Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State Announces Signings
11/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Nov. 9, 2005
On the first day of the early NLI signing period, the Colorado State Rams added four women's basketball, two men's basketball, three volleyball, one men's golf and one track & field athletes to their rosters to compete at Colorado State next season. Men's Basketball
Women's Basketball
Juanise Cornell, 5'10", F, Azusa, Calif. Juanise Cornell is a two-sport athlete (basketball and volleyball), with many honors in both. Her team has won the Del Rey League and CIF Championships the last two years in basketball and last season they took home the state championship and finished with a perfect record of 35-0. In 2004-05 Cornell was named to the first team Del Rey League. She was also CIF Co-Player of the Year out of all women's basketball player in over 540 schools. She was named offensive player of the year in volleyball by her teammates for three years.
"Juanise is a true athlete that always finds a way to get it done. Juanise knows that hard work brings rewards and plays that way. She does the things that scouting can't prepare for, offensive boards, deflections, hustle plays. Her addition at the forward spot will raise the level at Colorado State."
Lindsay Laur, 6'0", F, Roseville, Minn. The 6'0" forward from Minnesota has been highly recruited by teams like Nebraska, Wisconsin, Marquette and Minnesota. She was named to the all-conference team the last two seasons. Last season Laur was also named to the all-section team and the all-state team. She has also been named team MVP.
"The first time we saw Lindsay Laur, we knew she was a special player with big conference ability. She is a strong, powerful forward with a soft shooting touch. Lindsay is a versatile forward that brings competitiveness and will to win."
Emily Neal, 5'9, G, Minneapolis, Minn. Two times Neal has been named to the all-conference team. The basketball and soccer team captain has won three conference championships in basketball. She was the starting point guard on the state championship team her sophomore season. Neal has been on the Headmaster's List every year of her high school career. The Headmaster's List is for students with a GPA higher than a 3.7. She has also volunteered for the Special Olympics the past two years. Neal was recruited by Boston College, Northwestern and Princeton in addition to Colorado State.
"Emily Neal is a future leader at Colorado State. Not only is she a very skilled guard, she will compliment Sara and Liz, she plays fearlessly and was the heart and soul of her state championship team at Breck."
Raysha Ritter, 6'3", C, Grand Junction, Colo. This 6'3" post player has been first team all-conference all three years she has played and was second team all-state her junior year. Along with the all-state honors, she was named Southwestern League Player of the Year, and was named an Adidas Top 10 All-American. Colorado State was chosen by Ritter over Texas Tech, Penn State, Colorado and Illinois. Currently, Ritter is only a few points shy of first all-time on the scoring list at her school, a record she is projected to hold by season's end.
"Raysha's commitment sets the tone in Colorado, for the best Colorado players winning championships at Colorado State. Besides being one of the best post players in the west, Raysha has a toughness about her and a refuse to lose mentality. This is a player from day one that our staff envisioned as a Colorado State Ram."
Men's Basketball
Alton Robinson, 6-6, 200, F, Hattiesburg, Miss., Pearl River Community College
Alton Robinson is an all-region and all-conference performer at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi. He averaged 15 points and 7 rebounds per game as a freshman at PRCC and was selected as a preseason JuCo All-American. In his 2005-06 season opening game against Mississippi Delta on Nov. 3, he scored 32 points. He has been selected as the 65th-best junior college player in the country by JucoJunction and was named the third-best small forward in the nation by Lindy's.
"Alton is a mature, explosive player," said CSU head coach Dale Layer. "He can play three different positions and will bring toughness, rebounding and basketball savvy to the team. He can be an offensive force for us."
Jarrel Smith, 6-7, 185, F, Encino, Calif., Birmingham High School
Jarrel Smith was the third-leading scorer in the Los Angeles area in 2004-05 after averaging 24 points and six rebounds per game at Birmingham High School. He was an All-American honorable mention nominee last season.
"Jarrel is an explosive scorer who can put up points in several different ways," commented Layer. "He can shoot the three or he can drive around you and score. He's very long and very athletic."
Jake Nielson, 6-1, 170, G, Aurora, Colo., Grandview High School
Jake Nielson was an all-state honorable mention at Grandview High School in 2005 after averaging 14 points, five rebounds and five assists per game.
"Jake is the second best senior in the state. He's smart, skilled and unselfish and will have a great career at the point."
Women's Volleyball
Katie O'Hara, 6-0, MB/OH, Chandler, Ariz., Hamilton High School
O'Hara was a member of the 2005 USA Volleyball Women's Junior National A2 Training Team. She played club volleyball for Arizona East and this year will play for Club Red. O'Hara is listed on PrepVolleyball.com top 100 list of top high school players and her mother (basketball) and father (wrestling) were both athletes at UNLV.
"We're excited about her athleticism," said Head Coach Tom Hilbert. "She's a strong athlete with a good base of skills and loves the game of volleyball. She plays at every opportunity."
Katelin Batten, 5-4, Libero, Grandview, Colo., Grandview High School
Batten and her teammates advanced to the state finals and are currently 23-3 on the season. Averages 2.38 digs per game and has 26 aces on the season. Also plays club volleyball for Front Range and was on the 16-1 team that won a national championship last spring.
"Batty is a volleyball player in every sense of the word," said Hilbert. "She has a great technical background and plays with a lot of heart. We think she'll see playing time early in her career."
Jonelle Wallace, 5-8, Outside Hitter, Denver, Colo., Gateway High School
Plays club volleyball for Front Range. Is coming off an injury that hampered her most of the spring season.
"It's rare to see someone jump the way she does," said Hilbert. "She has a lot to learn about volleyball, but is very dynamic. I'm excited to work with her. We haven't had a player like her in the program since Catie Vagneur."
Men's Golf
Bryce Hanstad, Alexandria, Minn., Jefferson High School
Bryce won the 2005 conference championship and is a four-time all-conference selection and two-time all-state pick. He has also qualified for the Minnesota State Open. Is a high school teammate of current Ram Derrick Whiting.
"I think we signed a very solid player who should come in and compete for a starting spot right away," said Head Coach Jamie Bermel.
Track & Field
Sonni Russell, High Jump/Heptathlete, Loma, Colo., Fruita Monument High School
Sonni was the 2004 5A State High Jump Champion- 5'10" and is a two-time 5A 2nd place finisher in the State High Jump. She owns the high school record in the high jump and is a member of the school record 4x100 meter relay team. She is a national honor society member and also has lettered three times in basketball and twice in softball, as well as her four letters in track & field. She is also a three-time Academic Achievement Award winner.
"I am absolutely thrilled to have Sonni Russell joining our team," said assistant coach Lindsey Malone. "She is a fantastic person, student and athlete and we are very excited to welcome her to our Ram family!"
