TWENTY-ONE FUTURE HIGHLANDERS SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Twenty-one future Highlanders signed National Letters of Intent during the past week's early signing period, committing to play their collegiate careers in Southern California at UCR.

"We are incredibly proud of the program we have been building at UC Riverside and are thrilled to have this great group of young scholar-athletes joining us in their respective sports," stated Director of Athletics, Tamica Smith Jones. "The caliber and character of an incoming class like this is a true testament to our coaches and how hard they continue to work to bring the best and brightest to our amazing campus and provide them with an opportunity to earn a degree from one of the nation's fastest rising institutions while proudly representing the Highlanders in their chosen sport. We are pleased to welcome all of our new Highlanders to UCR!"

Below are the list of committed student-athletes and which sport they will be competing in at UCR:

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Kobe Jerome, Point Guard, New Rochelle, NY, Blue Ridge School

From Head Coach Mike Magpayo:
"Kobe Jerome is the kind of point guard we love at UCR. Great size at 6'3", big time shooting ability, and skilled with both hands. Originally from New York City, Kobe started at Point Guard for the defending Virginia State Champions Blue Ridge School. He has proven to be a leader, a great teammate with a high-level IQ, and also comes from a great pedigree. His older brother is former University of Virginia national champion and current Phoenix Suns guard, Ty Jerome. Kobe will fit all that we do off the court as well as he is a high-level academic kid."

Jeffrey Ofoedu, Guard, Melbourne, AU, Suzanne Cory HS

From Head Coach Mike Magpayo:
"Australian guard Jeffrey Ofoedu will add an additional shot of athleticism to the Highlanders. He is a 6'5" guard who can drive and finish explosively at the rim and he will get us out in transition with his speed. His court vision is something that also stood out in his game. Coupled with his quick first step, Jeffrey adds a dimension to our offense that is needed. He plays with an edge and toughness on the perimeter that has become UC Riverside's fingerprint defensively. Jeffrey continues the pipeline of players from Down Under to Riverside and is a great character kid with a high-level academic background."

Jeffrey is a multiple time Victoria Metropolitan representative and a member of the gold medal winning Australian Junior Championship teams – representing Victoria Metropolitan. His home club is Keilor Thunder and he is a National Junior Team Representative – The Crocs.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Rose Morse, Guard, Walnut Creek, CA, Las Lomas HS

From Head Coach Nicole Powell:
"Rose is an excellent shooter and combo guard. She's a really bright student. I'm very excited about her because she's just scratching the surface of her potential. She fits into what we do – she can shoot the ball, she's a good passer, high IQ, cuts well. I think she's going to have a great career with us. She is going to mesh great with the team. We are thrilled to have her and her family join our UCR family!"

CROSS COUNTRY / TRACK & FIELD

Collette Lowengrub, Irvine, CA, University High School

Collette is a multi-faceted distance and middle-distance runner who is proficient in a multitude of events. Collette has run 5:10 and 11:15 for the 1600m and 3200m on the track, respectively. She's won Pacific Coast League titles at 1600m and 3200m several times throughout her career and has qualified multiple times for the CIF SS-Prelim Round. In Cross Country, Collette has been a multiple time All-Pacific Coast League member and even won the PCL Championship. She's qualified for the CIF-SS Finals as well.

From Coach Rob Hansen:
"We're really excited about Collette for a number of reasons. She's a high character, high academic girl and she has a lot of ability across a variety of different events. She's going to fit in with our team really well; she's exactly what we were looking for to get this 2021 class started right!"

BASEBALL

Andy Canedo, Right-handed pitcher (RHP), San Diego, CA, Monte Vista High School

From Head Coach Justin Johnson:
"Andy is a true power arm, with a plus change up. He projects to be a weekend guy in our rotation. We are excited to have him join our Baseball family here at UCR."

Jayden Lopez, Outfielder, Rancho Cucamonga, Rancho Cucamonga High School

From Head Coach Justin Johnson:
"Jayden is a strong left-handed bat and he runs well. He should be able to make an immediate impact on our lineup. We can't wait to get him here and have him be part of what we are building."

