Cyclone Soccer Inks Eight on National Signing Day

AMES, Iowa- The Iowa State soccer team added eight players for the upcoming 2017 season, head coach Tony Minatta announced Wednesday. The Cyclones' class includes several skilled athletes at every position that have already received numerous accolades.

Head coach Tony Minatta is looking forward to see what the 2017 class has to offer to his team.

"We are very excited to announce the signing of the 2017 class. This class is nearly three years in the making and we feel is one of the fastest and most dynamic groups that we have brought in over the past few years," Minatta said. "Each of these athletes is a winner that has helped contribute to great successes with both their club and high school programs. They are all high character individuals that value hard work and are committed to the process of getting themselves better each day both on the field and in the classroom."

The 2017 class is headlined by midfielder Kassi Ginther. The Lee's Summit, Mo. product recently broke the state record for goals in a season with 89—earning her second-career first team all-state nod in addition to being named the 2016 Offensive Player of the Year. In three seasons at the high school level, Ginther has tallied an overwhelming 189 goals and 54 assists. Ginther holds Missouri single-season records in goals (89), goals per game (3.71), total points (200) and points per game (8.33).

The Cyclones also added three in-state recruits to the 2017 class. Courtney Powell will join Iowa State from La Porte City where she has 111 goals in two seasons. Powell led the state in goals scored her freshman and sophomore season, earning her consecutive first team all-state honors. She will bring speed to the roster as she took a year off from soccer her junior year to run track, in which she was a state champion in the 4x100 and a medalist in the 400-meter dash.

Kelsey McSorley will come to Ames from Council Bluffs where she led her team to a class 2A Championship in 2016, earning all-tournament honors. McSorley has tallied 48 goals and 20 assists in three seasons—including 19 and nine, respectively, her junior year on her way to earning first team all-state recognition. Lastly, Abigail Harbin is a versatile player out of Dubuque where she received numerous all-conference and all-state awards—including a two-time MVC Athlete of the Year. Harbin has tallied 29 goals and dished out 32 assists through three high school seasons.

The Iowa State-Colorado pipeline continues with the addition of McKenna Schultz. Coming to the Cyclones from Timnath, Colo., Schultz was also the first commit of the 2017 class. She played at the club level for Arsenal Colorado where they were the Colorado State Cup Champions in 2016.

Dayja Schwichtenberg will add more depth at the goalkeeper position. Out of Medina, Minn., Schwichtenberg had a 91 percent save percentage with six shutouts through 16 games played in 2016.

On the opposite side of the field, Shealyn Sullivan will provide plenty of speed and athleticism out of New Berlin, Ill. She is a multi-sport athlete, and holds her school's record for the triple jump and 200m dash. Tavin Hays rounds out the recruiting class coming to Iowa State from Henderson, Nev. where she played in arguably the toughest ECNL conference in the country. Hays had scored 26 goals and tallied 15 assists throughout high school and was named second team all-state.

For more detailed bios on the incoming recruiting class, click on the link above.

Minatta is excited to see what the 2017 recruiting class can add to a team that is returning key players at nearly every position including goalkeeper Lindsay Hendon who had nine shutouts in 19 games and forward Klasey Medelberg who led the team in goals scored last season.