University of North Texas Athletics
2020-21 Signing Day Central
11/11/2020 12:34:00 PM | General
Top Aussie Inks Her Name In Green
DENTON — The second highest ranked Australian U-18 women's tennis player signed her National Letter of Intent with North Texas on Wednesday.
Jasmine Adams, who is ranked overall 41st in Australia and has had a Universal Tennis Rating of 10.31 and reached the round of 16 of the Australian Open juniors doubles main draw inked her name in green.
"We are delighted to have Jasmine join the Mean Green family," said head coach Sujay Lama who is entering his 15th season at UNT. "She is a great competitor with tremendous character. Her work ethic is impeccable. She is the kind of player you want playing a deciding match for a championship."
In this calendar year alone Adams has won or reached the finals of 10 different tournaments. She was selected in the U-18 South Australia Pizzey Cup Team for five straight years. She was selected to an All-Australian Team and in 2017 she won a U-14 Australian National Doubles Title.
Adams has been part of the Australian National Tennis Academy since 2017 and chose UNT over Arizona, Texas A&M, Utah, UC Santa Barbara and St. Mary's.
"From day one of the recruiting process with Jasmine she has brought so much joy to our lives," said assistant head coach Rodrigo De Almeida. "Her determination and attention to details captured our attention and to follow her improvements in all aspects of the game only reassured how much we wanted her to be a part of our Mean Green tennis family."
Adams also has a Women's Tennis Association ranking of 1,459 and an international ranking of 631.
Her tennis resume is littered with impressive accolades and accomplishments in tennis and in the classroom.
In 2018 she was the Bendigo Junior Open and Association Championship winner and in total since then she's reached at least the semifinals of 33 different competitions.
"She comes as the number two player in Australia for her age group with multiple wins over players with Universal Tennis Rating above 10.75," de Almeida said. "Jasmine will strengthen our program both on and off the court with her impactful game and beautiful personality."
She will be the first Australian born tennis student-athlete to play for the Mean Green under Lama.
WHY I CHOSE NORTH TEXAS
"I chose UNT because of coach Lama's experience, knowledge, values and passion for tennis. I believe the environment will further develop my tennis and me as a person. I am looking forward to being part of a team in a hardworking, positive and community environment that UNT will provide. Go Mean Green!"
Welcome to the Mean Green family Jasmine!
— Mean Green Tennis (@MeanGreenTennis) November 11, 2020
- Jasmine is the No. 2 ranked tennis player in all of Australia for her age group!
- She reached the round of 16 of the Australian Open junior doubles main draw!
Find out more about Jasmine! ??
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State Champ Signs With Mean Green
DENTON — One of the most dynamic prep basketball players in the state of Oklahoma signed on Wednesday with the North Texas men's basketball team.
Senior Matthew Stone, who led his Kingfisher High School team to a 2019 4A Oklahoma state title, averaged 17.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for the Yellowjackets last season. The 6-foot-4 shooter is rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and other recruiting outlets. He was named to The Oklahoman's Little All-City Second Team last year.
"I'm excited to sign with UNT and I'm ready to get to work with everybody and ready to join the family," Stone said
Stone will bring his championship pedigree to a Mean Green squad that is currently the reigning Conference USA champions. Last year UNT set a program-record with a 14-4 league record under third-year head coach Grant McCasland to claim its first regular season league title in 31 years.
Before Stone joins North Texas in the summer of 2021, he and his Kingfisher teammates will aim to claim another state championship, which they are one of the favorites to do so. Stone led the Yellowjackets to a 26-1 mark last year. In his three years with the Yellowjackets they have lost just three games. In 2018 as a freshman, Stone and Kingfisher were state semifinalist.
Stone, who has already eclipsed 1,000 career points at Kingfisher, also held offers from Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Tulsa among others.
Help us in welcoming the newest member of our squad @MjStone23 by giving him a follow!#GMG ???? pic.twitter.com/IICRYOSwWW
— North Texas Basketball (@MeanGreenMBB) November 11, 2020
Son Of UNT Great Signs With UNT
DENTON — Chrisdon Morgan, the son of Ronnie Morgan who was a Southland all-conference men's basketball student-athlete for the Mean Green in the late 1980s, signed with North Texas on Wednesday.
