Mount Olive, N.C. - Women's lacrosse head coach Grant Kelam announced his signing class for the 2020 season that includes seven freshmen and three transfers that will join the Trojans roster.
"The eighth class of UMO brings a wealth of experience and talent to this roster for 2019-2020," said Kelam. "We continue to attract competitive student-athletes all the way from British Columbia, Canada, to the hotbed of Long Island, down the coast to the Mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas. I believe this diversity is what makes UMO an exciting team to be a part of and also one I love to coach. Our three transfers from Coastal Carolina, Ohio Valley, and USC are going to bring sparks at their positions to keep the competitive drive alive for everyone and should make for an exciting year."
The first joining the Trojans is midfielder Eden Ellison from Chapin, S.C. Ellison played at Chapin High School where she was a second-team All-State midfielder, a 4A All-Upper State midfielder, a second-team All-Upper State attacker, and a member of the 2017-18 4A State Runners-Up team. She and her high school team were also the 2017 and 2018 Upper State Champions, the 2019 Lower State Champions, and 5A State Champions. Ellison was the 2018 Sparkle City Tournament MVP and her team was the tournament champions. She played for the 2018 National Team in Long Island, N.Y.
Jordan Green is another midfielder coming to UMO from Chapin, S.C. While playing at Chapin High school she collected a number of accolades including being named a three-time All-American, three-time First-Team All-State honoree, three-time All-Region honoree, and a three-time Chapin High School Midfielder of the Year. In addition, Green was a two-time team captain, a two-time South Carolina National Team player, two-time first-team Upper-State and a two-time Upper State Midfielder of the Year. Off the field, Green was an A/B Honor Roll student and a member of the National Honor Society.
The next athlete to join the Trojans is Alexandra Eubanks, a goalie from Bowie, Md. Eubanks played at St. Vincent Pallotti High School where she was a three-time team captain and four-year varsity keeper. She recorded 692 career saves with a 9.23 Goals Against Average and a 54% save percentage. She was an IAAM All-Conference Goalie in both 2018 & 2019, helped her team win the 2019 IAAM Conference Championship and was the Co-MVP, earned the 2019 SVPHS Coaches Award, and earned the 2019 United States Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award. Academically, Eubanks was a four-year Honor Roll Student and earned perfect attendance all four years of high school. She was a two-time Presidential Service Award recipient and earned the 2019 McNatt Service Award.
Bria Hamilton is a midfielder/attacker from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She attended Claremont Secondary School and played on the Club team BC.
Madison (Maddie) Meehan, a native of Seaford, N.Y., is a defender who played high school lacrosse at Topsail High School in Hampstead, N.C. Meehan was a North Carolina State All-Star.
Our next addition is Madison Mergl from Sayville, N.Y. Mergl played for Sayville High School as a defender where she earned the Girls Lacrosse 2018 Unsung Hero Award and the 2019 MVP award. She was the 2019 Girls Volleyball MVP and earned the 2019 Marinus Buys Memorial Award (Most Outstanding Senior Athlete).
The last of the incoming freshmen is Sophia DeSimone a midfielder/attacker from Chesapeake, Va. DeSimone attended Grassfield High School where she was a two-time All-Conference Team honoree and appeared in 43 games during which she recorded 203 points on 177 goals and 26 assists.
Ali Davis is the first of three transfers joining the Trojans for the 2020 season. Davis is a native of Hampstead, NH where she attended Pinkerton Academy for high school before attending Coastal Carolina University. While playing for Pinkerton Academy the midfielder was a three-time Division I State Champion in New Hampshire, scored the game-winning goal in the state championship during her freshman year, set school record for goals scored in a single season with 77, and recorded 175 points, 126 goals, and 49 assists in her high school career. Davis was a member of the NH/VT All-Star Team, New Hampshire First Team all four years, a US Lacrosse All-American during her senior year and was a member of Lighthouse Lacrosse for six years. While at Coastal Carolina, Davis was a three-time President's List honoree and played in 25 games tallying five goals.
The next transfer coming to UMO is Chaney Partrich from Chapin, S.C. Partrich is a transfer from the University of South Carolina where she played on defense for the Gamecocks. Prior to attending USC, Partrich went to Chapin High School where she was Second Team Lower State Defense her sophomore year, First Team All-State Defense her senior year, SCHSL Sports Report All-State Player during her senior year, a two-year varsity captain, and recipient of the Jen Siegfried Memorial Scholarship. Partrich was a four-year honor roll student in high school and was on the President's honor roll at USC.
Rounding out the incoming class of 2020 is Emily Prentice from Melbourne, Australia. Prentice previously attended Ohio Valley University where she played in the midfield. She was a two-time MVP at OVU and was a 2018 Academic All-Conference honoree.
Check back for updates concerning the UMO Women's Lacrosse team and the upcoming 2020 season. Fans can also follow the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.