May 8, 2009

Huntingdon Women’s Soccer Announces First Six Commitments For 2009 Season

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Under the direction of first-year head coach Wes Anania, the Huntingdon women’s soccer program has announced that six prep players have completed their intent to enroll paperwork and have committed to play soccer for the Lady Hawks next season.

Jenny Burnash, Molly Crossno, Paige Lathem, Amelia Markham, Chelsea Tabor and Renee Tatom have been accepted to Huntingdon College and will wear the scarlet and white for the Lady Hawks in the fall of 2009.

“I am looking forward to these girls coming in and helping build this program from the ground up,” Anania said. “They will help solidify the foundation for the next four years and help get the Huntingdon College women’s soccer program to where we all want it to be.”

Burnash prepped at Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Ala., where she played for head coach Malcolm Colbert. A goalkeeper, she also played two seasons with the Alabama Alliance Soccer Club for coach Katie Knight. The daughter of Joseph and Linda Burnash, she plans to major in pre-med at Huntingdon.

A native of Estill Springs, Tenn., Crossno played both defender and sweeper for head coach Jeff Prestwich at Tullahoma High School. During her career with the Wildcats, Crossno earned second-team all-district honors and was named the 2008 Defender of the Year. She was also awarded the Wildcats’ Junior Varsity Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. In addition to her standout prep career, Crossno also played four seasons for the Camp Forest Football Club, helping the team to the 2007 Division II State Championship. Crossno is the daughter of Glyn and Dawn Crossno and plans to major in biology.

Lathem, a three-time All-Baldwin County selection, enjoyed a standout prep career at Daphne High School, where she played defender for head coach Rick Andrew. She was also an all-metro selection as a sophomore and earned the Alabama All-Star Sports Player of the Week during her junior season. Along with her tenure with the Trojans, Lathem also played five seasons of club soccer with the Port City Futbol Club and the Blast Soccer Club. A recipient of the prestigious Walter D. Bellingrath Scholarship, Lathem is planning to major in chemistry and is the daughter of Walter and Rose Lathem.

The second goalkeeper in the class, Markham was a standout both on the soccer field and in the classroom at Fort Walton Beach High School. A native of Destin, Fla., Markham was a two-time member of the Fort Walton Beach Daily News All-Area team and was selected to the Pensacola All-Sports Association’s All-Star team after her senior season. The daughter of Eva Markham, she plans to major in youth ministry at Huntingdon and will graduate high school Magna Cum Laude, after recording a cumulative grade point average of 4.3. She also was selected Who’s Who Among American High School Students on four occasions and earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award as a senior.

Tabor, whose older brother Matt will be a senior on the Huntingdon men’s soccer team, played both midfield and striker at Fairhope High School. A member of the Lakeshore Shootout All-Tournament team in 2006 and a Battle of the Bay participant in 2007, the Fairhope native is the daughter of Jim and Amy Tabor. Upon her arrival to Huntingdon, she plans to major in history education.

The lone member of the class not from the Southeast, Tatom is from Post Falls, Idaho and was a four-year letterwinner at Post Falls High School. A team captain as a senior, Tatom also earned honorable mention All-North Idaho Empire League honors following her final season after playing both center midfield and forward. She was also named a Post Falls Scholar Athlete and U.S. Presidents National Scholar Athlete. In addition to her prep career, Tatom also played nine years of club soccer for three different teams. She is the daughter of Doug and Tina Tatom and plans to major in either education or nursing at Huntingdon.

Last season, the Lady Hawks finished with a 2-16 overall record and finished seventh in the Great South Athletic Conference.