Freshman athletes have already started to adjust to campus and don the unofficial student-athlete uniform of sweatpants and GW-emblazoned backpacks during summer training. Fans should keep an eye out for new faces at the Smith Center, on the athletic fields and in the pool this fall.
Here are five freshman to watch this year, ranging from exceptional players with the talent and experience to rise quickly as stars to athletes with specific skills that could improve their teams by meeting a need or tending to a weakness.
Men’s soccer
Santiago Ardila (Midfielder)
Ardila hails from Mexico City, but comes to GW after a post-graduate year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he served as team captain. In a release, head coach Craig Jones called Ardila “a powerful midfielder who shows a good passing range,” and was a player who will challenge returners for a spot on the field.
After losing a key offensive asset in Tyler Ranalli, who graduated in May, Ardila’s skilled passing could spark a GW offense that relied heavily on Ranalli last season.
Christian Lawal (Defenseman)
Lawal comes to GW from Maidstone, England, where he led his high school team in goals during both his junior and senior years. He was also a part of the U-18 team that won the English Schools’ Football Association National Cup in 2014. Lawal is one of just two defenders in the team’s recruiting class, but his athleticism and technical skills could make him an impact player on both ends of the field and put him in the running for a starting role this season.
Women’s soccer
Annika Johnson
Annika Johnson joins the women’s soccer team after an elite high school career. The defender and midfielder captained her Marian High School team to a Michigan state title her junior year, while claiming runner-up honors in her sophomore and senior seasons. Though ACL injuries took her off the field for seven months in her final season with Marian, Johnson returned to the lineup in time for the Division ll semifinals.
Outside of school play, Johnson has competed for Michigan Gators FC. She has also played for Vadar Soccer Club and the Michigan Players Development Academy. A proven competitor with experience and championships under her belt, Johnson could embrace either a role on defense or as a midfielder with ease, and step up in bigger games if given the opportunity.
Volleyball
Emily Newell
With the loss of middle blockers Gabriel Rushton and Jamie Armstrong, volleyball head coach Amanda Ault is likely to call on freshman Emily Newell to back last year’s standout, sophomore Chidima Osuchukwu. A former team captain and three-year varsity starter at Kenston High School in Ohio, Newell brings seasoned leadership skills to the Colonials’ lineup. During her senior season, Newell was selected as First-Team All-Conference and led her team to the regional semifinals.
Water Polo
Duke Becker
Freshman attacker Duke Becker is a standout offensive player joining the men’s water polo team, which lost a senior class that accounted for 41 percent of goals last season. One of six incoming freshmen, Becker could make a strong impact with his skill set that can fill the gaps left behind by graduates.
As a senior at La Jolla High School in California, Becker earned an All-American honorable mention and was named to the All-CIF and San Diego Union Tribune All-Western League second teams. He was also a member of the California Interscholastic Federation’s San Diego Section Senior All-Star Team and was named his team’s Offensive Player of the Year.
The three-time USA Water Polo Academic All-American led La Jolla to three-straight appearances at the CIF San Diego Section Division III semifinals.
