Women's Basketball

June 4, 2009

Women's Basketball Announces Five Recruits For The Class Of 2013


COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College women's basketball coach Jen Niebling has announced that five incoming students have committed to Saint Michael's and will join the Purple Knights beginning in August 2009. The Class of 2013 includes: forward Nicole Adach (Schenectady, N.Y./Mohonasen); post player Kayla Carnell (Burlington, Mass./Burlington); forward Nicole Lawton (Saint Albans, Vt./Bellows Free Academy-Saint Albans); guard Julia Moorehead (Chatham, N.J./Chatham); and guard Megan Olsen (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central).

"This class brings a strong mix of size, speed and athleticism. All of these student-athletes come from successful programs, at both the high school and AAU levels," said Niebling, who begins her seventh season at the helm of the Purple Knights this fall. "In addition, they are exceptional students who will represent Saint Michael's very well in the classroom. They are each as excited as us coaches are to be a part of the Saint Michael's family."

Adach, a six-foot forward, had a standout career at Mohonasen High School in Rotterdam, N.Y. She finished her career second in school history with 1,106 career points, and led the team as a senior captain with 14 points and 12 rebounds per game. She guided Mohonasen to its second-ever Sectional championship, and first Regional title, as the team advanced to the state semifinals and finished with a 22-3 record. She was a News Channel 13 All-Star, and earned Suburban Council All-Conference First Team honors as well. She also earned First Team honors from both the Schenectady Daily Gazette and the Albany Times Union, and was a Second Team All-State selection by the New York State (NYS) Sportswriters Association. She was the NYS Section 2 Class A Tournament Most Valuable Player as a senior, and also earned All-Tournament Team honors in the NYS Public Athletic Association Championship.

Carnell, a six-foot-one-inch forward, had a successful career in both basketball and volleyball at Burlington (Mass.) High School. She captained both squads as a senior, earning Middlesex League All-Star honors in both sports as a senior. In basketball, Carnell was named to the Lowell Sun All-Star Team as a senior, and was a Boston Globe All-Scholastic player as well. An exemplary student as well, Carnell was a member of her high school's student government, and has been active in campaigns regarding smoking and alcohol education. An active volunteer, she has participated in Relay for Life, has completed a summer on a mission trip to West Virginia, and has worked at Camp Paul in Chelmsford, teaching physical education classes to special needs children.

Lawton, a six-foot-two-inch forward, has been one of Vermont's top post players throughout her four-year career. She led BFA-Saint Albans to the Division I state championship game as a senior, as was named to the First Team by the Vermont Basketball Coaches' Association (VBCA). A two-time Burlington Free Press All-State Second Team selection and a three-time Metro Division All-Conference First Team selection, Lawton was three times named to the VBCA's "Dream Dozen" Team. She averaged 13.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and six blocks per games as a senior, and will be representing the state in the 2009 Merchants Bank Rotary Twin State Basketball Classic, to be played on July 11 at the University of Vermont.

Moorehead, a five-foot-four-inch point guard, had a successful four-year career at Chatham High School. Despite suffering a season-ending knee injury this past January, she captained Chatham to a New Jersey sectional championship, and just the second state finals appearance in program history, as the team finished with a 27-4 record. She is the school's all-time leader in assists and steals, and was Chatham's Most Valuable Player as a junior as the team went 22-5 that season. As a junior, she was named to the Morris County Coaches Association team, the Iron Hills Conference – Hills Division First Team, the Daily Record All-Area First Team, and the Star Ledger All-Morris County Second Team.

Olsen, a 5-foot-10-inch guard, was a standout in both basketball and soccer at Bethlehem Central High School in Delmar, N.Y. The Section II Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a senior, she finished her illustrious basketball career with 1,023 points, and co-captained her team to the Section II Class AA championship in March. Like Adach, Olsen was a News Channel 13 All-Star, and twice earned First Team honors from both the Schenectady Daily Gazette and the Albany Times Union. The Suburban Council Player of the Year as a senior and two-time First Team pick, Olsen was the NYS Section 2 Class AA Tournament Most Valuable Player as a senior. Also expected to play soccer at Saint Michael's, Olsen led the BCHS soccer team to the Section II Class AA Championship as a sophomore and senior, earning recognition from the Times Union and the Troy Record.

Saint Michael's went 14-13 in 2008-09 under Niebling, the program's second winning season in the last four years, including 11-11 in the highly-competitive Northeast-10 Conference.

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