GOLDEN, Colo. – Coming off their 15th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023, Colorado School of Mines head women's soccer coach Kevin Fickes has announced the addition of six student-athletes to the Orediggers program ahead of the 2024 season.
 
The class is comprised of student-athletes from six different states and includes one goalkeeper and five players with experience at several spots as backs, wingers and strikers.
 
Jordan Bowermaster // 5'4" // Forward/Defender // Lake Oswego, Ore. // Lakeridge
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Bowermaster comes to Mines from Lakeridge High School where she was a two-sport standout in soccer and tennis, earning a combined eight varsity letters between the two. In 2022 she was named a Three Rivers League Honorable Mention selection while in 2023 earned First Team honors and was named her team's Most Valuable Player. Bowermaster also earned TRL Honorable Mention honors in tennis as well. On the club level she plays for Oregon Premier FC. In the classroom, she carries a 3.96 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. Bowermaster plans to study Chemical Engineering at Mines.
 
Sam Forde // 5'8" // Midfielder/Defender // Thousand Oaks, Calif. // Thousand Oaks
Forde comes to Golden after prepping at Thousand Oaks High School in California where she scored four goals and recorded four assists in her senior season. A four-year letter winner, she earned All-Miramonte Conference honors three times in her career, including First Team honors in her senior and sophomore seasons while earning Second Team honors as a junior as well as the team's Coaches Award. As a sophomore she was also named to the All-Ventura County First Team and named Thousand Oaks' Most Valuable Player. On the club tour she played for Eagles SC ECNL and served as team captain for three seasons. Off the field, she earned her AP Capstone Diploma from The Center for Advanced Studies and Research. Forde intends to major in Mechanical Engineering at Mines.
 
Anna Gessner // 5'6" // Midfielder/Defender // Hoschton, Ga. // Cherokee Bluff
Gessner comes to Golden from Cherokee Bluff High School in Georgia where she was a four-year letter winner and tallied 32 goals and 45 assists over her career while going a perfect 7-7 on penalty kicks. She was a three-time First Team Class 3A All-Region selection and named her team's Most Valuable Player in 2023. Off the field, Gessner was a UGA Merit Award recipient and a four-year honor roll member and Scholar-Athlete Award honoree. Throughout high school she ranked in the top 10% of her class and was ranked 13th at the time of graduation. She intends to major in Business Engineering and Management Science at Mines.
 
Annelise Rojo // 5'3" // Forward/Midfielder // Fort Worth, Texas // Lake County Christian School
Rojo arrives at Mines after attending Lake County Christian School and playing for DKSC ECNL on the club circuit.  Though LCCS did not offer soccer, Rojo did participate in basketball, volleyball, cross country and track and field. Off the field, she was a member of the National Honor Society. Rojo plans to major in Mechanical Engineering at Mines.
 
Emma Thomas // 5'11" // Goalkeeper // Olathe, Kan. // Olathe West
A two-sport standout at Olathe West High School in Kansas, Thomas lettered in soccer and basketball during her prep career. In her career on the pitch, she recorded 21 shutouts and made 43 saves and earned Second Team All-Conference honors as well as being named an Honorable Mention All-State selection. Thomas played for Sporting Blue Valley on the club tour and was a two-time State Cup Champion with them. Off the field, she was a four-year honor roll student and intends to major in Quantitative Biosciences & Engineering at Mines.
 
Carly Walter // 5'8" // Defender // Westminster, Colo. // Carroll Senior
A native of Westminster, Walter returns to her home state after she prepped at Carroll Senior High School in Texas and is the second member of her family to attend Mines, following her older brother Cole. While at CSHS, she led her team to a trio of District Championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024, a Texas High School Class 4-6A State Championship in 2022 and a repeat appearance in the finals in 2023. Walter was a three-time Academic All-District honoree and named Academic All-State as a senior and twice earned Second Team All-District honors for her on field performance. Off the field, she was a member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Rho Kappa (Social Studies Honor Society), the National Technical Honor Society and was a Carroll High Success Scholar, an honor bestowed upon students who completed 100 or more hours of community service and completed certain academic requirements. Ranked 32nd in her class of 688, Walter will graduate Summa Cum Laude and intends to major in Computer Science at Mines.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's soccer on X and Instagram at @mineswsoc. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, X and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.