SOFTBALL

Lexi Duran, LHP, Big Bear, CA, Aquinas High school

From Head Coach Nikki Palmer:
"Lexi is an incredible force in the circle and at the plate. She brings a great deal of diversity to our lineup that will have an immediate impact upon arrival. We are thrilled to have Lexi become a part of our family."

Taylor Burdette, Middle Infielder, Escondido, CA, San Pasqual HS

From Head Coach Nikki Palmer:
"Taylor brings high softball IQ, solid defense and a consistent bat to our line up as well as tremendous speed. We are overjoyed to welcome Taylor to our family."

Maddie Heinlin, RHP, Pleasanton, CA, Foothill HS

From Head Coach Nikki Palmer:
"Maddie is a very gifted pitcher who we will be looking to rack up some innings right away. She is a high achieving student and an all-around solid athlete. Maddie will fit right into our family and we are excited to welcome her!"

MEN'S TENNIS

Yaron Guberman, Israel
Antreas Djakouris, Cypress Island
Joshua Roth, Germany
Nolan McCaig- Transfer from Southern Utah
Bingru Chen, China

From Head Coach Mattias Johansson:
"Our Men's Tennis lineup on paper is by far the strongest we've ever had here. Now, we just need to have a season to prove it on the court as well! All of our incoming players will have a huge impact on UCR Men's Tennis and I believe a few of them will have great possibilities to be at the very top of the Big West Conference. The mixture of returners and incoming student-athletes will put us in great position to compete for the Big West Conference title."

WOMEN'S GOLF

Tiffany Le, Covina CA, Walnut High
Tiffany is the #4 ranked player in California

From Head Coach Mary Ritchie:
"I'm proud to welcome Tiffany Le to our team. She is a proven competitor with multiple wins and high-level competitive experience. She will immediately make an impact on our team's performance and we are very happy she is joining our program!"

Brooke Yi, Pleasanton, CA, King's Academy

From Head Coach Mary Ritchie:
"I'm super excited to have Brooke join our team. Brooke is a consistent competitor with several top 10 finishes and under par rounds on her playing resume. With her magnetic personality and drive to compete, Brooke will add to our team chemistry and help us out team get back into the winner's circle."

MEN'S SOCCER

Mark Cristino, Midfielder, South Gate, CA, LAFC Academy,

From Head Coach, Tim Cupello:
"Mark is a creative midfielder who is dynamic on the ball and has a great work rate to win the transition moments. He is a high academic student and has incredible character, both which align perfectly with our team's culture."

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Kelsey Musolf "Moose", Center Back, San Jose, CA, Willow Glen HS

From Head Coach Nat Gonzalez:
"At 5'10 Kelsey is very mobile and technical. We look for big things from her as she will be a versatile player for us. Though she is listed as a defender, she has shown good ability in the attack as well."

Hayden Jolley, Center Midfielder, Pleasanton, CA, Foothill HS

From Head Coach Nat Gonzalez:
"Hayden us a fearless leader that will make her valuable on and off the field. She has a heart for community service as she travelled to Paraguay in 2019 to serve under privileged youth girls by delivering soccer equipment and coaching clinics for the girls."

Melea Earley, Forward, La Mirada, CA, La Serna HS

From Head Coach Nat Gonzalez:
"Melea will be a force in the Big West Conference. Her athleticism and speed will be a plus as she transitions to college soccer. She has a knack for making good decisions in and around the goal. We expect that she will find the net early and often as a Highlander!"

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Madison Lounds, Middle Blocker, Phoenix, AZ, Pinnacle High School

Madison is a two-time 1^st Team All Region for the 6A Desert Valley region in Arizona. This past high school season, she was the region's top blocker, finished second in hitting percentage, and placed in the top ten in total kills. She helped lead her club team, Arizona Sky, win the 17 Open division at the prestigious Las Vegas Classic earlier this February.

From Head Coach Michelle Patton Coleman:
"We are very excited to welcome Madison to our Highlander family. She will be a great addition to our team in 2021. While watching Madison play during the recruiting process, she immediately stood out as a physical and energetic player on the court who loves to compete. She also cares about being a good teammate, has a great work ethic, and prioritizes academics. We know she will fit in athletically and academically into UCR's culture and I am excited about her future as a Highlander."

TWENTY-ONE FUTURE HIGHLANDERS SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT

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