner of the Thomas Worthington Academic Athlete award.
Ijeoma Ikpe
Hometown: West Caldwell, N.J.
Last School: Old Dominion
Position: Midfield
A transfer from Old Dominion University, Ikpe appeared in seven games with five starts as a freshman for the Monarchs in 2014. She closed her prep career at James Caldwell High with consecutive first-team all-League honors in the Freedom Division, recording 39 goals, 31 assists and 72 groundballs en route to being named first-team American Division, a U.S. Lacrosse national senior-only champion, a member of the Essex County all-tournament team and a New Jersey Senior All-Star. Ikpe led Caldwell to a Super Essex Conference title and a state semifinal appearance, while also earning the Karen Fucello Scholar Athlete Award.
Erin Jeffery
Hometown: Danville, Calif.
Last School: Hofstra
Position: Attack
A transfer from Hofstra University, Jeffery was a three-time All-American at Carondelet High, leading the Cougars to three-straight CIF North Coast Section championships. Jeffery was named East Bay (EBAL) MVP as a junior, and was a three-time first-team all-league selection. She currently holds the all-time scoring record at Carondelet High after recording 266 goals and 118 assists during her final three prep seasons.
Cierra Kocik
Hometown: Livermore, Calif.
Last School: Carondelet HS
Position: Midfield
A First-Team All-American as a senior at Carondelet High, Kocik was a three-time second-team East Bay (EBAL) all-defensive selection. She led the Cougars to three-consecutive CIF North Coast Section championships and four-straight appearances in the title game, closing her prep career with 30 goals and 11 assists as a senior. Kocik was also elite in the classroom, as she received the President's Award for Educational Achievement, and the North Coast Section CIF Scholar Athlete Award.
Mackenzie Lech
Hometown: Milton, Ga.
Last School: Milton HS
Position: Midfield
A First-Team US Lacrosse All-American and former first and second-team all-State selection in Georgia, Lech led Milton High to four-consecutive state championships and a top-5 ranking in the nation during her prep career. A four-year varsity letterwinner, Lech was named the lacrosse Athlete of the Year by the Atlanta Journal Constitution following her senior season, and earned the Midfielder of the Year award. In addition, Lech was an Academic All-American and scholar athlete, and was also recruited by Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) rivals USC and Stanford.
Brianna Manns
Hometown: Mason, Ohio
Last School: Mason HS
Position: Attack
The younger sister of current Aztec senior midfielder Falon Manns, Brianna Manns was a first-team all-District and second-team all-State selection in Ohio as a senior, as well as a second-team all-District pick as a junior. A four-year letterwinner at Mason High, Manns led the Comets to a Division I Final Four appearance. Manns is also a standout in the classroom, as she received the summa cum laude award for having a GPA above 4.0.
Chandler Ramsey
Hometown: Centennial, Colo.
Last School: Arapahoe HS
Position: Midfield
A member of the 2010 San Diego National Team, Ramsey was a star for both Cathedral Catholic High in San Diego as well as Arapahoe High in Centennial, Colo. A four-year letterwinner between the two schools, Ramsey was an all-State selection in Colorado and Midfield MVP as a junior, as well as an all-Centennial League pick in each of her final two prep seasons. While at Cathedral Catholic, Ramsey led the Dons to an appearance in the CIF Championship game as a freshman, before lifting Arapahoe to the state quarterfinals in both her junior and senior seasons. She graduated with honors, and was also recruited by MPSF rivals Denver and Colorado.
Elizabeth Rourke
Hometown: Long Beach, N.Y.
Last School: Long Beach HS
Position: Midfield
An all-County selection and two-time all-County honorable mention at Long Beach High, Rourke was a five-year varsity starter and three-year captain for the Marines, en route to being named in the Newsday Long Island 100 Players to Watch list. She was invited to play in the Long Island All-American Nassau vs. Suffolk game, was a scholar athlete in the classroom as well as captain of the varsity basketball team.
Katherine Smith
Hometown: Allen, Texas
Last School: Allen HS
Position: Attack
A prep standout in both Texas and North Carolina, Smith led Allen High (Texas) in goals, total points and draw controls as a senior en route to being a US Lacrosse All-American honorable mention and a Division I all-State selection. During her final high school season, Smith was also named all-District, and the Eagles' Offensive Player of the Year. Playing her sophomore and junior seasons at Green Hope High (N.C.), Smith led the Falcons to an NCHSAA state championship and an undefeated 20-0 record as a sophomore, while earning All-American honors. Along with a conference championship and an appearance in the state semifinals as a junior, Smith led the conference in goals scored on her way to first-team all-NCHSAA Conference honors. In addition, Smith earned a spot on the North Carolina Women's Division National Team, played in the Champion All-American Showcase Tournament and landed on the Raleigh News & Observer all-Metro team.
Alex Watson
Hometown: Davidsonville, Md.
Last School: La Salle
Position: Attack
A transfer from La Salle University, Watson appeared in 14 games as a freshman for the Explorers and propelled the team to its first Atlantic-10 postseason berth since 2010. Watson was a four-year letterwinner at South River High in Maryland, where she led the Seahawks to a state championship as a freshman in 2010, and a county championship as a senior in 2013. A first-team all-County selection as both a junior and a senior, Watson was also a key player on South River's state championship field hockey team in 2012. She played club lacrosse with Maryland United.