SAN BERNARDINO --- Cal State San Bernardino will welcome Travis Clarke’s first women’s soccer recruiting class next fall and four have signed national letters of intent to play for the Coyotes.
Jillian Seminara, Jamie Council, Jasmine Bell and Carissa Kutkowski will join a CSUSB team that went 10-8-2 and 9-5-2 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play.
Seminara was a three-time All-State defender at Peal City (Hawaii) High and is currently the team’s leading scorer in the 2010 season. She plays at the club level for Leahi Premier Soccer Club that is coached by Michelle Nagamine, the head women’s soccer coach at Hawaii Pacific. Seminara is also a former member of the Hawaii ODP state team.
“We really enjoyed watching Jillian play over the past year in club,” said Clarke. “Jillian will be a great member of our team, athletic department and Inland Empire community as a whole. Athletically, we feel that Jillian will be an impact player in the CCAA quickly. She is a lock down defender with good size, speed and technical ability. Jillian comes to us from one of, if not the top, clubs in Hawaii.”
Council comes to CSUSB from Atascadero (Calif.) High and Katana Soccer Club out of Santa Maria, Calif. While at AHS, Jamie scored a staggering 81 goals in four years of varsity soccer. In addition to being named to the All-Pac 7 first team in 2006 and 2007, she was also named the league's Most Offensive Player both years. In 2008 she was named All-Pac 7 second team and has honed her skills in new ways as the field goal and place kicker for the Greyhounds’ football team as a senior.
Council fits the role of student-athlete, graduating AHS with a GPA above 4.0 and leadership experience as the president of her high school Earth Club.
“At 5-11, she adds much needed size and power to our roster,” said Clarke. “She has a strong left foot, is solid in the air, and proves dangerous as a goal-scorer anywhere inside of 30 yards. Once Jamie adapts to the level and speed of play at CSUSB and in the CCAA, she has the potential to leave a strong legacy on the program and the conference”
Bell scored two goals and dished out six assists as a 2008-09 junior for Steele Canyon High in El Cajon, Calif. The defender has five assists in her senior campaign, leading the Cougars to a 10-4-2 record in the 2009-10 season. Bell also played club for San Diego United.
“Jasmine is a student-athlete that will add much needed depth to our midfield and back line,” said Clarke. “She is a very technical player who we feel understands the game of soccer at a very high level. Her technical ability and athleticism will allow her to blend in right away with the level of talent we already have on campus. We are looking forward to having Jasmine add to the positive dynamic and overall level of our team.”
Kutkowski, a two-time Mt. Baldy League MVP and three-time all-league first team selection, has scored 78 career goals and still has the second half of the 2009-10 season to play. She scored 22 goals as a freshman and 26 as a junior, a school single-season record, receiving MVP honors in both seasons. She scored 20 goals as sophomore. Kutkowski was also a member of Arsenal FC,
“Carissa is a student athlete that we have been interested in for a long time,” said Clarke . “However, this did not just go one way. Carissa was a regular fan at most of our home games and did a great job in making sure that our coaching staff knew that CSUSB was the right school for her. She has good size, speed and athleticism and will help add depth to our midfield.”