The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
02.08.2018 | Soccer
UT staff signs Byars, Grosso, Hogue, McFarland, Regan & Smith to join mid-term enrollees Allen and Brooks
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas head soccer coach Angela Kelly and the University of Texas soccer program announced Thursday six signees for the 2018-19 academic school year, adding to a class that already included mid-term enrollees Carlee Allen and Cameron Brooks (their bio info is again included at the bottom of this release).
Additional freshman signees joining the program for the upcoming 2018 campaign include (Hometown/High School/Club Soccer Team/National Team): defender Tatyana Byars (Richardson, Texas/Parish Episcopal School/Solar Chelsea FC), midfielder Julia Grosso (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Burnaby Central High School/Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite/Canadian Women's Senior and U-20 National Teams), goalkeeper Madison Hogue (Ladera Ranch, Calif./Tesoro High School/Slammers FC), forward Mackenzie McFarland (Coppell, Texas/Coppell High School/Solar Chelsea FC), defender Emma Regan (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada/Burnaby Central High School/Vancouver Whitecaps REX/Canadian Women's Under-20 National Team) and midfielder Kailey Smith (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro High School/West Coast FC).
"Our 2018 signing class is complete in terms of their collective desire to compete and ambition to win," Kelly said. "You find international experience at both the youth and full sides and championship pedigree across the board. They come in as one of our most experienced classes yet from top-to-bottom. As you look through this class, you see the depth and the competitiveness the student-athletes will bring to an already very experienced squad.
"Two of our signees are already here on campus and doing great (Carlee Allen and Cameron Brooks). As a staff, we can't wait to get the entire group onto the Forty Acres and integrated in our program come August. Taking all things into account, this should make for a very exciting group to represent Texas soccer during the upcoming 2018 season."
Tatyana Byars
Position: Defender
Hometown: Richardson, Texas
High School: Parish Episcopal School
Club: Solar Chelsea FC
A two-sport athlete in soccer and track & field at Parish Episcopal School, Byars lettered in both sports over the past three seasons for coaches Craig Savage (soccer) and Travis Wilson (track & field). On the track, she took fifth in Texas in the 100m dash at the state championship meet and picked up "Best Newcomer of the Year" and most valuable player track awards as a freshman (2014-15). On the pitch for Solar Chelsea FC, Byars helped her club squad to a pair of Girls Dallas International Cup titles (2016, 2017), to 2015 State Cup and Region III/Southern Regional Championships, to a pair of Disney Soccer Showcases (2015, 2016) and in qualifying for the 2015 National Championships.
Julia Grosso
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
High School: Burnaby Central High School
Club: Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite REX
International: Canadian Women's Senior and U-20 National Teams
Grosso heads to the Forty Acres with a decorated international resume having spent significant time in numerous levels of the Canadian Women's National Team system. She earned her first cap for the Canadian Senior Women's National Team by appearing in a friendly against the United States in San Jose, Calif. (Nov. 12, 2017). A fixture with the Canada Under-20 Women's National Team, Grosso recently earned five caps (playing all 450 possible minutes) for the team during its run to the third-place match at the 2018 CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship in Trinidad & Tobago. In a match during the group stage against the host country T&T, she registered a pair of assists as Team Canada prevailed 4-1. She also traveled to Jordan in 2016 and earned three caps for the Canada Under-17 team at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup (was chosen as Canada's best player by FIFA TSG Report) and was named to the Best Starting XI while helping Canada U-17's to a bronze medal at the 2016 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship in Grenada. She also helped lead the Canada U-15's to the gold medal at the inaugural 2014 CONCACAF Under-15 Championship in the Cayman Islands. In addition to numerous training camps at the U-14-16, 17 and 20 levels, Grosso also played for Canada at the Australia Invitational (U-20, 2017), events in both China (U-17, 2016) and Mexico (U-20, 2016) and at the 2015 U-17 NTC Invitational in Carson, Calif. Recently, with her club team the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite, Grosso has been a finalist for both U-20 (2017) and U-17 (2016) Canadian Player of the Year awards and was selected as an all-star for the 2017 Canada Games.
Madison Hogue
Position: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, Calif.
High School: Tesoro High School
Club: Slammers FC
For head coach George Deverrick at Tesoro H.S., Hogue recently wrapped up her 2017 campaign by registering 13 wins between the pipes, 14 solo shutouts and a 0.70 goals-against average. As a sophomore in 2016, she helped her interscholastic squad to both the state and California Interscholastic Federation finals. With her club team Slammers FC, Hogue played a part in winning the 2014 Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) Under-14 National Championship (Seattle, Wash.) and the 2015 ECNL Under-15 National Championship (Maryland). She's also been involved in the Olympic Development Program (ODP) from 2013-16 and participated in an ODP and U.S. Soccer id camp in Ojai, Calif., back in July 2014.
Mackenzie McFarland
Position: Forward
Hometown: Coppell, Texas
High School: Coppell H.S.
Club: Solar Chelsea FC
A high school teammate of current Texas soccer sophomore defender Emma Jett, McFarland played alongside her future Longhorns teammate as part of the 2015 Coppell squad that won the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Texas 6A State Soccer Championship (beat Dallas Highland Park in the title match, 3-0) and posted a 28-0-3 record on the way to be named the SIMA Fab 50 National Champions. During that 2015 campaign, McFarland was honored as both the Dallas Morning News Newcomer of the Year and the District 7-6A Varsity Freshman of the Year. She has also been a part of Solar Chelsea FC club squads that qualified for nationals each year from 2013-17.
