Portland State’s first-year soccer coach Tara Bilanski just completed the assembly of her first recruiting class, signing five Washington high school standouts to national letters of intent to play for the Vikings. Jamie Giger (White River HS), Julie Forrest (Edmonds-Woodway HS), Karly Larsen (Meadowdale HS), Gretchen Pietras (Gig Harbor HS) and Carrie Richardson (Curtis High School) will be added to the 2001 lineup.
“I’m very excited about our incoming freshman class,” Bilanski stated in a press release. “All five players have the ability to step in and make an immediate impact on our team.”
Bilanski, formally an assistant coach at the University of Washington, was hired to turn around the struggling PSU program.
“The potential for soccer here at Portland State is incredible,” Bilanski said. “We are fortunate to be right next door to some of the top youth and high school programs in the country, here in Oregon and Washington.”
Jamie Giger, a forward, was a two-time all-state selection and made the Pierce County League first-team all four years at White River High School. White River won the league and district championships during her sophomore and senior years and her club team was the two-time defending state champion.
Julie Forrest, a midfielder, comes to PSU after being named first-team all-league and first-team all-area as a senior captain of her high school team. Her club squad took first place in the Washington State Snickers Championship this past spring after a runner-up year in 2000.
Karly Larsen, a defensive midfielder, captained her high school team as a senior. She was a two-time second-team all-WESCO league selection and was named Meadowdale’s offensive MVP during her final year. Larsen earned team defensive MVP honors as a freshman and sophomore.
Gretchen Pietras, a goalkeeper, will provide additional depth in the position for PSU. As a high school senior, she was named all-area and all-league.
Carrie Richardson, a defender, comes to the Vikings after her second consecutive first-team all-league selection.