CSU women’s soccer adds seven newcomers for 2018

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Colorado State women's soccer team and head coach Bill Hempen announced on Wednesday the additions of seven newcomers set to join the program for the 2018 season.

Each position group is represented by at least one athlete in this class. Included in the upcoming class are midfielders Ariell Hopkins (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall HS), Marissa Porras (Leander, Texas/Leander HS) and Samantha Studt (Thornton, Colo./Mountain Range HS); defenders Baylee Bedard (Fort Collins, Colo./Kansas State/Rocky Mountain HS) and Scout Bohlender (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre HS); forward Jackie Balderrama (El Paso, Texas/El Paso HS); and goalkeeper Gabi McDonald (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain HS).

Read below for details on each of the Rams' seven newcomers.

Jackie Balderrama
Freshman
Forward | 5'4"
El Paso, Texas (El Paso HS)
Jackie Balderrama is one of three Texas natives in Colorado State's 2018 class, joining the Rams out of El Paso High School. Her teams have won district, bi-district and area championships in the past two years, and in 2016, El Paso High School reached the regional semifinals. Balderrama is an all-city and all-district performer, and in 2016, was named Texas District 1-5A Offensive Player of the Year.

El Paso's 2017 and 2018 captain ranked seventh in the state in assists (19) in her sophomore season, as well as 13th in Texas in points (56) and 23rd in goals (19). In addition to soccer, Balderrama also competed in cross country and track & field.

Colorado State head coach Bill Hempen on Jackie Balderrama:
"We've always been in the search for a player that's got just a little bit something different than everyone else that makes them a matchup problem for some of our opponents. Her technical ability, her willingness and her ability being comfortable with the ball at her feet is going to be something we really need in the offensive part of the field. She's just a kid that plays with an absolute smile on her face all the time. I'm excited for her to be a part of our program."

Baylee Bedard
Redshirt Sophomore
Defender | 5'10"
Fort Collins, Colo. (Kansas State/Rocky Mountain HS)
Baylee Bedard returns to Fort Collins after spending two years as a member of the Kansas State women's soccer team. While playing for Rocky Mountain High School and Arsenal Colorado, Bedard was honor as an All-Front Range Honorable Mention and as the 2016 Arsenal Colorado Girls Player of the Year. As a senior, Bedard's high school squad went 11-5-1 in her senior season and held opponents to 18 goals in 17 matches.

Bedard's sister, Kelcey, is a current junior on the track & field team at CSU, and is a three-time All-Mountain West performer in throwing events. Her father, Brian, is a former thrower at CSU and is the current head coach of the Rams' track & field team. Her mother, the former Jill Johnson, was a standout volleyball player at CSU. Both parents are in the Colorado State Athletics Hall of Fame.

Colorado State head coach Bill Hempen on Baylee Bedard:
"Baylee is the daughter of Brain Bedard, our track & field coach. She chose to go to Kansas State (out of high school), which is fine. Sometimes kids have to try something different. She chose to come back and we welcomed her with open arms. She's in the top part of our fitness program and wants to come in and prove herself and that's what she's doing right now. We're excited to have Baylee come back home, one of many to do that over the short tenure of this program that have gone to other places and come back to CSU. We couldn't be happier."

Scout Bohlender
Freshman
Defender | 5'6"
Fort Collins, Colo. (Poudre HS)
Scout Bohlender will remain in her hometown for her college career, as she joins the Rams from Poudre High School. Bohlender was a two sport athlete in high school, earning four varsity letters in soccer and one in badminton.

Bohlender played her club soccer for Arsenal Colorado. Notably, the native of Fort Collins competed against current CSU defender Bailyn Furrow during each player's respective high school/club careers.

Colorado State head coach Bill Hempen on Scout Bohlender:
"Scout's just an athletic kid that's going to give us some of the versatility in the back. We recruited her as a center back, and she's going to get that opportunity there, but we also might give her a chance as a flank player, an outside back. She's one that wanted to be a Ram for a very long time. I've always felt that when you get a kid like Scout that wants to be here – someone who is a good player - and then you surround her with some other good players...it's only going to help her and her goal to be a major contributor to our program."

Ariell Hopkins
Freshman
Midfielder / 5'5"
Rockwall, Texas (Rockwall HS)
Coming to Fort Collins from Rockwall, Texas, Ariel Hopkins joins the Rams with varsity soccer experience in each year of high school. Hopkins has been awarded all-district honors in soccer in all three seasons she has played and helped her team to bi-district titles in each of the past three. In 2016, Rockwall High School also went on to finish as an Elite Eight regional finalist, while the Yellowjackets won the district championship in 2017.

