Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Softball Announces Recruiting Class
4/2/2007 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 2, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - With all four recruits from last year making significant contributions this season, third-year Bucknell softball head coach Heather Rakosik excitedly announced her next recruiting class on Monday. The Class of 2011 features seven players and has a West Coast flavor with five players hailing from California and Washington.
Elyse Colmenero (Fresno, Calif./Central), Alison Ford (Suisun, Calif./Fairfield), Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield), Deena Margolin (Los Angeles, Calif./Harvard Westlake), Samantha Rollandi (San Carlos, Calif./Notre Dame), Jessica Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) and Kara Sullivan (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) comprise Rakosik's third recruiting class since taking over the Bison in the summer of 2004.
"I am excited for such a seasoned and athletic class to join our program," said Rakosik, who is seeking to lead Bucknell to its second Patriot League Tournament appearance in her three years this spring. "As individuals and athletes they represent the very best and will be a great fit with our returning squad. They will only add to the bright future of Bison Softball!"
Colmenero is a four-year starter in softball and was a three-year letterwinner in tennis. An all-conference selection in softball as a freshman, she helped lead her travel team, the Corona Angels Gold, to fifth place at the 80-team Independence Day Tournament in Boulder, Colo. On the tennis court, Colmenero was team captain as a senior and MVP as a junior. Recently, she earned the B'nai B'rith award as the top scholar-athlete in her high school. Additionally, Colmenero is heavily involved with student government as the athletic commissioner.
"Elyse is a very technically sound catcher with a lot to offer Bison Softball," commented Rakosik. "We are excited to have such a hard worker and active bat join the program."
Another Californian, Ford, is one of the most decorated players in the class. A three-time First Team All-SCAC selection, Ford was also named All-Solano County by the Daily Republic newspaper. The team's Rookie of the Year in 2004, she led her squad to sectional runner-up showings in 2004 and 2005 and was recently named the Player of the Week by the Daily Republic. Additionally, Ford is a three-time scholar-athlete and a three-year letterwinner in volleyball. A team captain on both the softball and volleyball teams, she was an all-league honorable mention choice in volleyball as a senior. During the fall semester of her senior year, Ford was named to the Principal's Honor Roll. During her summers she has played with the West Bay Nuggets Gold and Salinas Wildcats Gold squads.
"Alison is a very potent hitter and we look for her to add immediate power to our lineup," remarked Rakosik, who has tutored the top two home run hitters in Bucknell history. "Her versatility on the infield will also add depth at the corners."
A three-year starter at South Plainfield High School in New Jersey, Fry led her team to a state title in 2005. A First Team Greater Middlesex Conference selection in 2006, she was a preseason all-area choice in 2007. Fry, who has been on the honor roll every semester, has plenty of experience away from her high school squad, playing for the Tuff-N-Tuffer Gold travel team. A member of the National Honor Society, she has been mentioned in Who's Who Among High School Students and is the 2006-07 student council president at South Plainfield.
"We are ecstatic to add a player of Lauren's caliber to our program!" exclaimed Rakosik. "Lauren is a highly skilled outfielder who can also play first base. She comes from a very competitive program in Tuff-N-Tuffer, and I am excited to get the chance to see her strong work ethic in action."
Margolin is a middle infielder who is also an accomplished pitcher at the high school level and pitched a no-hitter earlier this spring. She was First Team All-Mission League as a junior pitcher after copping honorable mention all-league plaudits the previous year. As a freshman she earned Second Team All-Mission League honors at second base. Margolin has plenty of postseason experience as well. In both her freshman and sophomore years Harvard Westlake advanced to the California Interscholastic Federation playoffs, advancing as far as the state semifinals in 2004. Additionally, she was the starting shortstop for the California Waves Gold team last summer. Academically, Margolin has made the honor roll each year and won a Humantus Award in 2004 for community service hours.
"Deena is a great addition to our program athletically, academically and on a personal level," described Rakosik. "We are looking for her to add her athleticism and strong play to our already talented infield. Coming from such a prestigious high school, Deena will only add to the Bucknell campus."
Rollandi, a two-time honorable mention all-league choice, rounds out the list of Californians coming to Bucknell in the fall. The winner of the team's Coaches Award as a freshman and the Most Inspirational Award as a sophomore and junior, Rollandi hit .333 as a junior. A member of the San Jose Lady Sharks Gold summer team, she excels academically, earning Outstanding Achievement recognition in five different classes. A three-time member of the honor roll, she earned High Academic Achievement with 4.0 grade-point averages in the first semester of both her freshman and sophomore years. Rollandi, who is a National Honor Society member, was the only junior at Notre Dame High School to pass the American Math Contest.
"Samantha has unbelievable energy and we are looking forward to her bringing that to the field," said Rakosik. "She is a very dynamic athlete that can excel both on the infield and in the outfield."
Snyder is another two-sport star, earning four letters in softball and three in volleyball. She has twice been named First Team All-Narrows League in softball, and copped second-team plaudits as a freshman. A three-year captain, Snyder was the team's MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and Most Inspirational Player as a junior when the team finished fourth in the state of Washington. Additionally, she was a key member of the Washington Sidewinders Gold travel team. On the volleyball court, Snyder was a Second Team All-Narrows League selection after earning an honorable mention citation the year before. She also captained the volleyball squad as a senior. Academically, Snyder was a Superintendent Scholar for maintaining a 3.8 GPA and was on the honor roll all four years.
"We are looking forward to adding Jessica's versatility to our program," commented Rakosik. "She is a very experienced player with a lot of success ahead of her."
Sullivan, who is a catcher, rounds out the list of Bison recruits. A three-sport star, she was the volleyball team MVP and captain in 2005 and was an all-division runner in her only year on the cross country team in 2006. A three-year member of the softball team, Sullivan is team captain this spring and has also played with the North Shore Rebels travel softball team. Away from athletics, she was named to the Academic Principal's List and is a National Honor Society member.
"Kara will only add to our program and catching staff," mentioned Rakosik. "Her work ethic and commitment to Bucknell will fit in with our system very well."
Bucknell, which has qualified for the Patriot League Tournament two of the last three years, will lose just three seniors to graduation this spring. Next year's roster will have players from no fewer than 10 states, including nine players from the western half of the country.
| Bucknell Softball Recruiting Class | ||
| Name | Position | Hometown/High School |
| Elyse Colmenero | C/3B | Fresno, Calif./Central |
| Alison Ford | 1B/3B | Suisun, Calif./Fairfield |
| Lauren Fry | OF/1B | South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield |
| Deena Margolin | SS/2B/P | Los Angeles, Calif./Harvard Westlake |
| Samantha Rollandi | 2B/OF | San Carlos, Calif./Notre Dame |
| Jessica Snyder | OF/2B/SS | Tacoma, Wash./Stadium |
| Kara Sullivan | C | Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River |
