The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Soccer announces seven signees in 2020 recruiting class
11.13.2019 | Soccer
UT signs Claros, Echols, Hranicky, Lapomarda, Pace, Samanani & Vander Ven to National Letters of Intent
AUSTIN, Texas – Head soccer coach Angela Kelly and the University of Texas soccer program announced on Wednesday seven signees to National Letters of Intent (NLI) for the 2020-21 academic school year.
The Longhorns class was rated No. 10 overall in the most recent Top Drawer Soccer 2020 NCAA Division I recruiting rankings with five of UT's signees listed among IMG Academy's Top 150 recruits.
Signees include (Position/Hometown/High School/Club Soccer Team): Sophia Claros (Midfielder/Carrollton, Texas/Hebron High School/Solar Soccer Club), Presley Echols (Forward/Dallas, Texas/Highland Park High School/Dallas Sting SC), Kelsey Hranicky (Midfielder/Houston, Texas/Memorial High School/Albion Hurricanes FC), Lauren Lapomarda (Defender/Prosper, Texas/Prosper High School/Solar Soccer Club), Morgan Pace (Defender/Dallas, Texas/Duncanville High School/Solar Soccer Club), Shezan Samanani (Defender/Midfielder/Colleyville, Texas/Grapevine High School/Solar Soccer Club) and Avery Vander Ven (Midfielder/Lone Tree, Colo./Highlands Ranch High School/Real Colorado DA).
"Our 2020 recruiting class has signed, and we couldn't be more excited about the blend of skill and personality that this group provides our program," Kelly said. "We are adding quality depth in every line as well as championship mentality."
2020 Texas Soccer Recruiting Class
Sophia Claros
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Carrollton, Texas
High School: Hebron High School
Club: Solar Soccer Club
Having not played high school soccer, Claros is one of four 2020 Longhorns signees that participates in club soccer for Solar SC (been with the program for 11 years) and head coach Derek Missimo, father of current freshman Texas midfielder Gabriella Missimo. She has previously been a member of both the Olympic Development Program (ODP) Regional and Texas state teams. Claros also played futsal from the ages of 9-14, winning a Futsal World Championship back in 2016. Off the pitch, she's proven adept with memberships in the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society as well as numerous A/B Honor Roll inclusions.
Presley Echols
Position: Forward
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
High School: Highland Park High School
Club: Dallas Sting SC
Listed at No. 145 in the most recent Top Drawer Soccer IMG Academy Top 150 national player rankings, Echols boasts an impressive interscholastic playing resume. A three-time United Soccer Coaches All-American (2017, 2018, 2019), a two-time Top Drawer Soccer All-American (2018 & 2019) and both a 2019 USA Today and All-State All-American (one of only 40 players in the nation to play in the All-State Cup), Echols has registered a staggering 114 goals and 54 assists so far during her career at Highland Park H.S. She set her school's single-season goal-scoring mark and led the Dallas-Fort Worth area with 52 goals and 30 assists in 2019. A key part of two University Interscholastic League (UIL) Texas 5A state championship teams (2017 & 2019), Echols is also a three-time TASCO All-State choice (2017, 2018, 2019), twice the United Soccer Coaches Texas State Player of the Year (2017 & 2019), a Dallas Morning News Player of the Year (2019) and a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year nominee (2018 & 2019). As a freshman in 2017, she was chosen as the Dallas Morning News Newcomer of the Year, after scoring 35 goals and dishing 14 assists, and went on to earn most valuable player honors during the UIL state championship match. From a club standpoint, she has played for Antonio (Tatu) Pecorari with the Dallas Sting, earning ECNL All-Conference honors (2018 & 2019) and multiple ECNL national event honors while participating in Id2 and US Soccer Market Training camps.
