PROVO -- All-Americans Brooke Bowman (Plano, TX) and Jennifer Henry (Pasco, WA) are among the nine student athletes that have signed letters of intent to play women's soccer at BYU.
Bowman a standout on her high school team that is ranked no. 1 in the nation, also competes on one of the top club teams in the country that has qualified for the national championship the past two years. Henry will be the first junior college transfer to join the Cougars, after winning the 2000 National Championship with Dixie College her freshman year, and a National Runner-up finish in 2001.
Also on the highly touted recruiting class are three Utah High School standouts. The 5A MVP Player of the Year, Natalie Evans from Skyline High School, who will be graduating number one in her senior class will join First Team All-State Ashley Smith from Salt Lake City's East High School as the two new goalkeepers on the Cougars team. BYU will also add First Team All-State player Davia King from Orem and Mountain View High School, a 5-8 forward/defender. Davia will also be graduating with a 4.0 and ranked number one in her senior class.
The five will be joined by three midfielder/defenders that include Charlene Lui from Honolulu, Hawai'i, Jenavieve Phillips, from Kennesaw, Georgia and Brooke Thulin, from Huntington Beach, California. The other Southern Californian on the 2002 squad is Jamie Rendich, a forward/midfielder from Canyon County and Canyon High School.
"This will be another exceptional recruiting class for our program. All our incoming freshman have a tremendous amount of top level experience on their club team and in the Olympic Development Programs," said BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood. "Nine players is the largest number of recruits we have signed in a given year, but we are so excited about the opportunity to have all of these outstanding young women attend BYU. We anticipate this class to be a core for the future of our program. Not only are these student athletes exceptional on the field but they also disciplined in their academics," added Rockwood.
Rendich and Thulin come from one of the top club teams in the country, Southern Cal Blues, the same club team that started last year's freshman standout Kim Devine. The Blues have been a consistent State Cup champion over the years, and have won the Regional Tournament as well as a National Championship. Both players also have trained and played in one of the most talented pool of players from Southern California on the State ODP team and both have competed on the Region IV ODP team. Thulin has recently participate at a U.S. National Camp.
Lui played on the Honolulu soccer club Bulls that won three-state championships and is a nationally ranked soccer club. Lui was also a two-time First Team All-Star and Team Captain in 2002. Phillips is a two-time First Team honoree and played on the club team Brookwood Steamers who won the Georgia State Cup in 2000 and 2001. She's also a four-time participant on the Olympic Development Program.
Five of the nine are National Honor Roll and Academic All-State honorees with one receiving a National Merit Scholar award and another a Presidential Academic Award winner. The nine members of the 2002 freshman class have also received numerous All-Region and All-State awards during their high school, youth and club playing time in their respective states
Name Pos. Ht. Hometown/Last School
Brooke Bowman MF 5'10 Plano, TX (Plano West H.S.)
Natalie Evans GK 5'9 Salt Lake City, UT (Skyline H.S.)
Jennifer Henry F 5'4 Pasco, WA (Dixie College)
Davia King F/D 5'8 Orem, UT (Mountain View H.S.)
Charlene Lui MF/D 5'2 Honolulu, HI (Pinahou H.S.)
Jenavieve Phillips MF/D 5'9 Kennesaw, GA (Harrison H.S.)
Jaime Rendich F/MF 5'7 Canyon Country, CA (Canyon H.S.)
Ashley Smith GK 5'9 Salt Lake City, UT (East H.S.)
Brooke Thulin MF/D 5'7 Huntington Beach, CA (Edison H.S.)
BROOKE BOWMAN
Midfielder, Plano, TX (Plano West H.S.)
G.P.A. 4.00... Class Rank 35 of 552... National Merit Scholar...National Honors Society... Spanish National Honors Society... 2002 NSCAA High School All-American... High School Ranked NSCAA no.1 Nationally 2001, 2002... 5A State Champions 2000, 2001... All State Tournament Team 2001... High School Leading Scorer... Club: D'Feeters... North Texas State Cup Champions 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001... Regional Champions 2000, 2001... National Qualifiers 2000, 2001... North Texas ODP Team Member 1999, 2000, 2001.
NATALIE EVANS
Goalkeeper, Salt Lake City, UT (Skyline H.S.)
