| Name |
Position |
Ht. |
Hometown/High School |
Club |
| Ashleigh Aarbo |
Defender |
5-2 |
Sioux Falls, S.D./O'Gorman |
Dakota Alliance |
| Gabrielle Bowyer |
Defender |
5-6 |
Mankato, Minn./Mankato West |
Mankato United |
| Sophia Connelly |
Midfielder |
5-7 |
Sioux Falls, S.D./O'Gorman |
Dakota Alliance |
| Kenzie Geiger |
Forward |
5-7 |
Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny Centennial |
Iowa Rush |
| Morgan Keirstead |
Midfielder/Forward |
5-4 |
Savage, Minn./Burnsville |
Minnesota Thunder Academy |
| Carlie Kray |
Forward |
5-5 |
Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington |
Dakota Alliance |
| Meghan Kuntz |
Goalkeeper |
5-9 |
Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie |
Minnesota Thunder Academy |
| Alexis Legg |
Midfielder |
5-6 |
Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny |
Iowa Rush |
| Jena Mitchell |
Defender |
5-7 |
Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington |
Dakota Alliance |
| Lauren Tschider |
Center Mid |
5-4 |
Detroit Lakes, Minn./Detroit Lakes |
Tri-City Storm |
| Olivia Washburn |
Midfielder/Defender |
5-3 |
Omaha, Neb./Westside |
Elite Girls Academy |
Ashleigh Aarbo | Defender | Sioux Falls, S.D. | O'Gorman | Dakota Alliance
Barkus about Aarbo: "Ashleigh comes from Augustana royalty and has been a Viking since birth. She is a defender for the modern game - intelligent, athletic, strong, fast, and she wants the ball. We think she has really developed into a college-ready player over the past couple of seasons. She has become one of the best defenders in the state and broke out as shut down defender over the past year or so. We know Ashleigh will get goosebumps and be so excited at her first opportunity to put the Navy and Gold kit over her head!
High School
Will graduate from O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. in May of 2018 ... was the team assist leader her senior season, earning All-Metro Conference honors ... named Academic All-State her senior season ... helped her team to three South Dakota State AA runner-up finishes and a State AA championship in 2015.
Club
Played for Dakota Alliance ... was coached by Brandon Barkus ... her club team was South Dakota State Champions in 2017 and state runners-up in 2015.
Personal
Daughter of Troy and Tara Aarbo ... born in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Dec. 11, 1999 ... plans to major in Pre-Pharmacy with a minor in Spanish.
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Gabrielle Bowyer | Defender | Mankato, Minn. | Mankato West | Mankato United
Barkus on Bowyer: "Gabrielle can play in several defensive positions and her versatility makes her an outstanding addition for us! Gabrielle has good speed, an excellent presence on the ball, fantastic ball-winning abilities and is so smart! It will be exciting to see how quickly Gabrielle grows in this environment as I think she's just now coming into her own as a player!"
High School
Will graduate from Mankato West High School in Mankato, Minn. in June of 2018 ... two-time All-City and All-Conference selection ... recorded one goal and seven assists in three seasons ... helped her team to two section championships and one conference title ... assisted her team to state runner-ups as a junior and to make the state tournament as a senior.
Club
Played for Mankato United ... was coached by Ben Jones.
Personal
Daughter of Shane and Laura Bowyer ... born in Mankato, Minn. on April 21, 2000 ... plans to major in Accounting with aspirations of becoming a CPA accountant.
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Sophia Connelly | Midfielder | Sioux Falls, S.D. | O'Gorman | Dakota Alliance
Barkus on Connelly: "Sophia is a true box-to-box midfielder who absolutely runs opponents into the ground. She has solid quality experience playing in the midfield at both the No. 6 and No. 10 roles that will serve her well at Augie. Anytime I spoke to someone about Sophia they always said the same thing about her - she is a coach's dream, she works hard, she leads by example and gives all that she has 100% of the time. Sophia was a heavily-recruited by us, and we are thrilled that she decided to be a Viking!"
High School
Will graduate from O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. in May of 2018 ... named to the All-State team as a junior and senior ... three-time All-Metro Conference selection ... earned Academic All-State as a senior ... helped her team to three South Dakota State AA runner-up finishes and a State AA championship in 2015.
