BILLINGS, Mont. – Rachel Lythgoe has signed a letter of intent to compete for the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team in the 2016 season announced Yellowjacket head coach Wojtek Krakowiak on Thursday.
 
Lythgoe is a native of Gilbert, Ariz., and will graduate from Campo Verde High School this spring before enrolling at MSUB in the fall.
 
"Rachel made a great impression on us during her on-campus visit," commented Krakowiak. "She has a wonderful attitude and is a great person, and that is very important to us. She has a great presence on the field and is a solid defender and midfielder. She is a very smart player with good vision on the field."
 
Earning three letters under head coach Rosie Headley, Lythgoe led the Coyotes to the Division I High School State Quarterfinals as a senior last fall and was an honorable mention all-Division I selection. Lythgoe was a member of CVHS's state championship team as a freshman, and helped the squad to a quarterfinal appearance as a sophomore.
 
Playing for the SC Del Sol club team in the Elite Clubs National League, Lythgoe competed for two seasons as a center mid under coaches Ally Maxwell and Alan Watson. "Rachel is coming from a very competitive club and I am positive she will make a smooth transition into college athletics," Krakowiak said.
 
In addition to her achievements on the field, Lythgoe was a Golden Scholar all four years of high school, and has been a member of the National Spanish Honor Society since 2014. She will graduate in the top five percent of her senior class.
 
"I chose MSUB because of the great degree programs and competitive soccer program," said Lythgoe, who plans to major in English at MSUB. "I really liked the close community feel I discovered while at the campus and in Billings. The campus is beautiful, and the small class sizes that are offered are appealing to me. I immediately felt welcomed by the coaches and players. I feel that the MSUB women's soccer team is looking to get better through hard work and a love for the game, and I'm so excited to be a part of the Yellowjacket family."
 
Lythgoe joins 10 other recruits to make up the 2016 class for the Yellowjackets. "Defensively, Rachel is tough to beat and she reads the game well," Krakowiak said. "Her physical presence allows her to win balls in the air and be a threat on set pieces. In addition, Rachel is very committed to her academics, and I am very excited she will be joining us in the fall."

2016 MSUB Women's Soccer Recruiting Class

Name	Position	Hometown	High School
Mackenzie Breeden	Midfielder/Defender	Bonney Lake, WA	White River
Clancee Ferrin	Goalkeeper	Billings, MT	Billings Senior
Alexa Graddy	Forward	Eatonville, WA	Eatonville
Amanda Hemmen	Midfielder/Defender	Renton, WA	Liberty
Alexa Iacolucci	Midfielder	Lake Forest Park, WA	Shorecrest
Rachel Lythgoe	Midfielder/Defender	Gilbert, AZ	Campo Verde
Erin Reynolds	Midfielder	Lancaster, CA	Quartz Hill
Kalin Sandow	Defender	Murrieta, CA	Vista Murrieta
Courteney Shovlin	Defender	Great Falls, MT	Charles M. Russell
Claire Tevaseu	Midfielder	Seattle, WA	Holy Names Academy
Alexa Torbert	Midfielder	Billings, MT	Billings Senior