PHILADELPHIA - Head Coach Mike McLaughlin of the University of Pennsylvania's Women's Basketball team has announced his recruiting class for the upcoming 2018-19 season. Five women will join the Quakers' roster as part of the Class of 2022.
The class consists of three guards, one forward and a center, from nearly every region of the United States. Meg Hair is the closest product to Philadelphia, joining the program from Syracuse, N.Y. Noelle Cahill makes the longest trek of the group, coming from Colorado, while both Mia Lakstigala and Sereena Weledji will travel from the Midwest, hailing from Illinois and Kansas respectively. Kennedy Suttle will add another southern representative to the team, representing Atlanta, Ga.
"Our number one goal with each class is to bring in hardworking, dedicated, and talented student-athletes who will not only fit into the culture of our program, but will also help us to grow it to new heights. I am extremely proud of our coaching staff for finding another group that does exactly that," commented Coach McLaughlin. "Each of our incoming freshmen are highly competitive, proven winners both on and off the court. This is a very well-rounded class that will certainly have a tremendous impact on Penn Women's Basketball and the entire university."
Penn finished 2017-18 with a 22-9 overall record, capturing the Big 5 championship and advancing to the second round of the WNIT, after finishing second in the Ivy League.
Noelle Cahill
6-4, Center
Parker, Colo./Regis Jesuit
"I chose Penn not only for its academic excellence and highly competitive athletic program, but also for its dedication to the development of the whole student-athlete. Throughout my recruiting process, Penn truly stood out in its focus on creating leaders on and off the court. This focus not only creates a winning program but also strong future leaders. In addition, the Women's Basketball program felt like family the moment I arrived on campus, and I am proud to now call this place home."
High School: Four-year letterwinner and senior captain for Coach Carl Mattei at Regis Jesuit ... 5A Girl's State Championship Runner-up with overall record of 24-4 in 2018 ... 5A Final Four in 2017 with overall record of 20-7 ... Mile High Sports All-Colorado Basketball Honorable Mention ... Colorado Preps All-Star Game Top-20 Showcase ... Academic first-team All-State from 2016-18 ... Aurora Sentinel City All-Star Team 2017 and 2018 ... Second-team All-League from 2016-18 ... Rose Classic MVP in 2017 ... Three-year letterwinner in volleyball ... Second-team All-League in volleyball in 2015 and 2016 ... Valedictorian of the Regis Jesuit Girl's Division Class of 2018 ... Recipient of the Loyola Award for Sportswoman of the Year 2018 ... Four-year member of Mu Alpha Theta ... Senior Club Co-President ... Classics Club member ... Student Council Junior Representative and Senior Treasurer/Secretary ... National Honor Society member and senior officer ... Raider Woman 2018 ... Maxima Cum Laude 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.
Personal: Daughter of Jill and Mike Cahill ... Father, Mike, played football at Cornell ... Enrolled in the Wharton School of Business.
Meg Hair
6-0, Guard
Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-Dewitt
"I chose Penn because it provides the best environment for me to flourish both on the court and in the classroom. I will be receiving a world class education while competing at the highest level, under a tremendous coaching staff."
High School: Five-year letterwinner and captain for Coach Rob Siechen at Jamesville-Dewitt ... Finished as high school's all-time leading scorer with 1,793 career points ... 2016, 2017 and 2018 New York State Player of the Year ... 2017 and 2018 Section 3 Player of the Year ... 2015 and 2016 All-Section 3 ... 2015 New York fourth-team All-State ... Led team to first ever regional championships, winning all five years since eighth grade ... Captured three state championships, in 2016, 2017 and 2018 ... Captured the New York Federation Cup championship in 2018 ... Team went 117-21 in her five years on the squad ... Averaged 16 points per game in 2018, 13 points per game over five years as a varsity player ... Two-year letterwinner in lacrosse ... High Honor Roll ... Member of National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society.
Personal: Daughter of Melissa and Kevin Hair ... Sister, Molly, played golf at Fairfield ... Enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Mia Lakstigala
5-11, Guard
Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central
"When I arrived on campus for the first time it just felt like home. Everybody from the coaches to the players were very welcoming. The high level athletics, combined with distinguished academics and the overall atmosphere from the Penn community was everything I wanted for my college experience."
