LOGAN, Utah – Utah State head soccer coach Manny Martins has announced USU's 2023 recruiting class as the Aggies are set to welcome in 10 new student-athletes next season.
 
The Aggies signed six players from within the state of Utah while venturing to Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii and Washington to complete the 10-person class.
 
Starting in Utah, the Aggies welcome Summer Diamond from Bonneville High School. A native of Uintah, Utah, Diamond was a four-year letterwinner at midfielder and forward for the Lakers, scoring 27 goals alongside 18 assists across her career. She tallied 10 goals and three assists as a senior to lead her team to a 16-1 record and a region championship. Diamond was named second-team all-state as a freshman and first-team all-state as a sophomore and junior. During her time at Bonneville HS, Diamond helped lead her team to three consecutive region championships and the state semifinals in 2021.
 
"Summer is a very talented and intelligent midfielder with a knack for making those around her better," Martins said. "Her passing, dribbling and finishing ability, coupled with her industriousness, make her impactful in every phase of the game."
 
Diamond also played six years at the club level for the Utah Avalanche, winning the state and region title in 2022 and also reaching the national semifinals. She was named to the U17 Best XI at the US Youth Soccer National Championships in 2022. Diamond played three years for the Utah Olympic Development Program, winning the Region ODP title in 2019.
 
Defender Gracie East also joins the Aggies out of Bonneville HS. A native of South Ogden, Utah, East was a three-year letterwinner at center back for the Lakers, anchoring a defense that allowed only 31 goals across 36 matches during her junior and senior seasons. East added two goals and two assists in her career at Bonneville HS. She earned all-region first-team honors as a senior and second-team honors as a junior as she helped the Lakers to 16-1 and 16-3 records, respectively, and a trip to the state semifinals in 2022. East also played two years at the club level for the Utah Avalanche and spent six years with Gremio FC.
 
"Gracie's athleticism, bravery and toughness will immediately add depth to our center back position," Martins said. "Her individual defending, aerial presence and passing range will be welcomed assets to our back line."
 
Presley Ray will join Utah State out of American Fork High School. A four-year letterwinner at forward and wing for the Cavemen, Ray scored 13 goals with six assists during her senior season to lead her team to a 14-4 record and a trip to the quarterfinals of the state championships. A native of Highland, Utah, Ray was named first-team all-region and helped American Fork to a state title in 2019 and the state finals in 2020, while winning the region championship in both years.
 
At the club level, Ray played seven years for club team Celtic D5 GA, winning the state championship in 2021 and appearing in the Far West regionals in 2018 and 2021. Ray also played five years in the Utah Olympic Development Program.
 
"Presley is a strong and powerful forward who can impact games from wide areas, as well as centrally," Martins said. "Her competitive nature and scoring ability will add quality and variety to our forward line."
 
Abby Schofield will be joining USU from Syracuse High School. A native of West Point, Utah, Schofield was a four-year letterwinner at forward for the Titans, notching 40 goals and 40 assists across 47 games in her career. She was named first-team all-state as a junior after scoring 10 goals alongside 13 assists. Schofield also played club soccer for four years with 7 Elite, reaching the state finals in both 2021 and 2022.
 
Schofield was also an accomplished member of the track & field team at Syracuse HS, earning first-team all-state honors in both the long jump and in sprints.
 
"Abby is a very fast and skillful attacker that can threaten opposing back lines with her speed and her ability to break lines on the dribble," Martins said. "Abby's ability to score as well as create for others makes her a threat in any attacking position."
 
Solena Sellers, a two-year letterwinner at forward for Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah, will also be joining USU in 2023. Sellers scored 10 goals with three assists during her senior season to help the Knights to an 18-1 record, ranking as high as fourth in the nation, as the team advanced to the semifinals of the state championships. Sellers helped the team to region championships in both 2021 and 2022. She also graduated from Lone Peak HS with a 4.0 GPA.
 
At the club level, Sellers played seven years for club team Celtic D5 GA, winning the state championship in 2021 and appearing in the Far West regionals in 2017 and 2021.
 
"Solena is a very athletic and industrious forward with the ability to play anywhere in the front line," Martins said. "Her speed, aerial presence and quality on the ball will make her a triple threat in the Mountain West."
 
Elsewhere from Utah, USU welcomes Brooklyn Smith out of Murray High School to the 2023 squad. A native of South Jordan, Utah, Smith was a four-year letterwinner at wing and forward for the Spartans, tallying 26 goals and 17 assists during her career, including a 14-goal and six-assist campaign during her senior season.
 