Chrisdon Morgan, currently a senior at DeSoto High School, is a 6-foot-8 forward who averaged 12 points and 11.5 rebounds per game last year and was a second-team All-District 7-6A selection. He's led the Eagles to back-to-back postseason berths at the 6A level.
"I'm excited to sign with the Mean Green," Morgan said. "I'm ready to get to work."
Chrisdon Morgan's connection with UNT doesn't end with his father. He 's played for the Urban DFW Elite AAU team. His recently passed head coach Jazzy Hardwell also coached current Mean Green men's basketball student-athletes such as Zachary Simmons. Urban DFW Elite is one of the top AAU teams in the region and Hardwell and the current Mean Green coaching staff were close friends.
Chrisdon Morgan will join the 2020 Conference USA champions with a very successful basketball DNA. Along with his father's basketball success, his oldest brother played at Paris JC under current UNT associate head coach Ross Hodge and his other older brother played at Baylor when current Mean Green head coach Grant McCasland was an assistant for the Bears.
Desoto last season like most years was ranked as one of the top boys basketball teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and they're expected to continue that success in Chrisdon Morgan's senior season. DeSoto won a 2016 state title and have been ranked in the state Top 25 seven times over the past 10 years. According to MaxPreps.com computer rankings, DeSoto has also been ranked in the Top 25 nationally five times with a win percentage of 83 percent during that time period.
We’re excited to announce @ChrisdonMorgan is officially a Mean Green hooper!
— North Texas Basketball (@MeanGreenMBB) November 12, 2020
Welcome to the squad!
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Akers Inks Prosper Product With UNT Ties
DENTON - UNT women's golf coach Michael Akers announced an addition to his program on Wednesday, when Prosper product Chandler Browning signed her national letter of intent.
Browning, the daughter of former UNT all-Southland Conference golfer Matt Browning, has been on a tear recently on the junior golf circuit, having won five tournaments over the summer and firing a personal-best round of 67 at Tierra Verde. She also excels in the classroom and is planning on pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering. She is set to join the program next fall.
"I am very excited to add Chandler Browning to our roster next fall," Akers said. "Chandler is improving fast and has the fire and determination I like. I have learned a lot from watching the huge improvement of Lauren Cox over the past 4 1/2 years. At the end of the day we need the golfers who will put in the extra time and have the desire to be great. I believe Chandler has those traits. We are going to put her in a positive, competitive environment and watch her grow. She will have access to incredible facilities and golf courses. The future is extremely bright for Chandler and our program."
Welcome to the Mean Green Family, Chandler! Can’t wait to see you follow in your father’s footsteps! We’re going to do great things together!
— MeanGreenWGolf (@MeanGreenWGolf) November 11, 2020
??: https://t.co/hIUXPbQltw#GoGREENGoLow???? #NSD21 pic.twitter.com/P1CewSKE3o
Women’s Basketball Signs Three
DENTON –North Texas women's basketball head coach Jalie Mitchell has signed three in-state standouts to join the Mean Green for the 2021-22 season. The trio has collected numerous awards and accolades along with notable player rankings from Premier Basketball.
Chloe Callahan | 5-9 Guard | Canyon High School
- 2019-2020 Co-Offensive Player of District 3-4A
- 2020 Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 4A All-State Recognition
- Class of 2021 Premier Basketball Player Ranking #42
- 2019-2020 UIL 4A Region 1 All-Region Team
- 2019-2020 UIL 4A All-State Team
- A/B Student & Honor Roll
What coaches are saying about Callahan
Coach Mitchell:
"Chloe Callahan is a West Texas favorite who will join her sister, Candain (UNT Softball), here in Denton. I would call them a dynamic duo, as they are both smart, tough and determined winners. It's all they know! We are ecstatic for Chloe to join our team, as she brings some intangibles along with her talent. She is a true shooting guard with length, rare passing ability, active hands on defense and most importantly, she loves to compete with her teammates. Please help us welcome her to the Mean Green!"
Tate Lombard (Canyon High School):
"Chloe has been a great teammate and phenomenal player for us at Canyon High School. She is a long, athletic guard that loves to play and compete. She will fit in well with the UNT Women's Basketball family."