Hopkins also competed in cross country and track & field at Rockwall, and was a four-time all-district performer. Hopkins was a district champion in cross country in her sophomore and junior seasons, and was a state qualifier her junior year. Furthermore, Hopkins holds her high school's cross country 5k record with a time of 18:48. Hopkins, who has been honored as academic all-district every year of high school, received CSU's Presidential Scholarship and plans to major in health and exercise science.

Colorado State head coach Bill Hempen on Ariell Hopkins:
"She's left-footed, and we've been looking for those flank players on the left side of the field that don't have to kind of adjust and can be a little bit more consistent with our service from that side. She's very technical and she's got good pace. She's a multi-sport athlete and runs cross country. She's going to be a very good addition to this class, coming from a club program down in the Dallas area that's very well represented at the national level. We're excited about having Ariell with our program."

GabI McDonald
Freshman
Goalkeeper | 5'9"
Fort Collins, Colo. (Rocky Mountain HS)
Gabi McDonald joins Colorado State as an accomplished athlete in each of soccer, track & field and basketball. A four-year letterwinner at goalkeeper, McDonald has been honored as the Coloradoan's Northern Colorado Female Athlete of the Year (2017), runner-up for Northern Colorado Female Soccer Player of the Year (2017) and Northern Colorado Female Soccer Player of the Year (2016), as well as a CHSSCA all-state and a CHSAA all-state honorable mention in soccer. In club soccer, McDonald was the keeper for the Colorado Storm for a fourth-place national finish and a State Cup title in 2017. Statistically speaking, she finished her most recent season with a 0.48 goals-against average and 10 shutouts.

McDonald will also compete in track & field at Colorado State for head coach Brain Bedard. As a thrower, she has been honored as a five-time all-state performer, and holds the Rocky Mountain High School record in the shot put (44-`10.5) as well as the CHSAA 5A State Championships meet record in the discus (154-3). Notably, McDonald is the second in her direct family to compete in athletics at Colorado State, joining her brother, Max, who is a rising junior linebacker on the football team.

Colorado State head coach Bill Hempen on Gabi McDonald:
"We lost Paige Brandt to graduation, so that left us at two goalies on the roster. So we wanted to add another keeper to this particular class. Gabi is from just down the street at Rocky Mountain High School, and is another multi-sport athlete that we're going to share with Coach (Brian) Bedard and the track & field program. Dealing with balls in the air for goalkeepers is always a challenge, and Gabi handles balls played into the box as well as any female goalkeeper I've seen. We're excited about taking one more attack away from our opponents, hopefully, with that ability. She has an opportunity to join in the mix of goalkeepers here with Hunter (Peifer) and Syd (Hall)."

Marissa Porras
Freshman
Midfielder | 5'7"
Leander, Texas (Leander HS)
Marissa Porras joins the CSU women's soccer program after a playing career at Leander High School and with the Sting ECNL '99. In her club career, Porras helped lead her team to a North American Cup title in 2015 and well as Disney Cup crowns in 2015 and 2016. Additionally, the Sting won the Plano Labor Day Cup in 2016 and placed second in the South Texas State Cup in 2017.

Notably, Porras was voted by her teammates as the team's "most skilled player" in 2015. She plans to major in veterinary medicine at CSU.

Colorado State head coach Bill Hempen on Marissa Porras:
"Marissa's another athlete in this class that I recruited at one position, but most recently, have seen her playing in a different position, which is great for our versatility. She's going to be another from a good program - the Dallas Sting Program, which is very well respected throughout the country. She lives in Austin, but plays in Dallas, so she's a very committed young lady. She makes that drive quite a bit in order to challenge herself as a player. We're excited for Marissa to join us."

Samantha Studt
Freshman
Midfielder | 5'7"
Thornton, Colo. (Mountain Range HS)
Samantha Studt, a native of Thornton, Colo., joins the Rams from Mountain Range High School and the Colorado Storm. Studt served as team captain in her past two seasons, and has been voted by coaches as the team's offensive MVP every season. Studt is rated a three-star athlete by TopDrawerSoccer.com, and in the classroom, is a three-time academic all-state honoree.

Studt joins fellow Thronton, Colo., native Lexi Swenson on the CSU roster. She plans to major in marketing at Colorado State.

Colorado State head coach Bill Hempen on Samantha Studt:
"Sam is a no-nonsense, very in-control player who is very confident in her ability in the middle of the field. She's played as a defensive midfielder for a very good club team in the state, the Colorado Storm, and is one of the most consistent players I've seen. She does her job, she doesn't lose position in the run of play and is just physically a strong player. Sam's been committed for a little over a year, and as I've watched her since then, she's become even better than when she first chose to be a Ram. It's always a plus when you see these kids develop in their respective clubs."

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