OXFORD, Miss. The future of the Ole Miss soccer program was bolstered Wednesday by the signing of a large and talented class of seven high school seniors to national letters of intent to join the Rebels for the 2008 fall season, head coach Steve Holeman announced.
Katie and Kelsey Breathitt (Lexington, Ky.), Abbie Curran (Eagle, Idaho), Rachel Cutts (Pace, Fla.) Alley Ronaldi (The Woodlands, Texas), Meredith Snow (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Jenna Strother (Auburn, Ala.) will arrive in Oxford following successful prep careers.
“Our staff is very excited about the potential of this recruiting class,” said Holeman, who has guided Ole Miss to three NCAA Tournaments and three Southeastern Conference Western Division titles during his tenure. “This group of players is very talented, athletic and versatile. They all love to compete and will provide incredible balance and depth to a core group of returnees.”
The Breathitts represent the first pair of twins in Ole Miss soccer history and will join Hillary Beckman (2002-05) and Lindley Beckman (2001-04) as the only sets of sisters to take the pitch for the Red and Blue. The Breathitt twins and Snow, a high school all-american, have gained valuable competitive experience while playing with the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy, a highly regarded club team that also produced recently graduated Rebel soccer player Amy Gill.
“We are signing three players from one of the strongest club programs in the country in Ohio Elite,” Holeman said. “All three of these young women will have a tremendous impact on our program right away.”
The septet of signees will help replace six graduating seniors from a Rebel squad that returns 15 letterwinners and nine of 11 starters off last year’s team. Among the returnees are 2007 All-SEC performers Danielle Johnson and Amy Bayles, as well as two-time All-SEC selection Jennifer Hance.
Katie Breathitt
A 5-foot-6 midfielder/forward from Lexington, Ky., Katie Breathitt was named First Team All-State in 2006 and Honorable Mention All-State in 2005 while playing for Lexington Catholic High School. She was twice named her team’s Offensive MVP and helped Lexington Catholic to district and regional championships three straight years and a state runner-up finish in 2005. As a member of Ohio Elite, her club team was named the Ohio South State Champions in 2007. She is a two-year member of the Kentucky ODP team and was invited to the 2007 Region II ODP Camp. The three-time All-State Academic Honorable Mention selection also puts in the time off the field serving as a volunteer with Ronald McDonald House and Habitat for Humanity.
“Katie was on her way to some great accomplishments this fall before she was injured over the summer,” Holeman said. “She is quick and has great acceleration on and off the ball. Whether she is up top or on the flank for us, she will know how to run at players and create off the dribble. Katie has great service into the box and she and Kelsey will have the chance to link up many times over the next four years and be a great combination for us.”
Kelsey Breathitt
Katie’s twin sister, Kelsey Breathitt, is a 5-foot-6 forward who was named First Team All-State in 2006 and 2007 while playing for Lexington Catholic High School. She earned numerous soccer awards in high school, including Team Defensive MVP (2005), Team Offensive MVP (2006-07) and Team MVP (2006-07). As a member of Ohio Elite, Breathitt and her team earned 2007 Super-Y National Championship honors in addition to the Ohio state title. The daughter of Tom and Linda Breathitt, she is a two-year member of the Kentucky ODP team and was invited to the 2007 Region II ODP Camp. In the classroom she is a three-time All-State Academic First Team selection, while she also serves as a volunteer for Ronald McDonald House and Habitat for Humanity.
“Kelsey is an exciting attacking player that has developed each year we have watched her,” Holeman said. “Her ability to face defenders up and go at them with speed makes her tough to defend, and we are looking forward to seeing her take her game to the next level. Kelsey has instincts around the goal and we know she will come in and work hard and push for immediate quality minutes as a freshman.”
Abbie Curran
The second Idaho native in program history, Abbie Curran was a candidate for Idaho’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2007 and has twice been named All-Conference in Southern Idaho. The 5-foot-1 forward was voted Best Offensive Player from 2005-2007 at Eagle High School, while scoring 40 career goals and amassing 47 career assists. Her team won the Idaho State Championship in 2005, and she led her squad to a district title in 2007. Curran has been a team captain for her Boise Capitals club team and is a member of the National Honor Society. She is the oldest of five children to Steve and Kathy Curran.
