Rutgers women's lacrosse has signed seven student-athletes to National Letters of Intent (NLI) to join the program in 2018, announced Tuesday by head coach Laura Brand-Sias. The class consists of five New Jersey natives, one Pennsylvania product, and one signee from Canada.
"We are really excited about this class," Brand-Sias said. "It's a great mix of talent and a good representation of the growth of our recruiting with our first international student. Each student-athlete represents core values that we feel are important. That coupled with their strengths on the field promises many years of pride for our program."
Kameron Halsall
Goalie | 5-8
Caledon, Ontario, Canada | The Hill Academy
Prior to Rutgers: Three-year letterwinner at The Hill Academy ... first joined lacrosse as an attacker then switched to goalie due to an injury ... one of 25 players named to the Canada 2017 FIL Women's Lacrosse World Cup roster ... started for the Canada U-19 Team that won a world championship ... won the Defensive Player of the Year Award at The Hill Academy her sophomore and senior years ... was the captain of the Mayfield Secondary School hockey team her freshman year ... also played basketball her freshman year ... graduated high school with honors.
Personal: Daughter of Jacqueline and David Halsall ... has three siblings named Jeffrey, Jordan and Jayden.
Hannah Hollingsworth
Attack | 5-4
Martinsville, New Jersey | Bridgewater-Raritan
Prior to Rutgers: Bridgewater-Raritan High School four-year varsity lacrosse letterwinner... Somerset County Champion in 2015 and 2016 ... has 152 career goals and 171 assists ... named to 2016 NJSIAA All-State Third Team, 2016 NJSIAA Group IV Second Team ... placed on 2014-2016 All-Skyland Conference First Teams and 2015 and 2016 All-Courier Teams ... chosen to 2015 NJSIAA Group IV 1st Team ... also played field hockey her freshman year ... two-time honor roll and 2015-16 high honor roll student.
Personal: Daughter of Marvin G. and Patricia Hollingsworth ... her father, Marvin G. and brother, Ryan, played lacrosse at Rutgers from 1986-1990 and 2012-2016, respectively... her parents and brother are all Rutgers graduates.
Jacquelyn Jester
Midfield | 5-4
North Wales, Pennsylvania | Lansdale Catholic
Prior to Rutgers: Four-year letterwinner at Lansdale Catholic ... named team captain her sophomore year ... has 236 career goals ... played for U-15 Elite Team ...selected to first team all-Catholic her first three years ... made all-area team her sophomore and junior years ... Team MVP in her first three seasons ... selected by all-area committee as a top-five player to watch her junior year... also played varsity basketball her freshman and sophomore years.
Personal: Daughter of Karen and Joe Jester... has two older siblings named Michael and Kristi.
Julia Lytle
Midfield | 5-3
Martinsville, New Jersey | Bridgewater-Raritan
Prior to Rutgers: Four-year varsity lacrosse starter at Bridgewater-Raritan High School ... has 58 career goals and 34 assists ... named second team all-county her sophomore year ... selected to first team all-county as a junior ... played varsity soccer for three seasons, also serving as captain ... achieved high honor roll and honor roll status academically.
Personal: Daughter of Carole Lytle ... her mother, Carole, graduated from Rutgers Pharmacy School ... her sister, Dana Lytle, played soccer at University at Buffalo for four years.
Taralyn Naslonski
Midfield | 5-5
Randolph, New Jersey | Randolph
Prior to Rutgers: Two-year lacrosse letterwinner and captain at Randolph High School ... led team in points in each of the last two seasons, accumulating 140 goals and 59 assists for 199 points in that span ... named first team all-conference twice ... first team all-county honoree as a junior ... twice named Second Team All-Daily Record ... tallied the highest point total in the state as a sophomore and broke Randolph's all-time scoring record ... also a star field hockey player, earning first team all-county and all-conference honors multiple times ... owns the Randolph all-time scoring record in field hokey as well ... three-year letterwinner with the field hockey team.
