Clayton State women report for 2007 preseason soccer practice
Lakers return eight starters from last season’s 10-8 squad

MORROW, Ga. – August 5, 2007 – The quest for the Peach Belt Conference women’s soccer championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament started in earnest for the Clayton State Lakers on Sunday as head coach T.O. Totty welcomed 24 players to campus for preseason camp.

The Lakers spent most of Sunday checking in, going through team meetings, eligibility meetings with athletic director Mason Barfield and physicals. Clayton State will hold its first official practice on Monday.

Hopes are high for Clayton State in 2007. The Lakers return 10 letterwinners and eight starters from last season’s 10-8 team that finished 10-8 overall and 7-2 in the Peach Belt for third place.

Headlining the returning starters is senior forward Olaitan Yusuf. A two-time All-American and former Peach Belt Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year, Yusuf aims to return to the same form of her freshman and sophomore seasons in which she scored 35 and 21 goals, respectively. She was injured the first half of last season, but still managed seven goals and five assists in the final 10 games of the season.

Another returning starter is senior forward Yasemin Sunbul, who garnered All-Peach Belt honors last season with eight goals and two assists. The Laker defensive backline should be arguably the best in the Peach Belt with returning starters in seniors Jennifer Winslett and Loretta Ashu and juniors Bose Tanimola and Kyle Browning, while senior goalkeeper Lindsay Schmidt is coming off an improving season in which she recorded seven shutouts.

Junior Jennifer Powell is the Lakers’ “quarterback” in midfield. Off the bench, senior Lairin King and sophomore Verinique Cooper should see some impact minutes at midfield and forward, respectively.

Totty has brought in stellar recruiting class of 14 players, including three transfers from the NAIA level and three from the junior college level.

Junior defender Kimbaly Blackburn and midfielder Terisa Smith-Dack were teammates last season at Davenport College in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Smith-Dack was first team All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. Another NAIA transfer is sophomore midfielder Jeanne Jonis from Maine-Fort Kent.

Junior Whitney Jowers is one of two goalkeepers that come to Clayton State via the junior college ranks. Jowers transfers to the Lakers from Truett-McConnell, while fellow junior Kristin Cook comes to Clayton State from Gordon down in Barnesville, Ga. One of Cook’s teammates at Gordon, sophomore midfielder Caroline Falk joins the Lakers.

Florida prep standout Maggie Mueller headlines the eight freshmen that are new to the Laker fold this season.

Clayton State opens the 2007 season on Aug. 24 against Alabama-Huntsville at home.