Kendall McGruder | 5-9 Guard | South Grand Prairie High School
- 2019-2020 7-6A All District First Team
- Class of 2021 Premier Basketball Player Ranking #32
- 2019-2020 UIL 6A Region 1 Girls All-Region Team
- A/B Student & Honor Roll
What coaches are saying about McGruder
Coach Mitchell:
"We are excited to welcome Kendall to our Mean Green family! She comes to us from incredible high school and summer programs where she's been taught the value of hard work, the importance of teamwork and certainly how to win! One of Kendall's nicknames is "Sniper", which accurately depicts her ability to knock down the perimeter shot. Her other nickname is "Swiper" because she has great hands and timing on the defensive end of the floor. She is an all-around exceptional young lady who will wear #1 here at UNT and hope to take that spot in your hearts as well."
Brion Raven (South Grand Prairie High School):
"UNT got a great person and player in Kendall. She will fit into Coach Mitchell's system because of her high IQ and skill set. She is a competitor and winner. I am looking forward to watching Kendall and the Mean Green do big things!"
Aniyah Johnson | 6-2 Forward | Red Oak High School
- All-Ellis County 2019-2020 Girls Basketball First Team
- 2019-2020 Defensive MVP of District 14-5A
- Class of 2021 Premier Basketball Player Ranking #31
- 2019-2020 UIL 5A Region 2 All-Region Team
- 2019-2020 UIL Girls 5A All-State Team
- A/B Student & Honor Roll
What coaches are saying about Johnson
Coach Mitchell:
"Aniyah is a lefty post who has had the pleasure of learning from one of UNT's finest in Chris Davis. She brings a natural passion for the game and shows up to outwork everybody on a daily basis. She is never content, instead always working to improve. My favorite thing about her is that she is a true team player- selfless, giving and willing to do whatever it takes! The big things like efficient scorer and energetic rebounder will show up on the stat sheet. The little things such as high motor, great screener, vocal leader and awesome teammate will not. Those things make a big difference, so we are fortunate to have Aniyah in this #AMA21NG class!"
Darren Eubanks (Red Oak High School):
"Aniyah Johnson, aka The Big Dog. Aniyah is an example of what hard work does for a person. Aniyah made varsity as a freshman simply off of potential. She quickly realized the effort she needed to put into basketball would require more time, so she stopped playing multiple sports and focused on basketball, and three years later she is an all-state basketball player, District 14-5A Defensive Player of the Year, and Division I signee. I am proud and sad at the same time. We are losing a leader and most importantly a great person but gaining a soon to be college basketball player and graduate. "
???????? ?????????? ?? ?????????? ?????????? @callahan11chloe has officially joined the Mean Green Family! #AMA21NG pic.twitter.com/uIjfV0BQdf
— North Texas WBB (@MeanGreenWBB) November 11, 2020
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— North Texas WBB (@MeanGreenWBB) November 11, 2020
Welcome to the Mean Green Family, @swiperK01!#AMA21NG pic.twitter.com/GglHugUDYo
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— North Texas WBB (@MeanGreenWBB) November 11, 2020
We welcome @aniyahnycole15 to the Mean Green Family!#AMA21NG pic.twitter.com/STv456PBfA
Volleyball lands two signees to open 2021 class
DENTON – The North Texas volleyball team signed its first two players to the 2021 recruiting class on Wednesday.
Head coach Andrew Palileo and his staff travelled out of state to recruit outside hitter Andrea Owens and setter Katie Butler. Owens hails from Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Arizona, while Katie Butler comes from Old Tappan High School in Rockliegh, New Jersey.
"We're excited about both of these players because they have the opportunity to contribute from day one in our program," Palileo said. "Both these players demonstrate the values of working hard, competing and wanting to be coached. We can't wait to work with them in the fall of 2021."
More information on Owens and Butler can be found below:
Andrea Owens – OH – Salpointe Catholic High School – Tucson, Arizona
Andrea Owens has proven to be one of the brightest young players in Arizona. As a four-year letter winner, Owens set the record for most career kills (865 and counting) at Salpointe Catholic High School. She was also named to the Southern Arizona All-Decade team and tabbed with First-Team All-State honors all four years.
"I have known Andrea and her family since she was six years old," Palileo said. "She comes from a great volleyball family where both parents are coaches. Not only will she bring a high volleyball IQ to our team, but a game that is very versatile."
Along with 865-plus career kills, she has totaled 115 aces and 87 blocks in her four years with the Lancers.
As a senior in 2020, Owens has Salpointe Catholic High at a 14-2 record midway through the season and leads the team with 185 kills and a .359 hitting percentage.