G.P.A. 4.0... Class Rank 1 of 515... Presidential Academic Award Winner... National Honor Society.... Academic All-State.... Senior Class Officer... Student Sports National Prep Athlete of the Week (Oct. 24, 2001)... 2001 Utah 5A MVP, Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News... First Team All-State... First Team All-Region... High School State Champions 2001... State Record 14 Shutouts in 2001... State Record 11 consecutive shutouts in 2001... Team Captain in Soccer and Basketball... Basketball Academic All- State... Club: Utah Football Club.... Utah State Cup Champions 1999, 2000, 2001.
JENNIFER HENRY
Forward, Pasco WA (Dixie State College)
Co-Offensive Team MVP 2000... NSCAA All-American 2000, 2001... NJCAA All-American 2001... NSCAA National All-Tournament Team... NJCAA National Champions 2000... NJCAA National Runner Up 2001... Team Captain 2001.
DAVIA KING
Forward/Defender, Orem UT (Mountain View H.S.)
G.P.A. 4.0... Class Rank 1 of 465... Sterling Scholar, visual arts... Student Council Vice President... National Honor Society... First Team All State 2000, 2001...First Team All-Region... HS Team Offensive MVP 2000, 2001... High School State Champions 4A 2000, 2001... KOVO Female HS Fall Prep Athlete...HS Team Captain 2001...Varsity Letter in Softball and Track... Club: Utah Firebirds... Utah State Cup Champions 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001... Firebirds nationally ranked club... Olympic Development Program 2000,2001...
CHARLENE LUI
Midfielder/Defender, Honolulu, HI (Pinahou H.S.)
G.P.A. 3.8... National Honor Society... Four year HS starter... ILH Champions 2001, 2002... ILH First Team All-Star 2001, 2002... Honorable Mention All State 2001... Team Captain 2002... Club: Honolulu Soccer Club Bulls... Hawaii State Champions 1999, 2000, 2001... Bulls nationally ranked club... Olympic Development Program Region IV Pool 2001.
JENAVIEVE PHILLIPS
Midfielder, Kennesaw, GA (Harrison H.S.)
Who's Who Among American High School Students... First Team All County 2001, 2002... Club: Brookwood Steamers... Georgia State Cup Champions 2000, 2001... Olympic Development Program 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001.
JAMIE RENDICH
Forward/Midfielder, Canyon Country, CA (Canyon H.S.)
President's Honor Roll 2000, 2001... Scholar Athlete 2000, 2001... HS Rookie of the Year 1999... First Team All-League 1999, 2000, 2001... First Team All-Valley 1999, 2000, 2001...2nd Team All CIF 1999, 2000, 2001... HS Team Leading Scorer 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002... HS Team MVP 2000, 2001... Club: Valley United Stars/Southern California Blues... Southern Cal State Cup Champions 1995,1996,1998... Regional Champions 1996, 1998... Olympic Development Program State Team 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001... ODP Regional IV Team 1998, 1999, 2000... National Camp 1999... ODP National Championship 2000.
ASHLEY SMITH
Goalkeeper, Salt Lake City, UT (East H.S.)
G.P.A. 3.9.. . Class rank 27 out of 441... HS Honor Roll... National Honor Society 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002... First Team All-Region 1999, 2000, 2001... First Team All State 1999, 2000, 2001... Team Captain 2001... HS Record Holder for Career Shutouts (38) 1998 - 2001... HS State Champions 1999... HS All Star Game 2001... Utah Senior All-Star Classic 2001...Voted "Best Ever Goalkeeper" by All-Star Classic Players 2001... Club: Utah Firebirds... State Cup Champions 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001... Firebirds nationally rank club... Utah Olympic Development Program 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001.
BROOKE THULIN
Midfielder/Defender, Huntington Beach, CA (Edison H.S.)
HS League Champions 1998... First Team All-League 1999, 2000... Third Team All-CIF 1999, 2000, Team Offensive MVP 2000...Varsity Track CIF Champions 100m & 200m... Club Team: Southern Cal Blues... USYSA U-16 National Champions 2000... USYSA Regional Champions 2000, 2001...Cal South State Cup Champions 2000, 2001... Olympic Development Program State Team 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001... ODP Region IV Team 2001... ODP National Camp 2001.