Club
Played for Dakota Alliance ... was coached by Brandon Barkus.
Personal
Daughter of Alex and Mandra Connelly ... born in Sioux Falls, S.D. on May 1, 2000 ... undecided on major.
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Kenzie Geiger | Forward | Ankeny, Iowa | Ankeny Centennial | Iowa Rush
Barkus on Geiger: "Kenzie is tremendous at both the forward and wide back positions. She has a ton of speed and she can play on either side of the field. Since she will be bringing this versatility, which is something we look for in all of our recruits, it will allow her to compete right away for quality playing time. She has great character and is mega smart, and I think she will immediately compete for playing time in our program!"
High School
Will graduate from Ankeny Centennial High School in Ankeny, Iowa in May of 2018 ... her senior season begins in March of 2018 ... in her first three years of high school, she has amassed 51 points, 18 goals and 15 assists ... named All-Conference as a senior ... three-time Academic All-Conference selection ... helped her team to a Iowa 3A state championship as a sophomore ... helped her team to region and conference championships as a junior and sophomore.
Club
Played for Iowa Rush ... was coached by Daryl Brazeau ... four-year club starter ... helper her team to the Iowa Girls 00 State Cup as a senior ... assisted her team to a semifinals appearance at the Iowa Girls 00 State Cup as a junior.
Personal
Daughter of Robb and Kristen Geiger ... born in Ankeny, Iowa on June 17, 2000 ... plans to major in Chemistry with a minor in Spanish with aspirations of becoming a Pediatric Dentist.
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Morgan Keirstead | Midfielder/Forward | Savage, Minn. | Burnsville | Minnesota Thunder Academy
Barkus on Keirstead: "Morgan is one of the most physically gifted athletes I may have ever recruited. Package that with being excellent technically and clean on the ball explains why she is going to play fairly quickly in what I believe to be one of the toughest DII conferences in the country. She loves the game, works hard, listens to instructions and brings a unbelievable attitude to win. She not only excels on the soccer field, but in the classroom and in her family life. She is a top level player and a top level person!"
High School
Graduated in Jan. of 2018 from Burnsville High School in Burnsville, Minn. ... tallied 33 goals and 33 assist throughout her high school career ... first team All-State and Ms. Soccer nominee as a senior ... Pioneer Press Player of the Year Finalist as a senior ... three-time first team All-Conference ... second team All-State as a sophomore.
Club
Played for Minnesota Thunder Academy ... was coached by Tobbe Thorsell.
Personal
Daughter of Brett and Amy Keirstead ... born in Savage, Minn. on Nov. 16, 1999 ... plans to major in Finance ... her sister Hannah is a former soccer student-athlete at Augustana.
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Carlie Kray | Forward | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Washington | Dakota Alliance
Barkus on Kray: "Carlie brings a strong calming presence on the field, but plays with so much fire! She is a battler and goes 100% for all balls played into the box and will compete hard on both sides of the ball. Carlie is a huge threat in the attack and her speed will get her in behind defenses consistently. Also, with her ability to distribute//serve the ball, plus score goals, she is going to be in incredibly difficult to defend and I anticipate that this will get her playing time right away!"
High School
Will graduate from Washington High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. in June of 2018 ... scored nine goals her senior season, making the All-Conference team ... scored five goals and four assists as a junior.
Club
Played for Dakota Alliance ... was coached by Brandon Barkus.
Personal
Daughter of Chris and Stacie Kray ... born in Sioux Falls, S.D. on August 24, 2000 ... plans to major in Chemistry or Biology ... her brother Alec is a member of the Augustana cross country/track and field team.
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Meghan Kuntz | Goalkeeper | Eden Prairie, Minn. | Eden Prairie | Minnesota Thunder Academy
Barkus on Kuntz: "Meghan has great size and presence as a goalkeeper. She is 5'9 and very strong. She comes from one of the top clubs in Minnesota, having played for Minnesota Thunder Academy ECNL program. She is dedicated to her goalkeeper training, speed, power, and strength training, which will all pay huge dividends for her as a goalkeeper at this level. She is smart, a great shot stopper and good with her feet. She will add size and talent to our goalkeeping tandem!"