“Abbie is an exceptional athlete with great speed and an unrelenting work rate,” Holeman said. “She has a chance to come in and make an immediate impact on our front line. We feel that we have found the diamond in the rough’ with Abbie, and we are confident that she will soon be a known commodity in the SEC.”
Rachel Cutts
A 5-foot-4 defender by way of Pace, Fla., Rachel Cutts is a three-time All-Area selection and 2006 All-State pick by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association while playing at Pace High School. She started at forward and scored 46 goals through her first three years of high school, but was forced to sit out her senior season with a knee injury. As a defender for the Pensacola Futbol Club, Cutts helped her club to a President’s Cup title and Region D Cup championship in 2005. An outstanding student, Cutts was a joint enrollee at Pace High and Pensacola Junior College, and is on track to earn an associate’s degree by May. While at the junior college she was named to the Dean’s List and became a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society. The daughter of Michael and Tamra Cutts, Rachel and her entire family, including two sisters, are Black Belts in Taekwondo.
“Rachel is an outside back who does extremely well on both sides of the ball,” Holeman said. “She is not only a great one v. one defender, but can be extremely effective when getting forward out of the back. Unfortunately, she had a setback last fall with an injury, but is quickly recovering and on her way to being full-go.”
Alley Ronaldi
A 5-foot-6 goalkeeper from The Woodlands, Texas, Alley Ronaldi earned 5A All-District honors as a sophomore and 5A District Newcomer of the Year accolades as a freshman at Oak Ridge High School. She sat out her junior year of prep ball to compete with the TSC Challenge club team and has been named Team Captain for her upcoming senior season. During her time with TSC Challenge, the squad was a seven-time South Texas State Champion. Ronaldi was also a member of the South Texas State ODP Team in 2005. Voted “Most Athletic” by her senior class, she is the daughter of Ole Miss graduates Tom and Lynn Ronaldi.
“Alley is an outstanding goalkeeper and comes from one of the top clubs in the country,” Holeman said. “Her athleticism and work rate will help her push for immediate playing time in goal. She is a competitor and knows what it takes to play at a high level. We are looking forward to the opportunity to work with her.”
Meredith Snow
One of the top players from the state of Ohio, Meredith Snow earned NSCAA High School All-America honors as a senior and was a two-time All-State honoree and four-time All-League selection while playing midfielder for Indian Hills High School in Cincinnati. She is among her school’s all-time leaders with 59 career goals and 37 career assists and helped Indian Hills to three district championships and one regional title. The versatile 5-foot-7 defender is a member of an Ohio Elite club team that has captured five consecutive state championships and placed third at nationals. During her time with the squad, the Ohio Elite have been ranked as high as No. 1 in the country by Nationalsoccerranking.com and Gotsoccer.com. She is also a member of the Ohio South State ODP team and the 1990 Region II Pool. A four-year CHL Scholar-Athlete, Meredith is the daughter of Tom and Maria Snow, and she has an older brother, Ty, who is currently a junior at Ohio University.
“Meredith is a special athlete and player,” Holeman said. “The first time we saw her play as a junior in high school we thought she could be an impact player for us. She has the pace to run with anyone in our league and she is talented enough and versatile enough to play up top or in the back. Meredith has developed greatly with the Ohio Elite, and with her work ethic, her potential to make an impact in the SEC is unlimited.”
Jenna Strother
A native of Auburn, Ala., Jenna Strother has helped her BUSA Angels club team to five state championships and a national ranking as high as No. 9. The 5-foot-6 midfielder/forward was a member of the Alabama State ODP team from 2002-07 and was named to the Region III pool in 2007. She competed against the Mexico U-17 national team in Acapulco during the spring of 2007 and spent two weeks at Fortuna Hjorring Club in Denmark during the summer of 2007. Another outstanding student in the Rebel signing class, Strother has amassed a 4.12 GPA at Auburn High School and is a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, among other clubs and honor societies. The daughter of Greg and Heidi Strother, she gets many of her athletic traits from her mother, who was a track and cross country runner at Auburn University.
“Since the first time we saw Jenna play until now she has continued to take her game to the next level,” Holeman said. “She has worked extremely hard to improve every facet of her game, and we know that her best days are still ahead of her. In addition to her blue-collar work ethic, she possesses outstanding ball skills, excellent vision and a powerful shot.”
