Nov. 14, 2002

Men's Basketball

Stuart Creason, a seven-foot, 250-pound center from Coppell, Tex., will enroll at Colorado State for the fall semester of 2003-04. Creason plays for one of the top prep programs in the state of Texas at Coppell High in suburban Dallas. He was a double-figurer scorer who also averaged 4.5 blocked shots per game last season.

"Stuart is a very talented student-athlete who will make an outstanding contribution to our program," said Layer.

"He is an outstanding competitor who works very hard every day, whether he is on the court or in the classroom. I know that he will bring that same work ethic into our program."

"Stuart will fit in well with the student-athletes on our team and help us reach the goals we've set for success in our program."

Creason earned all-district honors last season as a junior at Coppell when he averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per game. Creason joins fellow Texas natives Stephen Verwers (Weatherford) and Phillip Thomasson (Burleson) to comprise the Rams' 2003-04 early signing period recruiting class.

The trio forms what is arguably among the finest recruiting classes in school history. Several publications and basketball websites have listed the three-member recruiting group among the top 35 classes in the country.

Since Layer took over control of the program three seasons ago, eight student-athletes who played either high school or junior college basketball in the state of Texas are currently on the team (five) or will enroll next year (3).

Phillip Thomasson, regarded as one of the top prep players in the nation, is a six-foot, seven-inch, 215-pound forward from Burleson, Tex., will enroll at Colorado State for the fall semester of 2003-04. Thomasson enters his final season at Burleson High having averaged in 21 points and eight rebounds per game last season as a junior. He is a four-year starter and letterwinner who earned second-team all-state honors in 2001 as a junior.

"Phillip is an exceptional player and we are thrilled that he is joining our program. Not only he is a tremendous player, but he is an even better individual," said Layer.

"We have had the good fortune during the past three years at Colorado State to attract outstanding student-athletes who have had an impact both athletically and academically on our basketball program.

"Phillip is another one of those individuals. I believe that he will impress everyone associated with our program not only with his outstanding basketball ability, but with his work ethic, dedication, and willingness to improve on the court and in the classroom on a daily basis.

We are thrilled to have a player of Phillip's stature joining our program. He will fit in well with the student-athletes in our program and help us reach the goals we've set for success in our program."

Thomasson is one of the most highly regarded players to ever join Colorado State's men's basketball program. He was also recruited by Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

With an ability to play either forward position, he was rated the fourth best player in the state of Texas by Mike Kunstadt's TEXAS BASKETBALL REVIEW, and was listed as the 10th best prospect in the Southeast region by the Ron Briscoe regional report. Thomasson was also listed among the top 90 players nationally by FoxSports.com.

Stephen Verwers, regarded as one of the finest prep players in the nation, signed a national letter of intent to enroll at Colorado State University. Verwers, a six-foot, 10-inch, 225-pound front line player from Weatherford, Tex., will enroll at Colorado State for the fall semester of 2003-04. Verwers has played from the Weatherford Express, and independent home school team in Parker County.

He averaged 15 points and nine rebounds plus three blocked shots last year. "Stephen is one of the most talented players in the nation," said Layer. "He is an outstanding student-athlete who brings a high level of skill to our program. He will be a force inside for our program for many years to come." "He has a tremendous work ethic. Stephen is an individual who each day in class and on the court works extremely hard to improve. He will be a tremendous asset to our men's basketball program."

"Stephen will fit in well with the student-athletes on our team and help us reach the goals we've set for success in our program."

Verwers is one of the most highly regarded players to ever join Colorado State's men's basketball program. He was also recruited by Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and TCU.

He was rated the ninth best player in the state of Texas by Mike Kunstadt's TEXAS BASKETBALL REVIEW, and was listed among the top 85 senior players nationally by theinsidershoops.com.

Women's Basketball

Sara Brown is a 5-10 guard from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., and will enroll at Colorado State for the 2003-04 fall semester. Brown is a four-time all-league selection in the South Coast League and is a four year starter on the varsity team at San Clemente High School. She has been named to the All-State team the last two seasons and was Adidas All-American in both 2001 and 2002.

"Sara comes from a high profile high school team that has enjoyed tremendous success in the state of California," said Denker. "She also plays on a high profile summer team so to get a player of her ability over the competition is huge for us."

Brown chose Colorado State over Virginia, UC Santa Barbara, New Mexico, Oregon and Arizona and is ranked 18th in the nation among guards according to the All-Star Girls Report.

"As a player, she brings to us tremendous versatility," Denker added. "She has played both guard positions with good size. She can score and will be looked upon to be a key defender in her four years with us. Sara is a gym rat that loves the game of basketball and will work tirelessly to make herself better. She was the first commitment for us and she is a great fit for what we want to do."

Marilyn Moulton, a 6-4 center from Longmont, Colo., will also enroll for the fall semester at CSU. A very highly recruited player, Moulton averaged a double-double in points and rebounds her junior season averaging right around 12 in both categories.

Moulton was an Adidas All American this past summer and was a first-team All-Northern Conference selection last season. According to the All-Star Girls Report, Moulton ranks 25th among centers in the nation.

"It was our goal and will remain our goal to sign the best players in Colorado every year and with the signing of Moulton and O'Dwyer we are well on our way to accomplishing that goal," said Denker. "Marilyn has good size, good hands, runs the floor well and is an aggressive post player that we think can be a good defender and rebounder and will develop into a solid scorer in her time here."

She was also recruited by San Diego State, San Diego, Oregon State, Massachusetts and Denver.

Molly Nohr is a 5-11 point guard from Miramonte High School in Moraga, Calif., and will join the Rams for the fall semester of 2003-04. Nohr led her team to the state championship game last season and was named to the Alameda Newspaper Group First Team, the All-Contra-Costa Times Second Team and the All-Metro Girls Team (by the San Francisco Chronicle) Third Team.

