The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Soccer Signs Six For 2006
2/1/2006 | Soccer
Feb. 1, 2006
OXFORD, Miss. - Six standout student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to play soccer for Ole Miss in fall 2006, as announced today on National Signing Day by head coach Steve Holeman.
Mallory Coleman (Clinton, Miss.), Jackie Denova (Fort Benning, Ga.), Danielle Johnson (Baton Rouge, La.), Mallory Rickert (Prosper, Texas), Perryn Tyler (Brandon, Miss.) and Hannah Weatherly (Tupelo, Miss.) will join the Rebels this summer following graduation from high school.
Ole Miss adds more young talent and depth to an SEC West Champion squad that finished second overall in the Southeastern Conference in 2005 and set a league record with eight shutouts in SEC play, while losing just one senior to graduation, team captain Hillary Beckman.
"We are very pleased and excited about this year's recruiting class," Holeman said. "Each player in this class has the ability to come in and make a difference. This group is very talented and will help make us a better program."
Two of this year's signees, Tyler and Weatherly, are no strangers when it comes to Ole Miss sports, having come from a lineage of Rebel athletes.
As a whole, it looks like this could once again be one of Holeman and his staff's best recruiting classes and help propel the championship program to even greater heights.
Mallory Coleman, Midfielder/Forward, Clinton, Miss. (Clinton HS)
Mallory Coleman is one of three 2006 Rebel signees from the state of Mississippi. She is a senior at Clinton High School in Clinton, Miss., where she is coached by Thomas Bobo. As a junior, she earned All-State honors and was her team's captain, team MVP and Best Offensive Player. She received first team All-State and All-District honors as a sophomore, when she led her team with 15 goals and helped Clinton to an 18-4-1 overall record.
"Mallory is one of Mississippi's best," said Holeman of the 5-foot-4 midfielder/forward. "She has had a lot of success at the high school and club level and we are looking for her to continue that at Ole Miss. She is a well-rounded player who possesses the technical and tactical abilities needed to compete at the next level, and we look for her to be successful right away."
Coleman, who is one of the featured recruits on SoccerBuzz.com, also has extensive experience on the club and youth soccer level, having participated in the Olympic Development Program Region III camp in 2003 and 2004. She is a three-year member of the Mississippi ODP 88 Girls team. She is also a two-year member of the Mississippi United Soccer Club team (coached by David Johnson) along with fellow Ole Miss signee Hannah Weatherly, as they helped lead the squad to the 2005 Southern Regional Finals. She was a four-year member of the MRUSC prior to joining the United.
Coleman was the class president through her first three years of high school and a member of the Mayor's Youth Council of Clinton in 2002 and 2003. She is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Students Against Drunk Driving and National Honor Society.
Jackie Denova, Goalkeeper, Fort Benning, Ga. (Hardaway)
Jackie Denova is a goalkeeper from Fort Benning, Ga., where she is a senior at Hardaway High School. Prior to moving to Georgia in May 2004, she grew up in Washington state and was captain of the Lakes High School Lancers in Lakewood, Wash.
Denova played for the FC Royals in Tacoma, Wash., the same club team that current Ole Miss goalkeepers coach Melinda Smith played for prior to her Rebel career. Denova was a member of the 2002 and 2003 Washington state championship teams, and helped her team to the 2002 and 2003 Region IV Quarterfinals and 2004 State Semifinals. She also made the 2002 Washington ODP pool. Since moving to Georgia, she has played for the U18 CFC Redstar club team in Columbus, Ga., coached by Sara Kloosterman and John Lee.
"With Jackie's competitive nature and endless work rate, she has the ability to come in and make a big impact to the goalkeeping program here at Ole Miss," Smith said. "Jackie's height and strength enable her to dominate the box and make big-time saves. One of her biggest attributes is the distance on her goal kicks and punts."
In high school, Denova is a member of the International Baccalaureate program, National Honor Society and National Honor Roll.
Danielle Johnson, Defender, Baton Rouge, La. (Parkview Baptist)
Danielle Johnson is a senior at Parkview Baptist in Baton Rouge, La. She follows in the recent line of Ole Miss signees from that area, including 2005 third team Freshman All-America selection and SEC All-Freshman team performer Christine Breaux. Johnson has been a standout performer at Parkview Baptist, being named a first team All-State midfielder as a junior. She was also honored as the Baton Rouge Advocate Co-Offensive MVP and named to its All-Metro team as a junior. Her sophomore year she was recognized as the All-District Offensive MVP.
As a junior she helped lead the Eagles to the Division III-3A and below semifinals. She had an outstanding season, scoring 19 goals and dishing out 16 assists. The all-around athlete has seen time on all sides of the field, and is expected to play more defense on the collegiate level.
"Danielle is one of the top defenders in the Southeast, and we are thrilled to have her coming to Ole Miss," Holeman said. "She has a winning mentality and always brings her best. She has a great work ethic and toughness about her that will help her to compete for a starting spot as a freshman."
