SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Augustana Women's Soccer and Coach Barkus have signed four new athletes for the 2027 season. The signees include Reagan Schelske, Lyndy Bortnem, Ellyse Oelker, and Taylor Syverson.
Reagan Schelske | Goalkeeper | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Harrisburg
High School: Reagan will graduate in May 2027 from Harrisburg High School. Throughout her soccer career with the Tigers, she was a three-year starter, four-year letter winner, and captain her senior season. Reagan has helped the Tigers to four straight state championships while playing for Harrisburg. In her senior season she was named to the First Team All-State roster.
Personal: Daughter of Jen and Craig Schelske. She plans to major in Business.
Coach Barkus on Reagan: "Regan continues our long history of committing South Dakota goalkeepers, and she is going to challenge as one of the best!!! She has all the tools to develop into an incredible goalkeeper, as she is a student of the game who is constantly searching for the means to develop and improve her game! Regan brings a positive attitude to the field every day. She has a tremendous work ethic, excellent hand AND foot skills, and is overall incredibly technically sound. She has a team-first mentality, which I love, and her work ethic, determination, and desire to match, which I believe can impact our program immediately!"
Lyndy Bortnem | Midfielder | Sioux Falls, S.D. | O'Gorman High School
High School: Lyndy will graduate in May 2027 from O'Gorman High School. Lyndy was a four-year starter and letter winner along with being named a captain her senior season for the Knights. In her career she was named to the All-Metro Conference First Team her sophomore, junior, and senior season. In her junior and senior season she was awarded First-Team All State, along with an Academic All State award her senior season. The Knights made a state tournament appearance three years in a row including a second place finish in 2025.
Personal: Daughter of Ryan and Kelli Bortnem. She plans to major in Biology and Psychology with a career goal of Genetic Counseling.
Coach Barkus on Lyndy: "Lyndy is someone who can control games in the center of the field and/or on the flanks. She connects different areas of the field with precise passing and has a keen sense of the field during games. Plus, Lyndy can win balls as well as control the tempo of play. I absolutely love her ability to possess when it's needed, as well as her ability to see the movement off the ball and then penetrate with direct, precise longer passes. I am very confident that she will be an amazing student-athlete at Augustana, as I am also confident that she will be a player who is very sound technically and that she will find a place on the field for us this fall!"
Ellyse Oelker | Midfielder | White Bear Lake, Minn. | White Bear Lake Area High School
High School: Ellyse will graduate from White Bear Lake Area High School in May 2027. Ellyse was a four-year starter and letter winner for the Polar Bears. She earned All-Conference honors in her sophomore, junior, and senior season. In her junior season she also earned All-State Second Team honors and All-State First Team her senior season. Throughout her soccer career Ellyse accumulated 30 goals and 22 assists.
Personal: Daughter of Jamie Tueffel and Marc Jacobson. She plans to major in Business with a minor in Biology.
Coach Barkus on Ellyse: "Ellyse has the potential to be one of the most impactful players we have recruited in my time here at Augustana! She is creative, tough, highly skilled, and incredibly motivated. She can be an imaginative attacking front runner or a gifted attacking midfielder. Her speed and explosiveness are something I think our fans are going to enjoy next season. I anticipate that she will jump in right away and fit in well with our group of players. I believe that she can be an important piece for us as we continue to build on the success we have had as a program!"
Taylor Syverson | Froward | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Harrisburg High School
High School: Taylor will graduate from Harrisburg High School in May 2027. Taylor was a thee-year letter winner and a two-year starter for the Tigers. She helped the Tigers to three state championships in her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. In her junior year she scored nine goals helping her get MAC honorable mention. In her senior season she was named to the ESD All-Conference team, MAC First Team, and the All-State Second Team after scoring 15 goals throughout the season.
Personal: Daughter of Erik and April Syverson. She plans to major in Nursing then go on to her NP or PA degree.
Coach Barkus on Taylor: "Taylor brings a ton of athleticism and energy to the table! First, she has a superior work ethic that I am confident will help the team get better every day as we work to continue to build our program! Plus, Taylor is truly someone who is hungry for greatness. Because of this, she has a great desire to improve, and she's a competitor - she does not like to lose. This is essential for the type of high-level athletes we recruit and for us to be competitive in the region! Also, she is technically sound on the field; she receives and plays balls well and connects with teammates. Maybe her best quality is that she has a knack for scoring goals!! I am excited for Taylor!"
