BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University men's soccer
Jason O'Keefe and the coaching staff are excited to announce the signing of seven Mountaineers to the 2019 signing class.
App State will bring in four forwards, two goalkeepers, one midfielder and one defender for next season. In addition, the Mountaineers bring three more international student-athletes into the fold, representing the countries of England and Kenya. The seven future Mountaineers will add more depth and talent to an already young and loaded Black and Gold squad. Over the past two seasons, App has signed 22 players that have contributed to a resurgence in the program, which earned its first winning season since 2012 and a top-three finish in the Sun Belt.
Nick Buchholz | 6'2 | Goalkeeper | New Hartford Senior High School | New Hartford, N.Y.
Was a three-year letterwinner in soccer and won two letters in track and field. As New Hartford's goal stopper, he posted his best season in his final year, where he helped his squad post a 12-3-1 mark en route to capturing the Tri-Valley League championship. Buchholz boasted a solid .943 save percentage and allowed just six goals throughout the season. For his stellar efforts, he was named the team's Most Valuable Player and earned all-conference honors. Buchholz played club ball under Steve Axtell at the Syracuse Development Academy. Born on Nov. 11, 2000, Buchholz is the son of David and Gayle Buchholz. He has a twin sister, Abby. His dad threw discuss at Washington State.
O'Keefe on Buchholz: Nick has been to our camps and was fantastic. He has a great demeanor, which is massive for the GK position and is a good shot stopper with excellent range. He is very courageous and can distribute well. He has lived all over the world and had some amazing experiences. We think Nick will come in and compete from day one to improve our GK core to one of the best in the Sun Belt.
Myson Darden | 6'2 | Defender | Leesville Road High School | Raleigh, N.C.
Played under head coach Paul Dinkenor during his high school career. Darden put forth his best season as a sophomore when he was the MVP of his team after leading Leesville Road in goals. He won the golden boot for Leesville while being named to the All-Cap Eight Conference team. He enjoyed success during club ball, as he contributed to a 2017 North Carolina State Cup with NCFC Red. He was ranked 36th according to TopDrawerSoccer.com in his position for 2017. His squad also was a 2017 semifinalist for the US Soccer Region II Championships. In 2016, NCFC was a Disney Invitational Tournament finalist and earned an invitation to Nike's ID2 Invitational Camp. Born on Jan. 30, 2001, Darden is the son of Kevin Darden and Sherry Gentry. He has two sisters. Comes from a rich soccer tradition with his dad having played at Charlotte
and his uncle playing at Radford.
O'Keefe on Darden: We are very excited to have Myson join our program. We have known him and his family for some time, and he will fit in nicely to what we are building. He has many great experiences playing in some of the best environments. He is a versatile player that can play in the back or midfield. We expect him to make an impact from day one and over his four years.
Diogenes Mayola | 5'7 | Midfielder | Montverde Academy | Monteverde, Fla.
One of two players from Kenya and the teammate of fellow signee Kelvin Mulinya at Montverde, Mayola played under head coach Mike Potempa in Florida. He was on the SIMA Gold team as a midfielder. The future Mountaineer was excellent off the field, as he earned Cum Laude honors in two years at Montverde. Born on Dec. 28, 1999, Mayola is the son of Peter Kinyua Wawery. He has two siblings.
O'Keefe on Mayola: Diogenes is a tremendous talent who is only scratching the surface of what he can do. We are very excited to have him and Kelvin join us from the prestigious SIMA program that Mike Potempa and Kevin Varnado have built at Montverde Academy. He is a midfielder who will command the middle and keep us sound defensively, while also starting our attack. He will make us better from day one and grow as the program continues to grow.
Kelvin Mulinya | 5'3 | Forward | Montverde Academy | Nairobi, Kenya
Like his fellow Kenyan teammate, Mulinya spent two seasons at Montverde Academy on the SIMA Gold squad under coach Potempa. He excelled in the classroom, landing on the Magna Cum Laude Honor Roll. Mulinya was born on Aug. 2, 2000. He is the son of Maurice Omwenga and has two siblings.
O'Keefe on Mulinya: Kelvin is a tremendous talent who is coming into his own. We are very excited to have him and Diogenes join us from the prestigious SIMA program that Mike Potempa and Kevin Varnado have built at Montverde Academy. He is a Forward with good 1-v-1 ability, makes good runs, has pace and creates chances for himself and his teammates. We think Kelvin can help take our program to new heights in his four years.
Kellen Reinsborough | 6'5 | Goalkeeper | Prince of Peace Christian School | Dallas, Texas
Played his soccer for U19 USSF Development Academy with the Solar Soccer Club in the Frontier Division. Was also a six-year Dallas Cup player. He also earned international playing experience, as he trained in Bolivia for two seasons in Spain at Real Sociedad. Born on Oct. 11, 2000, Reinsborough is the son of Brian and Cambria Reinsborough. He has two older siblings, one brother, and one sister. His older sister played volleyball at Western Carolina.
O'Keefe on Reinsborough: Kellen has been to our camps and we have seen him play at the highest level with his USSDA Solar team out of Dallas. He has a fantastic frame and moves well around his goal. His footwork and ability to make saves is what caught our eye. He has a ton of potential that we can't wait to get to work with. He will add a great amount of depth and be part of one of the strongest GK cores in the Sun Belt.
Nick Rogers | 6'3 | Forward | Westfield High School | Westfield, Ind.
Had a successful high school career in two seasons under Kevin Scanlon. Rogers started his impressive run his junior season when he was named to the all-conference, all-district, and All-Indiana State High School Athletic Association Third Team. He was awarded the Junior Indy Elite North vs. South College Showcase Most Valuable Player. In his senior season, he was the Westfield High School Co-Offensive MVP, while was one of the top five highest voted players on the all-state team. Once again he was invited to the Elite North vs. South College Showcase, and was second-team all-state. Rogers played his travel ball for the Indiana Fire Academy under John Griffin. Born on Dec. 22, 2000, Rogers is the son of Martha Rogers and the late John Rogers. He has two older siblings. His hobbies include skimboarding, photography, modeling, art, fashion, and music. He also comes from a rich tradition of soccer. His cousin, Sean Hoek, played for ETSU and later the Des Moines Menaces in the USL. His other cousin, Tyler Hoek, played for Evansville and ETSU, while his father played for DePauw. His brother was a midfielder and center defender at Albion College. His sister, Taylor, currently runs track at Indiana State.
O'Keefe on Rogers: Nick is a player we have been tracking for a while. He has a tremendous ability to do so many things. He is big, strong and fast. He can hold the ball up, he can run at players and he can score goals and help set his teammates up as well. He has a competitive spirit that will translate to our program immediately. He has a strong desire to be great and know he will do great thing s while here at App State.
Kelan Swales | 5'8 | Forward | Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School | West Yorkshire, England | Marshall University
Swales, a transfer from Marshall, appeared in all 20 matches with 15 starts in his freshman season with the Thundering Herd. Swale amassed 1,282 minutes, scoring two goals and leading the team with six assists. He finished with 10 points, recorded 32 shots and 12 on goal. He scored the game-winning goal in the Herd's 1-0 triumph over Ohio State. He was born on June 1, 2000. He is the son of Louise Swales and Cade Lumley and has two brothers.
O'Keefe on Swale: Kelan is a prolific attacking player. He has already made an impact on college soccer with two goals and six assists as a freshman for Marshall this past fall. He has the ability to create goals and help his teammates get opportunities as well. He fits into the family atmosphere we are building here and he will help add to our evolving attack here on the mountain.