At the club level, Smith played three years for the Blue Knights, scoring 24 goals and registering seven assists in her most recent year with the team. Smith helped the team to a YPL championship and an NPL finals appearance. Smith also played for club team Sparta in 2020.
 
"Brooklyn is a one-on-one artist with great ability to score goals," Martins said. "Her quality and composure in the final third makes her one of the most dangerous players in this class."
 
Utah State then ventured outside the state for its final quartet of signees, starting in Washington with Kate Christian. A native of Kennewick, Washington, Christian was a four-year letterwinner at wing and forward for Kamiakin High School, tallying 26 goals and 11 assists during her career. Christian earned first-team all-conference honors after her junior season and helped lead her team to runner-up finishes in the conference championships in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and state tournament appearances in 2019 and 2021.
 
At the club level, Christian played three years at Eastside, starting for the club in 2020 and 2021 and winning the 2022 Salt Cup championship in 2022. The club also appeared in the ECNL national playoffs in 2021 and 2022.
 
"Kate is a very good wide forward with crossing and finishing ability," Martins said. "She plays with great intensity and consistently impacts the game on both sides of the ball."
 
Shay Kercher-Pratt joins Utah State out of Legacy High School in Broomfield, Colorado. Rated as a four-star athlete by Top Drawer Soccer, Kercher-Pratt has tallied 67 saves across 17 games as a sophomore and junior with her senior season still to play in the spring. She was named second-team all-conference in 2021 and first-team all-conference in 2022.
 
Kercher-Pratt was invited to the U15 US National Team Training Center and has spent ample time in national team training centers since. She also played four years for club team Real Colorado and won the 2022 U17 ECNL national championship. Kercher-Pratt was also named State Cup MVP in 2018 and helped lead the club to three straight Desert Conference championships from 2017-19. She has played three years for the Colorado Olympic Development Program
 
"Shay is an athletic and brave goalkeeper that will immediately compete with our returning goalkeepers," Martins said, "taking an already very competitive position to a different level."
 
Kayla Sato joins USU out of Mililani High School in Mililani, Hawaii. Sato was a three-year letterwinner at outside back and midfielder for Mililani HS and helped lead her team to OIA Championships in 2020 and 2022. She was named to the OIA West All-Star team and also played for 10 years for club team Hawaii Rush, leading the team to the Surf Cup Super Black Finals.
 
"Kayla is a very athletic and technical outside back," Martins said, "with the versatility to play anywhere in wide areas. Kayla's individual defending and ability to use her skill and speed in attacking phases will immediately add to the strength and depth of the outside back position."
 
Kasie Vigil rounds out USU's 10-person signing class. A four-year letterwinner at outside back and forward for Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona, Vigil recorded three goals and 28 assists across 50 games during her first three seasons at Perry HS. Vigil helped lead her team to region championships from 2019-22, a state runner-up finish in 2022 and a state semifinal appearance in 2021, being named first-team all-CUSD and the team's defensive player of the year.
 
At the club level, Vigil played for club team SC del Sol in 2021-22, scoring one goal with seven assists and reaching the quarterfinals of the GA playoffs. She also played for the Arizona Olympic Development Program team from 2018-20, winning the ODP championship in 2019.
 
"Kasie will add speed, power and a 'front foot' mentality to our back line," Martins said. "She is a tough and smart defender, as well as a powerful and pacey attacker."
 
Utah State finished its 2022 campaign at 8-5-8 with a 5-3-3 mark in MW play. The Aggies reached the MW tournament for the second consecutive season, the first back-to-back postseason trips by the team since 2013-14. 
 
Fans can follow the Aggie soccer program on Twitter, @USUSoccer, on Facebook at /USUSoccer and on Instagram, @USUSoccer. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
 
Utah State Soccer 2023 Signing Class
 
Kate Christian – Wing/Forward – Kennewick, Washington / Kamiakin HS
Summer Diamond – Midfielder/Forward – Uintah, Utah / Bonneville HS
Gracie East – Center Back – South Ogden, Utah / Bonneville HS
Shay Kercher-Pratt – Goalkeeper – Broomfield, Colorado / Legacy HS
Presley Ray – Forward/Wing – Highland, Utah / American Fork HS
Kayla Sato – Defender/Midfielder – Mililani, Hawaii / Mililani HS
Abby Schofield – Forward – West Point, Utah / Syracuse HS
Solena Sellers – Forward – Highland, Utah / Lone Peak HS
Brooklyn Smith – Wing/Forward – South Jordan, Utah / Murray HS
Kasie Vigil – Outside Back/Forward – Gilbert, Arizona / Perry HS
 
 - USU -