In her freshman season, Owens helped Salpointe Catholic to the Class 4A Arizona State Championship. She was named Freshman of the Year after racking up 270 kills in 100 sets played. As a sophomore, Owens led her team back to the Class 4A state title game before losing in the championship.
Owens played for the Arizona High Performance Team in 2018, while also joining the Southern Arizona Volleyball Academy under Michael and Natalia Owens.
Katie Butler – Setter – Old Tappan High School – Rockleigh, New Jersey
Katie Butler has an impressive track record over the last several years along the New Jersey border of the Hudson River. According to Prepdigs, Butler was the No. 2 overall player and the No. 1 setter in New Jersey heading into 2020.
"Katie is a very athletic setter that has played at a high level for the last several years," Palileo said. "She will give us the option of running several offensive systems because of her size and leadership."
Butler has also experienced success across the sea. In 2019, Butler was named the top U.S. setter at Global Challenge 2019 in Pula, Croatia.
In her freshman season at Old Tappan, Butler led her team to a state championship and has led the squad to multiple sectional titles and a county title in the last two seasons.
Butler played her club ball with USANY, where she is the captain of the team. She was also placed on the academic honor roll during her freshman and sophomore years.
Signed and sealed ????
— Mean Green Volleyball (@MeanGreenVB) November 11, 2020
Andrea, welcome to Denton, Texas! Can’t wait for you to be apart of the Mean Green family! #GMG #UNiTe pic.twitter.com/oRcJ605O77
Signed and sealed ????
— Mean Green Volleyball (@MeanGreenVB) November 11, 2020
Katie, welcome to Denton, Texas! Can’t wait for you to be apart of the Mean Green family! #GMG #UNiTe pic.twitter.com/lJw1k0EN8G
A full release on the 2020-21 Mean Green Softball signing class will be available soon. The class currently consists of Emma Grahmann, Karsyn Iltis, Cierra Simon and Rylan Dooner.
The first NLI is signed, sealed and delivered ??
— North Texas Softball (@MeanGreenSB) November 11, 2020
Emma Grahmann is officially headed to Denton!
?? - UT
?? - Hallettsville, TX#GMG | #MGSB pic.twitter.com/CtGI1X3n7j
Signed, sealed and delivered ??
— North Texas Softball (@MeanGreenSB) November 11, 2020
Welcome home, Karsyn Iltis! Glad you are officially a part of the fam!
?? - P/1B
?? - Paris, TX#GMG | #MGSB pic.twitter.com/V33DR9bGLq
Another one is signed, sealed and delivered ??
— North Texas Softball (@MeanGreenSB) November 11, 2020
Cierra Simon is officially official and a part of the #MeanGreen family!
?? - UT
?? - Crockett, TX#GMG | #MGSB pic.twitter.com/L9HBgbGnQ8
An Okie is signed, sealed and delivered ??
— North Texas Softball (@MeanGreenSB) November 12, 2020
Welcome to the #MeanGreen family Rylan! Let’s work!
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??- Tuttle, OK#GMG | #MGSB pic.twitter.com/XAijAD2V4H
Men's Golf Adds Local Signee
DENTON - UNT men's golf coach Brad Stracke added a 2021-22 signee on Thursday, when local golfer Rohit Madireddi signed his national letter of intent.
Madireddi, who hails from Flower Mound, will join the program next fall. He is ranked No. 136 in the national Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings, which is presented by Titleist.
Madireddi has put together a successful 2020 season on the junior golf circuit with four top-10 showings, including a T3 finish at the AJGA July Open.
"We are pumped to sign a solid player and excellent student in Rohit Madireddi," Stracke said. "He exemplifies the kind of student-athlete we are trying to attract at UNT."
We got better today. Welcome to the Mean Green Family, Rohit!https://t.co/1vLltPcVV4 pic.twitter.com/UTWAKJ8Bbm
— MeanGreenGolf (@MeanGreenGolf) November 12, 2020
The 2020-21 Mean Green Swimming & Diving class currently consists of Samantha Robles and Kaylyn King.
