SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA soccer team welcome 10 signees to the 2020 signing class announced by head coach Derek Pittman.
The 2020 class consists of three defenders, four midfielders, two forwards and a goalkeeper.
"As a staff, we are excited to announce this talented class of 2020 recruits and the qualities that each of these players will bring to our current roster," Pittman said. "Fresh off one of the best seasons in our programs history, we feel these 10 individuals will help replace such an impactful senior class and really compliment the strong group of returners for next season. This class is balanced and has it all, adding size, speed, skill, goals and strength to our roster and most importantly young women of high character as we continue building our program into a Championship Culture."
Chloe Bys
Position: Defender
Hometown: Heath, Texas
High school: Rockwall Heath HS
Club: D'Feeters Soccer Club
Quote from head coach Derek Pittman on Bys: "Chloe is a big strong defender that is extremely dominate in the air and tough in tackles. She has good pace, positional awareness and has a wide array of passing ability out of the back, both short and long. Chloe had performed at a high level for club and Heath HS out of Dallas, proving that she will be a quality defender for UTSA. The competition across the back line will be deep next season and we fully expect Chloe to make a case for herself."
Bio: In Chloe Bys' freshman year, she was named first team all-district and RHHS Defensive Player of the Year. She was named all-district honorable mention her sophomore year and first team all-district team and the RHHS Defensive Player of the Year her junior season.
Britnney Campa
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
High school: Legacy of Educational Excellence
Club: Classics Elite Soccer Club
Quote from head coach Derek Pittman on Campa: "Another San Antonio native, we are happy to add such a talented player of Britnney's ability to our roster. What we love about Brit is that she is a soccer junkie and has grown up around it her whole life, learning from and watching her older siblings. She can literally play anywhere on the field. She can defend, pass, score goals and I love her soccer IQ and vision for the game. She sees the game very well and knows how to create space and utilize that space to help her team be successful."
Bio: Britnney Campa played varsity soccer for four years and went to the playoffs three times. She was named first team, second team and honorable mention all-district throughout her career.
McKenzie Chew
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Katy, Texas
High school: Cinco Ranch HS
Club: Albion Hurricanes
Quote from head coach Derek Pittman on Chew: "We needed to continue adding speed to our roster and Chewy is super quick and left footed! Another South Texas product from Houston, she has competed at a high level for her club team in the ECNL and has shown that she can run past just about any defender that she has faced. She is dynamic on the dribble and has a relentless mentality to create on that attacking end. She serves a quality ball from wide areas and can also utilize her soft touch and passing ability to build through the midfield spaces."
Bio: Throughout her soccer career, McKenzie Chew's soccer team was a Region III Finalist in 2016-17 and a state semi-finalist in 2017-18. Chew received the CRHS Outstanding Offensive Player in 2017-18 and was named to the all-district second team that same year. She was also named to the Region III all-region first team in 2017-2018.
Mikhaela Cortez
Position: Defender
Hometown: Oak Harbor, Wash.
High school: Oak Harbor HS
Club: Northwest United FC
Quote from head coach Derek Pittman on Cortez: "We are so lucky to have a talented player of Mik's ability in this class. At 6'0 tall, she moves extremely well and is an imposing defender for any attacker. Not only can she deliver crunching tackles in 50/50 challenges, she also has the pace to run down the fastest opponents. With her size, she is strong at winning aerial battles and is also a quality communicator from the center back position. She can smash a ball 60 yards up field or play simple and connect through the midfield lines. Although she comes to us from Seattle, Mik has family ties to San Antonio so we are happy to welcome her back to the area."
Bio: Mikhaela Cortez played basketball and soccer in high school. Cortez was named to the all-conference team in high school for soccer. She was named Defensive Player of the Year for both soccer and basketball and received the Most Tenacious award in soccer for two years in a row. Cortez was a varsity starter for four years in both soccer and basketball and a varsity captain for three years.
Trinity Crawford
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Round Rock, Texas
High school: Founders Classical Academy
Club: Lonestar DA
Quote from head coach Derek Pittman on Crawford: "Trinity is one of the most underrated talents coming out of the Austin area in a long time. She was an integral part of her club team's, Lonestar SC, run to the USSDA National Championship Game this past summer. She is another player that is very versatile and can play anywhere. With her high IQ, passing ability and overall defensive toughness, she will most likely compete for time in the midfield. Trinity is a confident player that has the competitive drive and character to make a positive impact during her time at UTSA."