Personal: Daughter of John and Teri ... has two brothers, Preston and Kurtis ... her father, John, played lacrosse at Rutgers (1982-85), while her mother, Teri, cheered for the Scarlet Knights (1983-86) ... both her brothers played Division I lacrosse ... Kurtis is currently on the Villanova men's lacrosse team ... Preston played at Virginia Tech from 2011-14.
Dana Pena
Midfield | 5-4
Verona, New Jersey | Verona
Prior to Rutgers: Played lacrosse at Verona High School ... has 109 career goals and 28 assists through three seasons ... posted 62 goals and 11 assists for 73 points as a junior ... named first team all-conference and First Team American Division twice ... named to First Team All-Super Essex Conference and First Team All-Essex County Tournament ... All-League Freedom Central and Second Team All-League Freedom Central Honorable Mention ... played on the 2017 Black Tristate All Stars.
Personal: Daughter of Mary-Jo and Joseph Pena ... has two older siblings named Anthony and Nicole.
Catherine Perkins
Midfield | 5-7
Readington, New Jersey | Hunterdon Central
Prior to Rutgers: Four-year letterwinner at Hunterdon Central High School ... led team to consecutive county titles in 2016 and 2015 while setting the school record for assists in both those seasons ... totaled 108 points as a junior and 82 as a sophomore ... two-time All-Skyland Conference First Team selection and one-time second team pick ... named Courier News First Team All-Area in 2016 ... a third team all-group three honoree ... three-year scholar athlete award winner ... also a four-year basketball letterwinner ... two-time team defensive player of the year and two-time state sectional title finalist.
Personal: Daughter of Trisha Koch Perkins and Matt Perkins ... has three brothers: Matt, Michael, and Tim ... her brother, Matt, plays football at Gettysburg ... has multiple relatives that played sports collegiately, including her cousin Leslie Koch who played lacrosse at Vanderbilt, her cousin Brendan Connolly who played lacrosse at Marquette, her cousin Bridgett Connelly who played lacrosse at Albright, and her cousin Allison Koch who lettered in lacrosse.
"We are really excited about this class," Brand-Sias said. "It's a great mix of talent and a good representation of the growth of our recruiting with our first international student. Each student-athlete represents core values that we feel are important. That coupled with their strengths on the field promises many years of pride for our program."
Kameron Halsall
Goalie | 5-8
Caledon, Ontario, Canada | The Hill Academy
Prior to Rutgers: Three-year letterwinner at The Hill Academy ... first joined lacrosse as an attacker then switched to goalie due to an injury ... one of 25 players named to the Canada 2017 FIL Women's Lacrosse World Cup roster ... started for the Canada U-19 Team that won a world championship ... won the Defensive Player of the Year Award at The Hill Academy her sophomore and senior years ... was the captain of the Mayfield Secondary School hockey team her freshman year ... also played basketball her freshman year ... graduated high school with honors.
Personal: Daughter of Jacqueline and David Halsall ... has three siblings named Jeffrey, Jordan and Jayden.
Hannah Hollingsworth
Attack | 5-4
Martinsville, New Jersey | Bridgewater-Raritan
Prior to Rutgers: Bridgewater-Raritan High School four-year varsity lacrosse letterwinner... Somerset County Champion in 2015 and 2016 ... has 152 career goals and 171 assists ... named to 2016 NJSIAA All-State Third Team, 2016 NJSIAA Group IV Second Team ... placed on 2014-2016 All-Skyland Conference First Teams and 2015 and 2016 All-Courier Teams ... chosen to 2015 NJSIAA Group IV 1st Team ... also played field hockey her freshman year ... two-time honor roll and 2015-16 high honor roll student.
Personal: Daughter of Marvin G. and Patricia Hollingsworth ... her father, Marvin G. and brother, Ryan, played lacrosse at Rutgers from 1986-1990 and 2012-2016, respectively... her parents and brother are all Rutgers graduates.
