BLACKSBURG, Virginia – In one week, the Virginia Tech women’s soccer team will be welcoming its newest members to the field.

And Kristi Nowak of Newtown will be there.

Nearly a dozen 2007 Newtown High School graduates will be preparing for a new falls sports season on a collegiate campus while a couple of dozen more will be returning to campus for another fall sports campaign.

Just this past week, Virginia Tech women’s soccer head coach Kelly Cagle formally announced the addition of 10 newcomers to an already experienced team that will begin the 2007 season. Nowak joins incoming freshmen Kelsey Billups, Meghan Flesch, Marika Gray, Jennifer Harvey, Stephanie Hylton, Niki King, Kelly Lynch and Jessica Varela as well as sophomore transfer Mallory Kimsey and all are expected to provide quality depth to a team seeking its second NCAA Tournament berth under Cagle.

“Our staff is very excited about our 2007 class,” said coach Cagle. “We think this well-balanced and athletic class is one of our best in recent years, and we also think that they are coming into one of our best returning teams we have ever had as well. I see a very fast class and that is no doubt something we have been lacking over the past few years – great team speed. So my thought is that these women will have the opportunity to impact our program immediately.”

Like the rest of the Tech newcomers, Nowak was a standout in her league ... a defensive stalwart for the Lady Nighthawks, the 2004 CIAC Class LL state champions. Nowak was an All-South-West Conference player as a senior and helped lead the South Central Lightning to the state finals in each of her four seasons.

Academically, Nowak earned 2006 and 2007 all-league academic team honors and was a four-year honors student.

The Hokies will play an exhibition game on Friday, August 17, against Miami of Ohio and will open the regular season on Friday, August 31, on the road against regional rival Radford University.

New Freshmen

More than 15 athletes of the 2007 NHS graduating class will be participating in collegiate sports this coming year –  11 of those this fall.

Joe DeVellis and Chris Potter are heading to Ithaca College to play football; Charlie Baldour and Greg Hill are off to Keene State to run cross country; Brian Conroy heads to Gettysburg to play soccer; Mike Klein will be playing soccer at Roger Williams University; Max Reed is heading to Pitzer College to play football; Zack Schwartz will be running cross country at Brandeis; and Mike Vontobel will be joining former teammate Brian Miles on the men’s soccer team at Montclair State University.

Of course, of the former NHS grads returning to campus there is Marcus Tracy heading back to the Wake Forest men’s soccer team, Casey Frobey heading back to the Fairfield University women’s soccer team and Josh Rouse heading back to the Michigan State football team.

There are many more, too. Remember to check out the frequent collegiate report in the sports pages of The Newtown Bee this fall.

If you want to get a look at all the Newtown High School alumni now playing in college, visit nighthawknation.homestead.com/Alumni.html.