Join us in welcoming Samantha Robles to the #MeanGreen Family! ??#GMG | #MGSD pic.twitter.com/PeBa44FGhD
— Mean Green Swim and Dive (@MeanGreenSwim) November 12, 2020
Join us in welcoming Kaylyn King to the #MeanGreen Family! ??#GMG | #MGSD pic.twitter.com/dmttoLjaeX
— Mean Green Swim and Dive (@MeanGreenSwim) November 12, 2020
Soccer Adds Key Signees
DENTON — The 16-time conference champion North Texas soccer team who have won a Conference USA record eight league trophies in the last six years have announced the signing of three incoming student-athletes.
The Mean Green next season will add starting Vanderbilt goalkeeper Sarah Fuller (Wylie, Texas) as a graduate transfer, Central Texas defensive prep standout Jori Foote (Pflugerville, Texas) and FC Dallas academy goal-scorer Marina Vera (Denton, Texas).
In addition to the three signees, UNT will return next season current seniors Brooke Lampe, Berklee Peters and Elle Marie DeFrain for a fifth year.
SARAH FULLER
The senior has been a stud in goal for the Commodores who earlier this month were nationally ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Earlier this season, Fuller kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over No. 15 Georgia. She was later named the National Goalkeeper of the Week by TopDrawerSoccer. She also helped lead Vandy to a 2-1 overtime victory at Florida, a shutout victory at LSU and didn't allow a goal in over 300 minutes of playing time all against SEC opponents.
Along with her success on the field, Fuller has been a named SEC Academic Honor Roll three times and has been recognized for her work in the community.
Fuller will graduate in the spring from Vanderbilt with a degree in Medicine, Health and Society. She graduated from Wylie High School in 2017 and played club soccer with the D'Feeters ECNL for Hugh Bradford.
"A big part of our championship success at UNT has always been having a great keeper in goal for us throughout my time here," said head coach John Hedlund who is entering his 26th season and is the only head coach the Mean Green have ever had. "Sarah brings that presence with her experience as the starter for Vanderbilt this season and playing in the SEC. At 6-foot-1 she has the size, athletic ability and obviously the experience to dominate in goal and add to our eight championships in C-USA. We're excited to have Sarah for the next two years working on her master's degree here at UNT. Welcome home!"
JORI FOOTE
One of the most athletic center back recruits in all of Central Texas, incoming freshman Jori Foote helps the Mean Green firm up its stout backline. Hedlund, a former defender himself has always prided his championship teams on defense. Many of UNT's greatest soccer players have been defenders. Along with her athleticism, Foote has played for the highly competitive Lonstar Soccer Club. She's played in some of the biggest tournament's in the nation against some of the top competition.
Foote committed to the Mean Green early in the recruiting process. She chose UNT over UCLA, Texas and Oklahoma among several other programs.
"We're excited to have Jori a part of the Mean Green Family," Hedlund said. "Jori who was heavily recruited has tremendous speed and is an outstanding athlete that reads the game extremely well at the center back position. Her experience playing with the highly successful Lonestar Club out of Austin over the years will be immeasurable especially with her team consistently doing well at Nationals each year."
MARINA VERA
Another Denton product to play for the Mean Green, Marina Vera is an attacking forward and a goal scoring machine. Vera, who was born in Elko, Nevada, has vast experience playing at the club level for FC Dallas who are constantly ranked in the top 10 in the nation for every age group. She's also learned under the guidance of Mean Green soccer alum Mandy Hall at Guyer High School. Vera will join a Mean Green squad that is already one of the best in the region at scoring and returns all its forwards next season.
"Marina will give us that hard working blue collar mentality up front which our UNT teams are known for," Hedlund said. "She is very technical, presses the opposing back line and keepers extremely well and has a strong passion for the game. Marina's experience over the years with local top club FC Dallas should be very beneficial along with playing for Denton Guyer High School under former UNT alum Mandy Hall. We're excited to have Marina apart of the Mean Green Family!"
Welcome to winning tradition Sarah!
— Mean Green Soccer (@MeanGreenSoccer) November 13, 2020
? Starting SEC transfer
? @TopDrawerSoccer National GK of the Week
? 3x SEC Academic Honor Roll
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We're excited to welcome Jori to the winning tradition!
— Mean Green Soccer (@MeanGreenSoccer) November 13, 2020
? Highly recruited defender
? National champion competitor
? ATHLETE
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We're excited to welcome Marina to the winning tradition!
— Mean Green Soccer (@MeanGreenSoccer) November 13, 2020
? GOALS, GOALS, GOALS
? Top level club competitor
? Denton product
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