By Jim Rueda
Free Press Sports Editor
MANKATO — Five-year soccer standout Danni Steele of Mankato East High School made it official on Wednesday, signing an NCAA national letter of intent to attend Bemidji State University in the fall.
Steele, a defender/midfielder, verbally committed to the Beavers back in July. She narrowed her choices to a handful of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schools before opting for Bemidji.
“I knew I wanted to play somewhere in the Northern Sun,” Steele said Wednesday. “Bemidji was the last school I visited, and I really liked it. I liked (head) coach (Jim) Stone and the players I met and it just felt like the best place for me.”
Steele has made the Mankato All-City team five straight years, was All-Big Nine Conference in 2007 and honorable mention All-Big Nine in 2009. During the summers she played with the Plymouth Soccer Association Premier team and was involved in the Minnesota ’92 Olympic Development Program from 2006-2008.
“I saw a lot of people agonizing over their decisions the last few weeks,” Steele said. “I was glad I got mine out of the way in July. It allowed me to just go out and enjoy my senior season.”
Blue Earth Area’s Kate Hassing also signed a letter of intent Wednesday, committing to the University of Minnesota-Duluth where she will continue her track and field endeavors.
With her senior season still in front of her, Hassing has already had a stellar career for the Bucs. She holds seven school records, is a three-time All-State performer, and was a member of BEA’s state champion 4x400-meter relay team in 2007.
Hassing has been an integral part of a squad that has made five state true team appearances. Hassing and the Bucs won the Class A state true team championship last spring.
“The 400 is her specialty,” BEA head coach Tom Plocker said. “That and the triple jump are her two best events.
“She has a lot of talent but she also has the tenacity to work hard. You put those two together and you can do a lot of damage during a meet. She’s definitely one of the top girls to ever come through our program.”
MSU soccer
Minnesota State coach Peter McGahey has announced the signing of nine student-athletes for the 2010-2011 season.
Six hail from Minnesota and the other three are from Colorado, Wisconsin and Nebraska.
The signees are forward Tori Meinhardt (Maple Grove); forward Courtney Vallarelli (Eagan); forward Katrina Waltz (Farmington); defender Brittany Zettel (Shorewood); midfielder Kristina Gelecki (Omaha, Neb.); forward/midfielder Jenn Peterson (Parker, Colo.); goalkeeper Brittany Cygan (Woodbury); forward Sydney Temple (Madison, Wis.); and defender Brittany Leeder (Eagan).
MSU women’s track/cc
An Iowan and two Minnesotans have verbally committed to join the Mavericks next season. They are Heather Tobias of Dowling High School in Des Moines, Bryanna Sudman of Eden Prairie and Alissa Wojack of Coon Rapids.
Tobias helped Dowling win three state team championships and was on her school’s record-setting 4x800-meter relay.
Sudman is a state pole vault champion and Wojack finished sixth in the state in cross country in 2008.
