SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford head women’s soccer coach Amy Kiah has announced the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent for the upcoming season. Chelsea Ashworth (Cumming, Ga.), Ellen Ezekiel (Vestavia Hills, Ala.), Jewel Kawamoto (Leawood, Ks.) and Amanda Morris (Huntsville, Ala.) will don the black and gold in the fall of 2009. The group will join a Wofford team that will have lost only one senior to graduation and returns a strong group of starters for the fall of 2009.
“We are very excited about signing these four players,” commented head coach Amy Kiah. “We think that they all have the potential to impact our team immediately, and we look forward to adding them to our roster next fall.”
Chelsea Ashworth (5-6, F, Cumming, Ga./Marist School)
A three-year starter and letterwinner for coach Sergio Stadler...JV team was undefeated in 2006…led team to region 6AAAA championship and state semi-finals as a junior…led team to undefeated season and region and state championship as a senior in 2008…played for Atlanta Fire United club and helped team to Georgia State Cup Finals in 2006 and semifinals in 2007 and 2008…third top scorer on the AFU team as a senior…named MVP of her club team and earned honorable mention in RPL league…earned the Coach’s Award as a junior…member of the Dean’s List from 2005-2009…member of National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and National Honor Society of High School Scholars…elected homecoming queen her senior year…volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Breakfast Club, Belmont Village Assisted Living and as a Eucharistic minister.
“Chelsea is a great athlete with an innate ability to take players on,” said Kiah. “She will play up front for us, but can also play on the flank. Chelsea is a very technical player, which will compliment her athleticism.”
Ellen Ezekiel (5-3, M/F, Vestavia Hills, Ala./Vestavia Hills)
A four-year starter and letterwinner for coach Brigid Littleton…led team to three consecutive 6A State Championships from 2006-2008…led club team to three state championships in 2005, 2006 and 2008…club team claimed Disney Championship in 2008…team was Lakeshore Shootout Champions in 2006, 2007 and 2008…named the Lakeshore Shootout All-tournament player in 2007…earned Birmingham News Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors…member of National Honor Society and National German Honor Society…was a National German Exam silver medalist…participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as a chaplain and the Presbyterian Youth Council as a co-director…volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and as a tutor.
“Ellen has exceptional speed, which will help her at the forward position,” said Kiah. “She has the ability to get behind defenses with both her technical ability and her speed. She is a natural goal scorer.”
Jewel Kawamoto (5-10, D/M, Leawood, Ks./The Barstow School)
A four-year letterwinner for coach Scott Huppe…led her Barstow team to District semifinals as a senior…played for the Kansas City Comets Soccer Club since 2002…led her KC Comets team to a Kansas State Cup Championship in 2002 and 2006 and helped her team qualify for KS State Cup in 2003, 2004 and 2008…served as captain of the varsity soccer tem in 2007 and 2008…named Most Valuable Player as a senior…earned All-District honors for three consecutive years in 2006, 2007 and 2008…earned All-State accolades in 2008…named the Barstow School Most Valuable Athlete in 2007 and 2008…also ran cross country in 2005 and 2006 and qualified for the state meet both years…earned All-District honors in cross country in 2006…member of the National Forensic League from 2005-06…worked for her school’s newspaper, the Barstow B-Line for four years…volunteered for The Outreach Program of TOPSoccer, Spofford House and Ozanam.
“Jewel is a strong defender,” Kiah commented. “She is a very versatile player. She can play outside mid or in a defensive role. She has an ability to serve a ball with both feet. She attacks the flank very well.”
Amanda Morris (5-2, M, Huntsville, Ala./Randolph School)
A four-year letterwinner for coach Marvin Chou at the Randolph School…starter since her eighth grade year at Randolph…led her team to a 22-1 record and second-place finish in the state in 2007 and a third-place finish in 2006...led team to state playoffs for four consecutive years…member of the Alabama Olympic Development Program team...spent part of 2008 playing at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla….named to the Super All-Metro Team in 2006 as a freshman…member of Mu Alpha Theta, Honor Roll and Dean’s List…volunteered for Habitat for Humanity.
“Amanda is a fierce competitor, and has exceptional quickness and the ability to change direction,” Kiah said. “She is a very versatile player who could play anywhere on the field. She is probably most comfortable at the outside midfield position, but can play outside back or forward.”