Emma Regan
Position: Defender
Hometown: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
High School: Burnaby Central H.S.
Club: Vancouver Whitecaps Elite REX
Another highly-decorated Canadian international, Regan was a teammate of Grosso's and earned caps (playing all 450 possible minutes) for Team Canada during its run to the third-place match at the 2018 CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship in Trinidad & Tobago. A veteran of Canada's U-20 national squad since 2015, she started all three matches at the 2016 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Papua, New Guinea, participated with the squad during the 2017 Australia Invitational and dished a pair of assists at the 2015 CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship in Honduras. She also played alongside Grosso with the Canada U-17's at the 2016 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan and while earning a bronze medal at the 2016 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship in Grenada. Regan also received time with the Canada U-17's at the 2015 NTC Invitational in Carson, Calif., and at the 2016 U-17 Four Nations Tournament. The Vancouver Whitecaps "Most Promising Player" of 2015 and a team captain for the squad since 2014, Regan was named the British Columbia Soccer Association Youth Player of the Year (2015) and to the Western Canadian Provincial Championship All-Star Team in both 2013 & 2014. She also helped guide her various club squads to a 2013 BC Premier Cup and 2013 & 2014 BC League Cup championships.
Kailey Smith
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Lake Forest, Calif.
High School: El Toro H.S.
Club: West Coast FC
Listed as a four-star recruit, No. 12 in Southern California, the No. 26 overall midfielder and as the No. 73 national prospect in the Final Spring 2018 Girls IMG Academy National Top 150 rankings by Top Drawer Soccer, Smith totaled 11 goals and seven assists in 33 matches played (31 starts) during an abbreviated career at El Toro H.S. She participated in numerous stints over 2014-15 at the U.S. Soccer Training Centers in Irvine, Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo, Calif., and spent time on the U.S. Soccer U-14 Youth National Team roster from Nov. 1-8, 2014, and Aug. 23-30, 2014 in Orlando, Fla. Club-wise, Smith was an id2 00' National Team selection (July 2015), participated in the 2015 Nike National Training Camp powered by ECNL/id2 in Portland, Ore. (July 28-Aug. 1, 2015), was an id2 Training Camp attendee in Casa Grande, Ariz., and was a 2016 & 2017 So Cal ECNL PDP selection. She was a part of the 00' Girls Region IV ODP Regional (Jan. 2017) and National Championship teams (Feb. 2017), being named to the all-tournament team at the latter. Smith was a Best XI First Team selection at the 2016 ODP National Championships and a U.S. Youth Soccer Region IV ODP National Camp choice (July 2017).
Previously announced mid-term enrollees:
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Austin, Texas
High School: Lake Travis H.S.
Club Team: Lonestar Soccer Club
A local Austin product, Allen played two seasons at Lake Travis High School (freshman and sophomore years) earning a pair of All-District 25-6A First Team accolades. She was also named the 2015-16 District 25-6A Offensive Player of the Year and the 2014-15 District 25-6A Newcomer of the Year while leading her squad in scoring both seasons. During her sophomore campaign, Allen tallied the match-winning goal to snap rival Westlake's five-year, 60-match district winning streak. Ranked No. 76 in Top Drawer Soccer's 2017 Girls IMG Academy Top 150 as well as the eighth-rated player overall in Texas, Allen served as a team captain for Lonestar SC from 2013-17. She was an id2 Camp (Portland, Ore.) and U.S. Soccer Market Center participant (2012-15), was named to the Top XI at the Top Drawer Soccer combines in Raleigh, N.C., in 2014 and was a Girls U.S. Development Academy standout (Oct. 2017). Internationally, Allen was the leading goal scorer in guiding her squad to the 2013 Gothia Cup title in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Position: Defender
Hometown: Round Rock, Texas
High School: Cedar Ridge H.S.
Club Team: Lonestar Soccer Club
A three-year letter-winner for Cedar Ridge H.S. in Round Rock, Brooks was honored as a 2016-17 Region II-6A All-State Second Team selection, picked up a pair of nods to the District 13-6A All-District First Team (2016-17, 2015-16) and was named the 2016-17 District 13-6A Most Valuable Midfielder while totaling 27 career goals and 19 total assists. As a junior, she scored 16 goals and dished six assists while powering Cedar Ridge to its second Region II Bi-District title in three seasons. As a freshman starter at defender and forward, Brooks helped her interscholastic squad to a District 13-6A championship as well as Bi-District and area crowns. Ranked No. 58 in Top Drawer Soccer's 2017 Girls IMG Academy Top 150 as well as the third-ranked player overall in Texas, she owns valuable national team experience having received call-ups to the U.S. Soccer Under-16 National Team training camps in Portland, Ore. (May 2015) and Chula Vista, Calif. (April 2015) as well as the U.S. Soccer Under-14 National Team camp in Portland, Ore. (June 2014). She reaped id2 Camp experience in 2013 & 2014 and was named to Top Drawer Soccer's Best XI at the U.S. Club id2 Camp in Dec. 2013. With Lonestar SC, Brooks was a part of the ECNL Player Development Program (2016), helped her squad advance to the 2015 ECNL U-15 Top 32 Champions League Draw in Seattle, Wash., and to championships at the Austin Labor Day Classic Invitational in 2013 & 2014.