Kelsey Hranicky
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Houston, Texas
High School: Memorial High School
Club: Albion Hurricanes FC
Coming in at No. 52 in the most recent IMG Academy Top 150 national player rankings from Top Drawer Soccer (also No. 28 in the national defender rankings and the No. 9-rated player in Texas), Hranicky played a key role in helping guide Memorial High School to consecutive District 15-6A titles (2018 & 2019) as well as the 2018 University Interscholastic League (UIL) Texas 6A State Championship with an unbeaten 26-0-1 record. As a junior in 2019, she led her district with 26 goals and 31 assists on the way to earning an All-State All-American selection, a trip to Orlando, Fla., to play in the All-State Cup (one of just 40 players in the country chosen to play), a TASCO Second-Team All-Region nod and both district and team most valuable player honors. During her state title-winning 2018 campaign, Hranicky was also a second-team all-state, first-team all-region and first-team all-district choice. For her club program, Albion Hurricanes FC, Hranicky was part of the 2019 North American Cup champions and was named the 2018 AHFC 02 Player of the Year. She has proven her abilities in the classroom with a selection to the National Honor Society as well as being named a Top Academic Junior (2018-19) at Memorial H.S.
Lauren Lapomarda
Position: Defender
Hometown: Prosper, Texas
High School: Prosper High School
Club: Solar Soccer Club
Another highly-rated national recruit listed at No. 51 in the Top Drawer Soccer IMG Academy 150 rankings, No. 13 nationally as a defender as well as the No. 8 overall player in Texas, Lapomarda has played three seasons for head coach Rafael Flores at Prosper H.S. During her sophomore campaign in 2018, she was named a Top Drawer Soccer Winter All-State Star in Texas as well as District 14-5A Defensive Co-Most Valuable Player after leading her high school team to its first-ever 14-win district season in program history. Back in 2017, she was selected as the District 14-5A Newcomer of the Year while helping Prosper to a 26-1-1 record and the 5A Region II final. With her club program Solar SC, Lapomarda has been a part of ECNL Grand Champion Conference-Texas, U17 Conference Grand Champion and 2019 USSDA U17 National Championship teams and was named Dallas International Champion Frontier Conference Best XI. Off the pitch, she's also a member of the National Honor Society.
Morgan Pace
Position: Defender
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
High School: Duncanville High School
Club: Solar Soccer Club
Listed at No. 10 overall in Texas, No. 14 nationally as a defender and No. 63 in the latest Top Drawer Soccer IMG Academy Top 150 rankings, Pace is another standout member of Solar SC for head coach Derek Missimo. With her club program, she has been a part of three Dallas International Cup champions (2015, 2016, 2017), the 2019 USGDA U17 National Champions, the 2018 SuperRex Vancouver Showcase champions, the 2017 ECNL Texas Conference grand champions and USYS state champions and the 2016 U14 National Champions. During her interscholastic career at Duncanville H.S., Pace earned all-district soccer honors as a sophomore and advanced to regionals in the high jump as part of the track & field squad as a freshman. Another standout student, she currently owns a 3.96 GPA while rating in the top two percent of her class.
Shezan Samanani
Position: Defender/Midfielder
Hometown: Colleyville, Texas
High School: Grapevine High School
Club: Solar Soccer Club
Rated as the No. 28 overall prospect in Texas according to Top Drawer Soccer's 2019 IMG Academy rankings, Samanani plays exclusively for Solar FC. A native of Calgary, Alberta, she has lived in three different cities, spanning two countries, while attending three different high schools during her four-year interscholastic career. With Solar U17 ECNL, she was named an ECNL Player to Watch and was part of a 2017 ECNL Texas Conference grand championship squad. She previously participated with the invite-only Vancouver Whitecaps FC Alberta REX (Regional Excel), the Calgary SWU Premiers 01/02, the Coastal FC 02 and was tabbed as a player of distinction with the U13/14 Alberta Provincial Team. For her work in the classroom, Samanani has earned memberships in the National Honor Society, Math National Honor Society, French National Honor Society and the Western Canada High School Honour Society.
Avery Vander Ven
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Lone Tree, Colo.
High School: Highlands Ranch High School
Club: Real Colorado DA
Coming in at No. 15 in the Rocky Mountains & Southwest Region and No. 142 in the most recent Top Drawer Soccer IMG Academy Top 150 national recruit rankings, Vander Ven plays club soccer for head coach Jared Spiers and Real Colorado DA. With her club program, she's been a part of a 2018 DA Girls Soccer National Championship and three Colorado State Cup titles while spending time at the U.S. Market Training Center. For Highlands Ranch H.S., she was named Colorado High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Honorable Mention All-State, All-Continental League First Team and an all-league athlete back in 2017. Another standout worker off the pitch, Vander Ven is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta (math honors fraternity).
