SAN ANTONIO – Eighth-year UTSA soccer head coach Derek Pittman announced on Tuesday, Dec. 23, that the Roadrunners will add six new players from the high school ranks for next year’s 2026 roster. Three of the players hail from within the Lone Star State, with one player apiece from Colorado, Florida and Idaho. The Roadrunners will add three midfielders, two forwards and one defender for next season’s squad.
Head Coach Derek Pittman on the Early Signing Class
“Our 2026 recruiting class represents everything we’re building at UTSA – competitors with character, ambition and a hunger to elevate this program to championship standard. Each of these players brings a unique edge and together they will help raise the bar of what UTSA Soccer can achieve. We can’t wait to integrate them into our team culture and watch them help push us toward new milestones in the near future.”
Amelia Clark
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Austin, Texas
High School: Lake Travis High School
Club: Sting Austin ECNL
Bio: Born in New York before moving to Texas, she was one of only three Texas players named to the 2025 United Soccer Coaches All-America Team (midfielder) … In addition to being a three-time Academic All-District honoree, she was twice named to the TASCO All-State Team and THSCA Super Elite Team, earning All-District 26-6A Most Valuable Player in 2024 and 2025, with two all-district selections as first team midfielder and once as a member of the 26-6A second team … Selected for the 2025 UIL State Championships All-Tournament Team, she helped Lake Travis to reach the Class 6A Division I state final with a 23-2-1 record, scoring 25 goals with 21 assists for her junior season and was picked as the Austin American-Statesman Central Texas Attacker of the Year… Winner of the 2023 and 2025 district Golden Boot, she has accumulated a school-record 58 career goals and has 40 assists … She’s earned ID2 regional training camps Top Performer and Best XI honors, along with an ECNL National Selection Game invite … She’s played club for Lonestar Soccer Club and was named ECNL All-Texas Conference Second Team playing for Sting Austin ECNL in 2025 … She has two sisters playing NCAA Division I soccer at Texas State and Lamar.
Lilli Denhardt
Position: Forward
Hometown: Meridian, Idaho
High School: Owyhee High School
Club: Boise Thorns ECNL
Bio: An Honors student who competes in both soccer and track in high school … As a senior captain, helped Owyhee to its second consecutive 6A State third-place state finish and a 15-5-1 record, earning All-Southern Idaho Conference 6A Second Team and academic all-conference honors with six goals and five assists … Capping her junior year with eight goals, she was named to the 2024 All-Idaho 6 Second Team and helped the 2023 team to a 16-4-1 record and the 5A State Championship … In track & field, she finished second in the 200-meter and third in the 100-meter at the IHSAA Track & Field Championships 5A-6A as a junior, registering personal bests of 25.29 and 12.28 – earning top-10 finishes at state all three years of high school … She has played club for Idaho Surf Select, Global Sports Academy and most recently Boise Thorns ECNL.
Sam Garofalo
Position: Defender
Hometown: Aurora, Colo.
High School: Cherokee Trail High School
Club: Colorado Rapids ECNL
Bio: Helped Cherokee Trail to three consecutive trips to the 5A state playoffs, earning CHSAA All-State Honorable Mention, Academic All-State first team, All-Centennial League First Team and Team MVP as a junior in 2025 after scoring eight goals … played a key role on a CTHS defense that allowed a citywide low 17 goals … her mother played soccer at Colorado State … Plays club for Colorado Rapids ECNL, helped the squad to win the 2025 ECNL U17 Showcase Cup B in the national playoffs, reaching the 2024 Showcase Cup A playoffs and 2023 Champions League playoffs.
Claire Garritson
Position: Forward
Hometown: Keller, Texas
High School: Keller High School
Club: Sting Dallas Royal ECNL
Bio: A three-year Academic All-District 4-6A honoree, she was KHS Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 with nine goals and three assists … Helped the 2025 KHS team to a UIL Class 6A Region I Semifinal appearance, going undefeated in district play and finishing 14-2-6 before falling to the eventual state champion … Earned All-District 4-6A First Team honors as a junior … Helped the 2024 team to a 16-4-4 record and Bi-District championship … She has two sisters who are NCAA Division I athletes in water polo (St. Francis) and swimming (Arkansas) … Plays club for Sting Dallas Royal ECNL and was twice named ECNL U17 Texas All-Conference First Team helping the team to the 2024 ECNL National Playoffs Showcase Cup B Final and a 2023 ECNL Texas League Championship.
Valeria Sanchez
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Houston, Texas
High School: Iowa Colony High School
Club: Albion Hurricanes FC ECNL
Bio: Played four years of soccer with two seasons each of cross country and track & field for Iowa Colony … Is a three-time Team MVP (2023-25) and was named the District 20-5A Midfielder of the Year for her third All-District First Team selection … Was honored as TASCO All-Region Second Team in 2024 after garnering her second straight District 21-4A Offensive MVP honor and being named the Alvin ISD Best Female Soccer Player … Picked as the 2023 All-Brazoria County Newcomer of the Year … Earned sixth place in the 1,600-meter at the 2023 UIL District 26-4A Track & Field Championships … Plays club with Albion Hurricanes FC ECNL, helping the squad to reach the National Playoffs, earning 2023 and 2025 ECNL U17 All-Texas Conference First Team honors.
Adelina Torres-Rava
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
High School: Timber Creek High School
Club: Florida Kraze Krush ECNL
Bio: An Honors student who is a 2025 captain at Timber Creek, she was named 2023 Team MVP with 2024 All-Metro honors and was called up to play on the Puerto Rico U17 National Team during the U17 Qualifiers following her junior season … Has started all four years and helped the 2024 TCHS squad to a 13-1-3 record and an appearance in the FSHSAA 7A Regional Semifinal before falling to the eventual state champion … Plays club for Florida Kraze Krush ECNL, helping the team to a runner-up finish in the 2024 ECNL North American Cup and qualified for the 2025 ECNL Nationals in San Diego.
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