Krakowiak adds Rachel Lythgoe to 2016 recruiting class

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Thursday, March 10, 2016 Krakowiak adds Rachel Lythgoe to 2016 recruiting class

Signing a letter of intent for the 2016 season, Gilbert, Ariz., native Rachel Lythgoe commits to becoming a Yellowjacket for the upcoming fall women’s soccer season.

BILLINGS, Mont. – Rachel Lythgoe has signed a letter of intent to compete for the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team in the 2016 season announced Yellowjacket head coach Wojtek Krakowiak on Thursday.

Lythgoe is a native of Gilbert, Ariz., and will graduate from Campo Verde High School this spring before enrolling at MSUB in the fall.

“Rachel made a great impression on us during her on-campus visit,” commented Krakowiak. “She has a wonderful attitude and is a great person, and that is very important to us. She has a great presence on the field and is a solid defender and midfielder. She is a very smart player with good vision on the field.”

Earning three letters under head coach Rosie Headley, Lythgoe led the Coyotes to the Division I High School State Quarterfinals as a senior last fall and was an honorable mention all-Division I selection. Lythgoe was a member of CVHS’s state championship team as a freshman, and helped the squad to a quarterfinal appearance as a sophomore.

Playing for the SC Del Sol club team in the Elite Clubs National League, Lythgoe competed for two seasons as a center mid under coaches Ally Maxwell and Alan Watson. “Rachel is coming from a very competitive club and I am positive she will make a smooth transition into college athletics,” Krakowiak said.

In addition to her achievements on the field, Lythgoe was a Golden Scholar all four years of high school, and has been a member of the National Spanish Honor Society since 2014. She will graduate in the top five percent of her senior class.

“I chose MSUB because of the great degree programs and competitive soccer program,” said Lythgoe, who plans to major in English at MSUB. “I really liked the close community feel I discovered while at the campus and in Billings. The campus is beautiful, and the small class sizes that are offered are appealing to me. I immediately felt welcomed by the coaches and players. I feel that the MSUB women’s soccer team is looking to get better through hard work and a love for the game, and I’m so excited to be a part of the Yellowjacket family.”

Lythgoe joins 10 other recruits to make up the 2016 class for the Yellowjackets. “Defensively, Rachel is tough to beat and she reads the game well,” Krakowiak said. “Her physical presence allows her to win balls in the air and be a threat on set pieces. In addition, Rachel is very committed to her academics, and I am very excited she will be joining us in the fall.”

2016 MSUB Women’s Soccer Recruiting Class Name Position Mackenzie Breeden Midfielder/Defender Clancee Ferrin Goalkeeper Alexa Graddy Forward Amanda Hemmen Midfielder/Defender Alexa Iacolucci Midfielder Rachel Lythgoe Midfielder/Defender Erin Reynolds Midfielder Kalin Sandow Defender Courteney Shovlin Defender Claire Tevaseu Midfielder Alexa Torbert Midfielder

Hometown Bonney Lake, WA Billings, MT Eatonville, WA Renton, WA Lake Forest Park, WA Gilbert, AZ Lancaster, CA Murrieta, CA Great Falls, MT Seattle, WA Billings, MT

High School White River Billings Senior Eatonville Liberty Shorecrest Campo Verde Quartz Hill Vista Murrieta Charles M. Russell Holy Names Academy Billings Senior

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