NSU adds four golfers including Fort Gibson’s Rigsby
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Northeastern State head golf coach Scott Varner has announced the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent during the November signing period.
The 2016 class is made up of three high schoolers and one junior college transfer. The four signees hail from Iowa, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas. They will all begin their careers as members of the RiverHawks in fall 2016.
"I’m real excited about the two girls we signed in this class. Obviously, we had the No. 1 class in the country last year and we couldn’t be more pleased with what we’ve got there," Varner said. "Based on the three freshmen we have this year and the two we have signed for next year, needless to say our future looks incredible. These two young ladies just add to that future. We now have two back-to-back classes of outstanding young ladies to complement the girls we’ve got coming up.
"We’re equally as pleased with the men’s class. We felt like we filled some holes that we needed to fill. We only lose one player off this year’s team. That’s going to be a significant loss, but we think these two players will step right in and help fill that hole.
Alec Berrey, 6-2, 175
Corvallis, Oregon / Crescent Valley HS
Berrey will head to Tahlequah all the way from Oregon. He plays for Kelly Gallagher at Crescent Valley High School. He was a National Big 1 Qualifier and also finished fifth in the Portland City Championship. He has played in three other national American Junior Golf Association events. He won three high school events and has won the Corvallis Country Club championship. He also holds the course record of 62 at CCC. He has tallied double-digit runner-up finishes throughout his high school career. He also competes as a member of the basketball and soccer teams. He is the son of Michael and Kiana Berrey.
Griffen Matthias, 5-11, 175
Ankeny, Iowa / Ankeny Centennial HS / Indian Hills Community College
Matthias will have three years of eligibility remaining at NSU after competing for one season at Indian Hills Community College. He was a letterwinner for a Falcons team that won the NJCAA National Championship. He was also a one-time 4A state champion in Iowa for Ankeny Centennial High School. Matthias was coached at IHCC by Mike Hagen, and his high school coach was Jon Olson. He is the son of Matt and Nikki Matthias.
Ana Contreras Mondragon, 5-5
The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands HS
Mondragon is a letterwinner at The Woodlands High School under the guidance of Steve Cribari. She has registered numerous victories and top-5 finishes during her career at both the high school and junior levels. She was a top-10 ranked player in Mexico before moving to Texas to complete her high school career. She is the daughter of Jorge and Karina Contreras.
Emilee Rigsby, 5-3
Fort Gibson, Oklahoma / Fort Gibson HS
Rigsby plays for Gary Hendrix at Fort Gibson High School. She is a four-year letterwinner who finished runner-up at the 2014 4A state championship. She has also posted two other top-10 finishes at the state tournament and was honored as the 2015 South Central Junior PGA Player of the Year. She also won a state championship in basketball her freshman year and finished runner-up in softball her sophomore year. She is the daughter of Mike and Carrie Rigsby.
"We recruited Emilee a lot due to her athleticism," Varner said. "She also has a very nice resume. She has three top-10 individual finishes at the state tournament up to this point and has one more tournament left in her senior year. We’re excited about her upside and what her future holds."