High School
Will graduate from Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minn. in June of 2018 ... was a two-year starter and a three-year letterwinner.
Club
Played for Minnesota Thunder Academy ... was coached by Nick Ciliberti.
Personal
Daughter of Mike and Barb Kuntz ... born on Sept. 17, 1999 ... plans to major in Biochemistry with aspirations of becoming a Pediatric Doctor.
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Alexis Legg | Midfielder | Ankeny, Iowa | Ankeny | Iowa Rush
Barkus on Legg: "Alexis can play either forward or midfield, but we are looking at her as a forward in her first year. She has good strength and is really good in the air, which is something we really need. She has the ability to come in and put a head on a ball in the opponent's box, however Alexis can distribute the ball extremely well to create dangerous situations offensively for us as well. We feel lucky we were able to find her and we think she will be a great addition to our team!"
High School
Will graduate from Ankeny High School in Ankeny, Iowa in May of 2018 ... three-year starter.
Club
Played for Iowa Rush ... was coached by Daryl Brazeau.
Personal
Daughter of James and Louise Legg ... born in Ankeny, Iowa on June 12, 2000 ... plans to major in Mathematics with a minor in Actuarial Science.
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Jena Mitchell | Defender | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Washington | Dakota Alliance
Barkus on Mitchell: "Jena is a big personality and a presence on the field. Her athletic ability combined with her personality make her a force that opponents have to deal with as an attacking outside back, but she also possesses the size and strength to play as a center back. Jena is compassionate, intelligent and determined, I am so excited to have her join the Augustana family!"
High School
Will graduate from Washington High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. in June of 2018 ... was the Soccer Player of the Year her senior year ... team captain her senior season ... two-year starter and three-year letterwinner.
Club
Played for Dakota Alliance ... was coached by Brandon Barkus.
Personal
Daughter of Brian and Amy Mitchell ... born in Sioux Falls, S.D. on May 27, 2000 ... plans to major in Pre-Med with a minor in Spanish.
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Lauren Tschider | Center Mid | Detroit Lakes, Minn. | Detroit Lakes | Tri-City Storm
Barkus on Tschider: "Lauren is a very creative player who as a lot of flair and excitement in her game. Her craftiness and athleticism are going to bode well for our team as well as in our conference. Lauren is yet another highly intelligent student athlete that we have come to expect here at Augustana and I am excited to see her join our explosive group of returning midfielders. I think she will bring another level of an attacking spark to the group!"
High School
Will graduate from Detroit Lakes High School in Detroit Lakes, Minn. in May of 2018 ... All-State nominee as a senior with 15 goals and 10 assists ... team MVP her senior season ... four-time All-Conference selection and team's Most Valuable Midfielder.
Club
Played for Tri-City Storm ... was coached by Kevin Roos.
Personal
Daughter of Thomas and Kari Tschider ... born in Detroit Lakes, Minn. on Oct. 27, 1999 ... plans to major in Economics with a minor in Spanish.
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Olivia Washburn | Midfielder/Defender | Omaha, Neb. | Westside | Elite Girls Academy
Barkus on Washburn: "We are really looking forward to Olivia joining our team this fall! She can attack and defend from wide spaces, play in the middle of the back line and even step up and play as a true No. 6 in our midfield. Not only is she a talented versatile player she brings athleticism and a strong work ethic, and she is a tremendous culture kid! Olivia has the ability to bring the best out of all of those that she is around!"
High School
Will graduate from Westside High School in Omaha, Neb. in May of 2018 ... two-time Scholar Athlete Award recipient ... will compete in her senior high school season in the spring.
Club
Played for Elite Girls Academy ... was coached by Brandon Palmer ... two-time St. Louis Scott Gallagher Friendlies Champion ... President Day Tournament Champs as a junior ... has tallied 18 goals and 25 assists during four years of club soccer ... three-time team captain.
Personal
Daughter of Todd and Debra Washburn ... born in Omaha, Neb. on Feb. 16, 2000 ... plans to major in Communication Studies/Business with a minor in Business Administration.
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