Jacquelyn Jester
Midfield | 5-4
North Wales, Pennsylvania | Lansdale Catholic
Prior to Rutgers: Four-year letterwinner at Lansdale Catholic ... named team captain her sophomore year ... has 236 career goals ... played for U-15 Elite Team ...selected to first team all-Catholic her first three years ... made all-area team her sophomore and junior years ... Team MVP in her first three seasons ... selected by all-area committee as a top-five player to watch her junior year... also played varsity basketball her freshman and sophomore years.
Personal: Daughter of Karen and Joe Jester... has two older siblings named Michael and Kristi.
Julia Lytle
Midfield | 5-3
Martinsville, New Jersey | Bridgewater-Raritan
Prior to Rutgers: Four-year varsity lacrosse starter at Bridgewater-Raritan High School ... has 58 career goals and 34 assists ... named second team all-county her sophomore year ... selected to first team all-county as a junior ... played varsity soccer for three seasons, also serving as captain ... achieved high honor roll and honor roll status academically.
Personal: Daughter of Carole Lytle ... her mother, Carole, graduated from Rutgers Pharmacy School ... her sister, Dana Lytle, played soccer at University at Buffalo for four years.
Taralyn Naslonski
Midfield | 5-5
Randolph, New Jersey | Randolph
Prior to Rutgers: Two-year lacrosse letterwinner and captain at Randolph High School ... led team in points in each of the last two seasons, accumulating 140 goals and 59 assists for 199 points in that span ... named first team all-conference twice ... first team all-county honoree as a junior ... twice named Second Team All-Daily Record ... tallied the highest point total in the state as a sophomore and broke Randolph's all-time scoring record ... also a star field hockey player, earning first team all-county and all-conference honors multiple times ... owns the Randolph all-time scoring record in field hokey as well ... three-year letterwinner with the field hockey team.
Personal: Daughter of John and Teri ... has two brothers, Preston and Kurtis ... her father, John, played lacrosse at Rutgers (1982-85), while her mother, Teri, cheered for the Scarlet Knights (1983-86) ... both her brothers played Division I lacrosse ... Kurtis is currently on the Villanova men's lacrosse team ... Preston played at Virginia Tech from 2011-14.
Dana Pena
Midfield | 5-4
Verona, New Jersey | Verona
Prior to Rutgers: Played lacrosse at Verona High School ... has 109 career goals and 28 assists through three seasons ... posted 62 goals and 11 assists for 73 points as a junior ... named first team all-conference and First Team American Division twice ... named to First Team All-Super Essex Conference and First Team All-Essex County Tournament ... All-League Freedom Central and Second Team All-League Freedom Central Honorable Mention ... played on the 2017 Black Tristate All Stars.
Personal: Daughter of Mary-Jo and Joseph Pena ... has two older siblings named Anthony and Nicole.
Catherine Perkins
Midfield | 5-7
Readington, New Jersey | Hunterdon Central
Prior to Rutgers: Four-year letterwinner at Hunterdon Central High School ... led team to consecutive county titles in 2016 and 2015 while setting the school record for assists in both those seasons ... totaled 108 points as a junior and 82 as a sophomore ... two-time All-Skyland Conference First Team selection and one-time second team pick ... named Courier News First Team All-Area in 2016 ... a third team all-group three honoree ... three-year scholar athlete award winner ... also a four-year basketball letterwinner ... two-time team defensive player of the year and two-time state sectional title finalist.
Personal: Daughter of Trisha Koch Perkins and Matt Perkins ... has three brothers: Matt, Michael, and Tim ... her brother, Matt, plays football at Gettysburg ... has multiple relatives that played sports collegiately, including her cousin Leslie Koch who played lacrosse at Vanderbilt, her cousin Brendan Connolly who played lacrosse at Marquette, her cousin Bridgett Connelly who played lacrosse at Albright, and her cousin Allison Koch who lettered in lacrosse.