Johnson is also a two-time selection for the ODP Region III pool, while she played with Breaux on the Louisiana ODP team prior to her signing with Ole Miss. Johnson also is on the swimming and track teams at her high school.
Mallory Rickert, Forward, Prosper, Texas (Prosper HS)
Mallory Rickert is a senior at Prosper High School in Prosper, Texas. She is a member of the Sting Dallas 88 Royal club team coached by Eric Dade. The 5-foot-3 forward helped the team to back-to-back Texas Cup Championships in 2004 and 2005. She was a six-year member of the Texas Longhorns Soccer Club prior to joining the Sting. Rickert was the MVP of the LSU Soccer Camp in 2003.
"Mallory will provide us with another weapon up top," Holeman said. "Her speed, quickness and ability on the ball will make her a threat to opposing defenses. She is also a very hard worker and has a great knack for scoring goals."
Rickert is a standout cross country/track runner. She made the 2005-06 Cross Country Academic All-State team as awarded by the Texas Girls Coaches Association. As a junior, she placed 15th in the Texas state cross country meet, while she finished seventh at the cross country district meet as a sophomore. She won the district 800-meters in 2003 and qualified for the region 400m relay and 1600m relay.
Her high school achievements also include making the Duke University Talent Search Program and the National Honor Society. She is a member of FCA and Student Council.
Perryn Tyler, Midfielder, Brandon, Miss. (Brandon HS)
A Brandon native, Perryn Tyler also hails from Mississippi and is a senior at Brandon High School. As a junior in 2005, Tyler helped her team to a 21-4-1 record and No. 4 state ranking by The Clarion-Ledger. She led the team with 24 goals as a sophomore, helping the Lady Bulldogs to a 15-5-1 record.
"Perryn is another one of Mississippi's best. She is very strong, athletic, and still has some of her best days ahead of her. Her potential is limitless and we are looking forward to seeing her develop at the next level."
In youth soccer, Tyler made the Mississippi ODP 88 team and plays for the Mississippi United 89 team coached by Jeremy Shortt, helping the team to a 2005 Regional Quarterfinal finish.
In addition to her soccer accolades, Tyler is a varsity cheerleader and has served as Parliamentarian on the Mayor's Youth Council for the city of Brandon. She is the daughter of Breck Tyler, a standout Ole Miss football player and student-athlete from 1980-81, who was the Rebels' leading pass receiver in 1980. Her sister, Whitney, is currently a student at Ole Miss.
Hannah Weatherly, Forward, Tupelo, Miss. (Tupelo HS)
Hannah Weatherly, from a long line of Ole Miss Alums, is a senior from Tupelo, Miss. So far this season she has helped the Lady Wave to a 16-0-2 mark and the top ranking in the state as the playoffs are beginning. As a sophomore, Weatherly scored 35 goals and helped Tupelo High School to a 23-1-1 record and Class 5A State Championship. For her efforts, she was named the Mississippi High School Player of the Year by The Clarion-Ledger. A first team All-State selection from 2003-05, she helped guide Tupelo, who is coached by Shelley Miller, to state championships in 2003 and 2004. She was named the team's Best Offensive Player as well.
Weatherly, a 5-foot-7 forward, was recently named one of the top 150 women's soccer recruits in the nation by Soccer Buzz magazine.
"We are fortunate once again to get one of the top soccer players in the state to choose Ole Miss as her home," Holeman said. "Hannah is a special player and probably one of the best players in the Southeast. She has a chance to step in right away and make an impact. She is outstanding with her back to pressure, and her ability to read the game and score goals is exceptional."
Weatherly is a member of the ODP Region III 87 Girls team, on which she teamed with current Rebel Christine Breaux. She is a four-year member of the Mississippi ODP 87 Girls. Weatherly has played for two years on the Mississippi United Soccer Club team (coached by David Johnson) along with fellow Ole Miss signee Mallory Coleman, as they helped lead the squad to the 2005 Southern Regional Finals. Prior to joining the United, she was a seven-year member of the Tupelo Futbol Club coached by Paul Thomas and Phil Nash.
A Rotary Scholar and member of the National Junior Honor Society, Weatherly has also made the All-"A" Honor Roll and was named Outstanding Freshman Girl at Tupelo H.S. She is the daughter of Ole Miss graduates Shan and Kevin Ann Weatherly and the niece of All-SEC Rebel football quarterback Jimmy Weatherly (1962-64).
Looking Forward
Ole Miss is the winningest program in the SEC West over the last nine years. The Rebels won their third SEC West title in 2005 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years.
The Rebels expect to return 20 letterwinners from last year's team, including All-America and first team All-SEC selection Chrissy Strini, Freshman All-America performers Jennifer Hance (SEC Freshman of the Year, first team All-SEC) and Christine Breaux (SEC All-Freshman team) and former All-SEC picks in Brittney Potts, Kelly Renie and Lyndsey Williams.
