Feb. 4, 2009

Contact: Brian McCann

Complete Release in PDF Format

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three high school student-athletes, each of whom earned all-state honors during their senior campaigns, have signed national letters of intent to attend Cleveland State and play women's soccer beginning in the fall of 2009. Head coach Derrek Falor made the announcement on Wednesday, the first day high school student-athletes were permitted to sign letters of intent.

Signing with the Vikings are Jaime Avona (Boardman, OH), Carla Ragone (North Royalton, OH) and Valerie Stahl (Everett, WA). Each player will enter CSU as freshman with four years of eligibility.

"This recruiting class demonstrates how far we've come as a program in our five-year history," Falor said. "Each of these players is hugely talented, among the best in their respective states, and have been quite successful playing at a variety of levels.

"We lost three seniors who played a major role in building the Viking soccer program so we knew that we needed to replace them with special people. I think that Jaime, Carla and Valerie will impact our program the minute they step on the Krenzler Field turf next August.

Avona, who can play both midfield and forward, was a second team all-state choice as a senior at Boardman High after scoring eight goals with eight assists and helping her team to an 11-4-2 mark.

Ragone, a defender, was a second team all-state choice as a senior at North Royalton High, wrapping up a stellar career that saw her play as a full-time starter in each of her four seasons.

Stahl, a defender, was the Washington Class 3A Player of the Year and a first team all-state selection as a senior at Everett High, helping her team to a 20-2-1 record and the state title. She was also named the Area Player of the Year by the Everett Herald and the area MVP by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

A biography on each of the three additions follows.

2009 Cleveland State University Women's Soccer Recruiting Class Biographies

Jaime Avone
5-8, Fr., Midfield/Forward
Boardman, Ohio

COACH FALOR'S COMMENTS:
"We've been watching Jaime for quite some time and have been very impressed with her from the start. Every time we've seen Jaime play over the last two years, she has improved on an attacking component of the game and is now ready to be an impact player at the college level. Jaime is a very diverse soccer player and can play anywhere on the field. In this upcoming year, we will use her up top. Jaime has great speed with and without the ball, is willing to pressure defensively, finishes her break-a-ways chances cleanly, and technically can hold a ball well under pressure."

HIGH SCHOOL:
Second team all-state selection as a senior at Boardman High, playing for coach Fawzi Mujahed. . . scored eight goals with eight assists as a senior, helping team to an 11-4-2 mark. . . earned first team all-league, all-county and all-district kudos as both a junior and senior. . . four-year letterwinner in soccer who scored 41 goals with 32 assists for 114 points during her career. . . third team all-state pick as a junior after scoring 12 goals with eight assists for 32 points. . . led the squad in scoring as a sophomore, scoring 13 goals with seven assists and 33 points. . . played on teams that went 33-12-8 over her final three seasons, finishing second in the district each season. . . played club soccer for CASA, earning an Ohio state title as a senior.

PERSONAL:
Born March 19, 1991 in Youngstown, Ohio... daughter of Linda and James Avona. . . has an older brother (Tom) and sister (Janette). . . involved in Honor Roll, French National Honors Society, French Club, Science Club, Interact Club, and Medical Careers Club. . . is interested in majoring in speech therapy and audiology.

Carla Ragone
5-4, Fr., Defender
North Royalton, Ohio

COACH FALOR'S COMMENTS:
"Carla is a very effective defender with a sound understanding of the nuances required for high level zonal defending. She's great vocally and is adept at filling a leadership role in the flow of play. Carla is technical with the ball at her feet, which will allow us to improve our possession out of the back. With Carla's soccer IQ on our back line, we will be able to keep our defense shape well regardless of whether our opponents throw two or three forwards at us. She's the kind of solid and corner-stone type central defender back we need in order to effectively handle pressure in crucial situations."

HIGH SCHOOL:
Second team all-state selection as a senior at North Royalton High, playing for coach Kyle Detrich. . . earned first team all-conference honors as a senior and was a second team pick as a sophomore. . . totaled 10 goals, 14 assists for 34 points during her career. . . played on teams that went 48-17-13 during her career, winning a regional title as a sophomore.

PERSONAL:
Born July 10, 1990 in Parma, Ohio...daughter of Christine and Pete Ragone. . . has an older sister (Tina) and younger brother (Vince). . . involved in Merit Rolt, Honor Roll and Pride in Academics. . . is interested in majoring in either pharmacy or criminology.

Valerie Stahl
5-7, Fr., Defender
Everett, Wash.

COACH FALOR'S COMMENTS:
"Valerie is going to be a special player right from the start. She is arguably the most impactfull player in Washington State for 2009 and her competitive spirit is unstoppable. She is capable of excelling as either a holding central mid or as a central defender, so we'll have to see what the best position will be to utilize all of her strengths once she gets here in the fall. Val is sound holding the ball whether keeping possession around the back or penetrating, is absolutely fierce as a defensive ball winner, and is extremely accurate when taking set pieces. As a leader on the field, she is unparalleled and I know that she will quickly adapt to the speed of play at this level and will help us solidify what will be one of the best defenses in our conference."

HIGH SCHOOL:
Washington State Class 3A Player of the Year as a senior at Everett High, playing for coach Kosta Pitharoulis. . . was also tabbed the Area Player of the Year by the Everett Herald, the area MVP by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. . . led team to a 20-2-1 mark as a senior, winning the state Class 3A title. . . three-time team MVP and all-area choice. . . lettered four times each in soccer and softball. . . played shortstop in softball, earning all-state honors as a junior. . . played on softball teams that went 66-15 during her first three years, finishing third in the state as a junior.

PERSONAL:
Born February 14, 1991 in Everett, Wash. . . . daughter of Angela and Kurt Stahl. . . has an older brother Erich. . . Honor Student. . . involved in leadership student, spirit club, and homecoming court. . . is interested in majoring in either physical education or sports management.