"We are very excited to have Molly," Denker said. "She has great size for a point guard although we expect to move her to a 2 or 3 at the college level. Molly runs the court extremely well and can finish on the break. She is also very good off the dribble. She led her team as a junior to the state final which shows her leadership ability. Her team has been tremendously successful and we expect her to bring that desire to win with her."

Nohr will come to Colorado State after also being recruited by Santa Clara, San Francisco, St. Mary's and California.

Kylee O'Dwyer, a 6-2 guard/forward from Limon, Colo., will enroll at Colorado State for the fall semester of 2003-04. O'Dwyer was the Class 2A state player of the year last season for Limon High School after leading the team to a 26-0 record and the state title and she is currently a McDonalds All-American finalist. She averaged 13.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists during her junior year.

"Kylee has played every position on the floor and has done all with success," said Denker. "She is the point guard on her high school team and can really shoot the three-pointer. She also has the ability to score inside with both her right and left hands and is an extremely good passer. We will probably have her play the three or four for us which will really help us on the boards. She knows everyone's position on the floor and is very multifaceted."

O'Dwyer also plays volleyball and runs track at Limon and has spent all four years on the Superintendent's Honor Roll. As a junior, O'Dwyer was the point guard, but she has seen a lot of action at both the power forward and small forward positions. She chooses Colorado State over New Mexico, Oklahoma State and Northwestern and is the 35th best power forward in the country according to the All Star Girls Report.

Annika Walseth, a 6-1 guard from Bloomington, Minn., will enroll at Colorado State for the fall semester in 2003-04. Walseth also plays soccer and runs track at Thomas Jefferson High School and was the offensive MVP of the team last year. Walseth played on the same club team as former Ram standout Heather Haanen and the team also produced WNBA and Georgia phenoms Coco and Kelly Miller. Walseth is the younger sister of current Washington Mystics player and former Penn State standout Maren Walseth.

"Annika is a very talented athlete with good size," Denker said. "She is very hand-skilled, shoots the three very well is a good defender, runs the floor extremely well and has great court sense. I really think her best years are ahead of her. She has played a lot of sports and has never really concentrated solely on basketball and we expect her to be very dynamic once she does." Walseth was listed among the top 100 power forwards by the All-Star Girls Report but has been predominantly a guard throughout her career. She chose Colorado State over George Washington, DePaul, Drake and San Francisco.

Men's Golf

Todd Sapiro, a recent addition to Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., will join the CSU men's golf team during the fall semester of the 2002-03 academic year. Sapiro moved to Chandler from Adrian, Mich., where he was also a standout on the boy's hockey team at Adrian High School.

"We're very excited to have Todd joining our team," Bermel said. "He is very athletic and he will have an immediate impact on our team."

Sapiro is ranked 114th in the nation in the GolfWeek/Sagrin ratings among boys at the juniors level.

Women's Tennis

Charity Malone, a recent addition to Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo., will join the CSU women's tennis program during the fall semester of the 2002-03 year.

"Charity is one of the top players in the Intermountain region with national experience," stated Messick. "She brings to the Rams a great work ethic and competitive background. She has excellent variety in her game with an above average serve and the ability to attack both from the baseline and at the net."

Malone won the state tournament for Briarwood Christian High School in Alabama during her sophomore year prior to moving to Colorado. She should have an immediate impact on the team and Messick is looking for her to help take the team to the next level.

Women's Track and Field

Megan Fox from Fort Collins High School is one of the top sprinters in the state and will join the women's track team during the fall semester in 2002-03.

Fox won the 5A state title in the 400 meters in 2001 as a sophomore and was the runner up last season. As a junior, she also placed third in the 100 meters and fourth in the 200 meters. She was named an Honorable Mention All-State selection last season.

Emily McGregor and twin sister Valerie McGregor from Tucson, Ariz. and Marana Mountain View High School have both signed letters of intent with Colorado State and will enter in the fall of 2002. Valerie won the state title for cross country earlier this season at the 5A level while Emily placed third. During last season's state championship, Emily was third in the 1600 meters and was the runner-up in the 3200 meters, while Valerie was fourth in the 1600 meters.

Megan Trotter from Central High School in Rapid City, S.D. will join the track team after winning both the 100 and 200 meter races at the AA level in South Dakota and is part of the state record holding 4 x 200 Meter Relay team from 1999. Trotter was a two-time recipient of the Will Robinson Award for outstanding girl athlete at the Pierre Legion Relays. She ran a 12.17 in the 100 meters to set the state record for the prestigious meet.

Rebekah Yetzer from Lakeville High School in Lakeville, Minn. will also enroll at Colorado State in the fall of 2002 to compete in track. Yetzer placed third in the 1600 meters at last season's AA State Championship.

Volleyball

Kristen Karlik, a 5-7 standout on the Rampart High School volleyball team in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the winner of the 2001 and 2002 17 and under USA Volleyball Beach Championships with partner Brittney Ray will enroll at Colorado State for the fall semester of the 2003-04 academic year.

"Kristen is a great all-around player," Hilbert said. "She is one of the most dynamic smaller players I've seen. She can play right side, left side, setter or libero, defensive specialist. We think she is a perfect fit and she'll be an immediate impact as a role player in the back row position and we will train her as a setter once she arrives."

Karlik was named the tournament MVP at the Arapahoe High School tournament the last three seasons, where they defeated current state champion Smoky Hill earlier this season to win the title. She was also named to the All-Region USVBA team in the 17-under category in 2001 and was named an All-American at indoor nationals for the 17-under age division with the Pikes Peak Club Team. Rampart was recently ranked 10th among high school volleyball teams according to studentsports.com.