Cincinnati, Ohio – February 6, 2014: Three St. Ursula Academy seniors participated in a national letter of intent signing ceremony on Thursday, February 6, 2014.
· Maddie Huster of Madeira, daughter of Steve and Laura Huster, has committed to play Division I soccer at Wake Forest University.
· Megan Niebuhr of Anderson Twp., daughter of Jeff and Jeannie Niebuhr, has committed to play soccer at Division I Ohio University.
· Darby Schwarz of Hyde Park, daughter of Doug and Judy Schwarz, has committed to play Division I soccer at the University of Louisville.
Maddie Huster will play soccer in the fall at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Maddie played soccer for St. Ursula during all four years, starting on the J.V. Team as a freshman and playing Varsity as a sophomore, junior and senior.
She has earned several soccer honors. In the GGCL, She made 2nd Team GGCL as a sophomore, 1st Team GGCL and All Academic Scholar as a junior, and as a senior made 1st Team GGCL and was named GGCL Player of the Year!
As a junior, Maddie was named 1st Team All City, First Team all Southwest Ohio Conference (SWOC), and Southwest Ohio Conference (SWOC) Academic Scholar. As a senior, she was named 1st Team All City, First Team all Southwest Ohio Conference (SWOC), Southwest Ohio Conference (SWOC) All Star MVP, and First Team All State. She also was selected to play in the High School All-American Game.
Some other notable honors: Maddie was a member of the US Women’s National Team U18 Player Pool, she was invited to The Chance 2012 , was selected for the Sanford All Event Team 2013 and the PDA All Event Team 2011 and 2013, and she was invited to the Toledo Player Development Program and the Michigan Player Development Program.
Maddie is equally successful in school! She earned first honors in every quarter during her four years, is a National Honor Society member and a member of the Latin Honor Society.
In addition, she volunteers at the Bethany House and St. Margaret’s Hall and is a Peer Advisory Leader (PAL) at St. Ursula.
St. Ursula soccer coach, Becky Evans, had this to say about Maddie, “Maddie was the motor of this team. She possesses amazing skill & vision of the field. Opponents did everything they could to shut her down, yet she'd always find a way to create opportunities for herself & teammates.”
SUA Coach Jim Calder said, “Maddie Huster was the heart of the team for the past ftwo years at SUA. When she was relaxed and played well the team was very successful. Maddie is so talented and crafty with the ball at her feet. She can deceive anyone on the field. She has the best work ethic I have seen in a long time at practice and in games. She will be a tremendous asset to Wake Forest."
Her Ohio Elite Club coach, Tim Lesiak, also had high praise. “Maddie is one of the most driven and dedicated players I've ever worked with. The intensity that she brings to every practice and game is contagious, and she will go down as one of the greatest players to ever wear the Ohio Elite Crest. Wake Forest University is lucky to land such a quality individual and I look forward to seeing her success at the next level.”
Megan Niebuhr will play soccer in the fall at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
Megan played Varsity soccer at St. Ursula as a sophomore, junior and senior.
She can claim many awards and accomplishments. In the Girls Greater Catholic League, Megan he made 1st Team GGCL in 2011 and 2013.
She was named All City/Southwest Ohio in 2011, First Team All City/Southwest Ohio in 2013 and selected for the Senior All Star Game in 2013.
As a Club player, she was named to the Elite Clubs National League All Event Team (ENCL) in 2010. Her Ohio Elite team was State Cup Champion in 2010 and 2011. She also participated in the ECNL Player Development Program in 2012 and 2014.
In addition to playing soccer, Megan is very involved at St. Ursula. She represents the school as a Student Ambassador, is a member of the Girls Athletic Association (GAA) and Students for Advancement (SFA), and she is a member of the Latin Honor Society.
St. Ursula Varsity soccer coach, Becky Evans, had this to say about Megan. “Megan Niebuhr proved to be one of the leaders on and off the field this past year. She was a dominant threat in the midfield-winning every ball in the air. Megan combined with other players to get our offense going. She was most dangerous in the box on corner kicks where teams were never successful in keeping her contained.”
St. Ursula soccer coach, Jim Calder, said this, “Megan Niebuhr was a great asset to the SUA midfield. Her strength and her presence shut down most attacks down the middle of the field. She won every header that came in the area offensively and defensively. She will make an impact early at Ohio University."
Her Ohio Elite Club coach, Tim Lesiak, had this to say about her. “Megan is the epitome of the "Total Package". She has size and strength, exceptional technical ability, great soccer intelligence and a competitive attitude that is second to none. It's been a pleasure to coach and watch Megan develop since she came to Ohio Elite at 9 years old. She is a proven leader and will dominate at the next level at Ohio University.”
Darby Schwarz will play soccer in the fall at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Darby played soccer at St. Ursula all four years. She played on the JV team as a freshman and was pulled up for the tournament. She played on the Varsity Team as a sophomore, junior and senior.
Darby was named to the All GGCL Second Team in 2012 and to the All GGCL First Team in 2013. She was invited to the 2012 Nike "The Chance" Finals, the 2013 Nike Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) id² National Training Camp. She and her club team came in 6th place nationally in the ECNL, and played on the state championship team in 2010 and 2011.
At St. Ursula, Darby is a very strong student as well! She was an Academic All Honors student all four years, earned Magna Cum Laude on the National Latin exam and was a member of the National Honor Society in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
She represents the school as a Student Ambassador, volunteers as a PAL (Peer Assisted Leader), is a member of the In School Service Events organization (ISSE), was Canned Food Drive Leader during her junior and senior year, is a member of the Catholic Social Teaching Action Team (CSTAT), and the SUA Ski Club.
St. Ursula soccer coach, Becky Evans, had this to say, “Darby is a hard-nosed player with an endless work rate. She was a brick wall for our defense by proving to be one of our most reliable defenders. I could put her anywhere on the field and she'd be an offensive threat.”
She added about all three girls signing today, “Even though our opponents will be relieved to see these three players go, they will be truly missed by their teammates & coaching staff. I wish them all the best as they continue their career as a collegiate athlete.”
St. Ursula soccer coach, Jim Calder, said this about Darby, “Darby Schwarz was the quiet leader on the team. She led by example and was very fun to watch play the game. She is very talented and has great composure when she has the ball in traffic. She shut down any attack that came from the right side and was a huge part of SUA’s success over the last 2 years. I am sure she will make an immediate impact at the University of Louisville next year.”
Her Ohio Elite Club coach, Tim Lesiak, had this to say. "Darby is one of the most consistent and dependable players we've ever had at Ohio Elite. Her technical ability is exceptional which allows her to be an attacking threat from the back. She's a cerebral, competitive individual which will allow her to effectively transition to the college game. We are very proud of Darby at Ohio Elite and know she will have a great career as a Louisville Cardinal."
Congratulations!
To learn more about St. Ursula Academy and its athletic programs, please visit www.saintursula.org.
St. Ursula Academy is a Catholic, college-preparatory, secondary school for young women known for academic excellence and rich tradition. St. Ursula welcomes students from more than 70 grade schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. In 2002 the Academy was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has been the home of St. Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. 93% of the class of 2011 earned college scholarships totaling more than $28.3-million.