Bio: Trinity Crawford played varsity soccer freshman and sophomore year and won the MVP award. Her team qualified for the playoffs in 2017 and 2018 and made it to the third round.
Sasjah Dade
Position: Defender
Hometown: Ontario, Calif.
High school: Eleanor Roosevelt HS
Club: Strikers FC
Quote from head coach Derek Pittman on Dade: "Sasjah is great addition to our roster out of California. She is extremely talented defender that can play left back, center back or even in the defensive midfield position. At 5'8 she has great size and is very dominant in the air, both when defending and when attacking on set plays. She has scored numerous goals for her club team on restarts and crosses. She is a quality 1v1 defender as well as being a left sided player that can ping a ball very accurately both short and long. Athleticism and speed were a high priority for this class and Sasjah has just that."
Bio: Sasjah Dade was named to the Principal's Honor Roll and played for the varsity soccer team for three years.
Ariana Gomez
Position: Forward
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
High school: Randolph High School
Club: SA City Soccer Club
Quote from head coach Derek Pittman: "A homegrown talent, we are really excited to be adding a talented, athletic and dynamic forward to our roster from right here in San Antonio. Ari has the size, strength and pace to compete against the defenders of C-USA. Every time we get a chance to watch Ari play, she scores goals and creates tons of opportunities. She can play as a target forward and hold the ball up for her teammates to join the play or simply spin a defender and go straight to goal herself. She will definitely add to our already strong group of forwards."
Bio: Ariana Gomez played varsity volleyball and track, being a two-year state qualifier for track. She was a two-time district champion in volleyball and made it to state in the 4x2 and 4x1 in track.
Mackenzie Kaufhold
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Rockwall, Texas
High school: Rockwall Heath HS
Club: D'Feeters Soccer Club
Quote from head coach Derek Pittman on Kaufhold: "Mack is an absolute sparkplug! We love her work ethic and tenacious mentality on both sides of the ball. Out of the same club and HS as Chloe, Mack has been a leader with every team she has played on. As a midfielder, she attacks with the same intensity in which she defends. She has the engine to cover the field box to box as well as the quickness and passing ability to help us keep possession in tight spaces. Her competitiveness and communication skills will fit in well with our team."
Bio: Mackenzie Kaufhold was a varsity soccer player for four years, reaching the regional finals, the third round of playoffs and becoming playoff champs in her tenure at Rockwall Heath. Kaufhold received the Hawk Award and MVP midfielder in 2018. She also was named second team all-district as a sophomore and first team all-district. She was also named to the academic all-district list.
Taylor Rath
Position: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
High school: Palo Verde High School
Club: Heat FC
Quote from head coach Derek Pittman on Rath: "Taylor is an extremely talented goalkeeper that will add to our already strong group in goal. She has great size, strength and technical ability as a goalkeeper. She commands her 18-yard box and distributes the ball very well with her feet. One of the biggest things we look for in a goalkeeper is bravery and courage, and that is what drew us to Taylor during the recruiting process. Not only does she have good hands and quickness to make the necessary saves, but she also isn't afraid to fight through traffic to punch or snag a ball in the air. We are excited to have Taylor joining us next fall."
Bio: Taylor Rath played on the varsity team all four years. She competed for two nationally recognized clubs in the west at both Legends FC Development Academy and Heat FC ENCL teams. Rath received top goalkeeper training from both Nat Gonzalez at Legends and JJ Wozniak at Heat.
Kiran Singh
Position: Forward
Hometown: Cypress, Texas
High school: Cypress Woods HS
Club: Challenge Soccer Club
Quote from head coach Derek Pittman on Singh: "Kiran is a dynamic attacking player that has the versatility to play as a forward or in the midfield if needed. She is at her best and a nightmare for defenders when faced up and running with the ball, because she has the ability to shoot from anywhere as well as having the vision and passing ability to set up her teammates for scoring opportunities. Kiran has competed at the highest level for her Challenge SC and high school in Houston, and has proven consistently that she can score goals against any opponent she has plays."
Bio: Kiran Singh played on the varsity soccer team all four years of her career and won several awards in the 2018-2019 season. She was named the CFISD District MVP, CFISD first team all-district, Cy Woods Offensive MVP, TASCO 6A first team all-district and second team all-greater Houston. Her soccer team also went undefeated in back-to-back seasons and advanced to the third round of playoffs.
-UTSA-
