Kelsey Meksto (La Jolla HS) is one of six signees who will join the Aztec rowing team next fall.

Nov. 29, 2011

SAN DIEGO - San Diego State rowing Coach Jennifer Lewis has announced the signing of six athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2012-13 season. All six, including a pair from local area high schools, will enter SDSU as freshmen next fall.

Haley Burton is a 5-7 athlete from Santee, Calif. (Santana HS) who has played volleyball and basketball for the Sultans. An all-Grossmont Valley League volleyball selection last fall, she averaged 2.8 kills with a .455 kill percentage. As a basketball player, Burton averaged 7.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game during her junior season.

Lindsey Garagozzo will arrive after three years of rowing experience with NorCal Crew in Redwood City, Calif. The native of Menlo Park (St. Francis High School) has played club soccer In 2010 she picked a silver in the Fours and a bronze in the Eighths at the U.S. Rowing Southwest Regional Championships. She had a sixth-place finish at the 2011 head of the Charles Regatta in the high school/club 4+ event. Garagozzo has also played club soccer, field hockey and volleyball.

The Aztecs' second local recruit is Kelsey Meksto (La Jolla High School), who has competed as a member of the ZLAC Rowing Club in San Diego for three years. Her boats finished in the top 10 at the 2011 Head of the American and captured gold at the 2011 San Diego Fall Classic.

Lauren Nielsen will arrive at SDSU from Danville, Calif., where she attended San Ramon Valley high School. She has two years of rowing experience as a member of the Oakland Strokes club. Nielsen has also volunteered her time to teach learn-to-row camps for kids during the summer.

Jade Settoon is a senior at Darlington Upper School in Rome, Ga., where she competes for the Darling School rowing team where founded the Darling Rowing Spring Season. Settoon serves as the School Prefect for the school and is the Darlington Rowing Booster Club Representative

Mariah Sullivan from Phoenix, Ariz., will bring four years of rowing experience as a member of the Xavier Prep Crew team. She also has over 10 years of experience as a competitive dancer, a field in which she has won numerous competitions.

"This is a stellar group of student-athletes and we are thrilled to welcome them to the San Diego State University athletic family," commented SDSU Coach Lewis. "We know they will have a positive impact on the program and contribute to the athletic and academic success of the program. Coach Abrams and I look forward to developing them into strong Division I athletes over the next four years."

San Diego State recently concluded its 2011-12 fall campaign will kick off its spring season with a scrimmage against USD, UC San Diego and Orange Coast College on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:00 a.m. on Mission Bay.

SDSU 2012-13 Recruiting Class
Name               Ht.    Hometown (Current School)
Haley Burton.......5-10...Santana, Calif. (Santana HS)
Lindsey Garagozzo..5-8....Menlo Park, Calif. (St. Francis HS)
Kelsey Meksto......5-10...San Diego, Calif. (La Jolla HS)
Lauren Nielsen.....5-11...Danville, Calif. (San Ramon Valley HS)
Jade Settoon.......5-7....Rome, Ga. (Darlington HS)
Mariah Sullivan....5-8....Phoenix, Ariz. (Xavier College Prep)