High School: Captain and letterwinner for Coach Andy Nussbaum at Naperville Central ... Finished career with 1,843 career points, second in high school's history to Candace Parker ... Averaged over 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals per game as a senior ... Captured regional and sectional championships in 2018 and led squad to sectional final for first time since 2005 ... 2017 and 2018 DuPage Valley Conference (DVC) Player of the Year ... 2016 DVC All-Conference ... 2017 and 2018 Naperville Sun Player of the Year ... 2016 fourth-team All-State ... 2017-18 IBCA first-team All-State ... 2016 Sterling Tournament MVP ... 2016, 2017 and 2018 Dundee Crown All-Tournament ... 2016, 2017 and 2018 DuPage County All-Area Team ... High Honor Roll all four years of high school.
Personal: Daughter of Sharla Johnson and Keith Lakstigala ... Mother, Sharla, played volleyball at Iowa ... Father, Keith, played basketball at Iowa ... Enrolled in Wharton School of Business.
Kennedy Suttle
6-0, Forward
Atlanta, Ga./Holy Innocents' Episcopal School
"I found the character, integrity, and personality of the coaches and players matching what I had envisioned as the environment I want to grow in. The reputation of the academic challenge and reward precedes itself and I found no other environment that made me feel as much at home in both the academic and athletic arenas more than I did here at Penn. Simply put: I feel at home."
High School: Letterwinner and captain for Coach Tony Watkins and Coach Nichole Dixon at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School ... Scored over 1,000 points and collected over 1,000 rebounds in high school ... Set school record for most rebounds ... Three-time regional champion (2015, 2016, 2018) ... 2016 state champion ... Two-time NIKE EYBL champion for AAU Team Elite ... Named All-Region in basketball in 2016, 2017 and 2018 ... All-State in 2017 and 2018 ... 2017 and 2018 honorable mention All-Metro Atlanta ... 2017 Carolina Invitational All-Tournament Team ... Lettered in soccer ... 2018 All-State and All-Region in soccer ... 2017 All-Region in soccer ... Won 2018 regional championship in soccer ... Member of National Honor Society ... 2018 Scholar-Athlete Award ... 2017 Alice L. Malcolm Award winner ... Four-time Academic Head of School ... Two-time member of the Deans' List ... 2016 Academic AP World Award winner.
Personal: Daughter of Rhonda and Kota Suttle ... Father, Kota, was All-America linebacker and Hall of Fame inductee at Furman ... Oldest of four, including two sisters and a brother ... Uncle, Cheyette, played football at Tennessee ... Uncle, Stacey, ran track at Jacksonville State ... Enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Sereena Weledji
6-0, Guard
Overland Park, Kan./Saint Thomas Aquinas
"I chose Penn because there are endless opportunities for me to grow academically, athletically, and personally. It's in a great city and it has amazing facilities (The Palestra is stunning), but most importantly, I just really felt at home with the people and the community."
High School: Four-year letterwinner and three-time captain for Coach Rick Hetzel at Saint Thomas Aquinas ... Finished fifth in program history in scoring (1,162 points), second in rebounding (681 rebounds) and sixth in assists (214) ... Three-time Kansas Class 5A state champion (2016, 2017 and 2018) ... Four-time Sub-State champion ... Named three-time first-team All-State by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (2016, 2017, 2018) ... Two-time first-team All-State All Classes (2017, 2018) Topeka Capitol Journal and Wichita Eagle ... Three-time first-team All-Kansas City Metro (2016, 2017, 2018) ...Two-time Eastern Kansas League champion (2017, 2018) ... Three-time first-team All-Eastern Kansas League (2016, 2017, 2018) ... 2018 Eastern Kansas League MVP ... 2018 Class 5A Player of the Year ... 2017 and 2018 Class 5A State Tournament MVP ... 2018 DiRenna Award Finalist, honoring top-five players in Kansas City Metro Area ... 2018 KBCA All-Star Game selection ... 2018 Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches All-Star Game selection ... 2018 Hays Invitational All-Tournament Team ... 2016 and 2017 Capital City Invitational All-Tournament Team ... 2017 and 2018 USA Today All-Kansas Team ... Member of National Honor Society ... Peer mentor and peer tutor ... Senior ambassador.
Personal: Daughter of Medie and Conrad Weledji ... Has two older sisters who both played Ivy League basketball, Nelly at Brown and Tia at Princeton ... Enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences.
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