Soccer Inks Five Standouts To Cap Stellar 2016 Class
February 04, 2016 | Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – In his third season with the Mississippi State soccer program, head coach Aaron Gordon enhanced his 2016 roster with the signing of five gems to the team.
The five Bulldogs signed on Wednesday will join mid-year enrollee and Texas native Ciara Donnelly in the 2016 signing class. Along with Donnelly, the class featured two other Lone Star State natives in Alexa England and Natalee Heiser. Rounding out the class was the trio of MaKayla Waldner (Dexter, Mo.), Emily Malone (Greenville, S.C.) and McKenna de Graaf (Augusta, Ga.).
“Now that we are into the cycle of our third recruiting class, we had the opportunity to recruit for needs and filling holes instead of trying to build an entire roster,” Gordon said of the newly signed class. “We have a balanced group that we feel will give us the best opportunity to compete in our tough league. We are very excited that we addressed our real need of attacking players onto our team. They are the hardest players to come by because everyone needs scorers. So, it was huge that we found two forwards in this class.”
Alexa England – D, Fr., 5-7, Midlothian, Texas (Midlothian HS/FC Dallas)
Hailing from the same hometown as current Bulldog Kiley Martens, Midlothian, Texas native Alexa 
England joins the Bulldogs with a wealth of playing experience in one of the most competitive states for soccer. England was named District 7-5A Offensive Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015, while also being recognized as one of the “Top 5 Players to Watch” in the Dallas area in 2014. In her junior season she logged 28 goals and 15 assists while playing with the Midlothian Panthers. England spent time with the prestigious FC Dallas youth club, under the tutelage of club coach Matt Grub.
Gordon On England: “Alexa is a versatile defender who has the ability to play on the inside or the outside and is a good athlete. She continues to show progress in all areas of her game and continues to get better. Alexa has experience playing with one of the best youth clubs in the country and we already have a couple of other FC Dallas players on our team, so there was a draw to the familiarity I think. Her club coach and director has done such a great job helping players go to the next level and we want to continue her progress here. I couldn't be more excited about gaining a player like her on our roster.”
Why she chose MSU: “Because of Aaron and Ashley Gordon, and Phil Casella. I love them.”
Personal: Born on July 6, 1998 in Dallas, Texas… The daughter of Chase and Tracy England… Brother Jordan played soccer at Missouri University of Science and Technology... Member of the National Junior Honor Society… Plans to major in kinesiology.
McKenna de Graaf – D, Fr., 5-10, Augusta, Ga. (Augusta Prep/Atlanta Fire United)
Augusta, Ga., native McKenna de Graaf comes to Mississippi State with a winning pedigree, having
won back-to-back state championships with Augusta Preparatory in 2014 and 2015. De Graaf was named All-Region her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons, while being named Defensive MVP in 2015 by the Augusta Chronicle. The lefty played club soccer for nearby Atlanta Fire United, under coach Dom Martelli.
Gordon on de Graaf: “McKenna is a player that we got onto late in the recruiting process but we are excited about her potential. She's a left-footed center back who has great size and is a good leader. She has a dominant presence in the air and has the physical tools in terms of size and strength to compete in our league from the get go. McKenna will have a chance to compete for minutes on our back line this upcoming season.”
Why she chose MSU: “I adore the coaching staff and they are so kind and welcoming. I fell in love with not only the coaching staff and team, but also the beautiful campus.”
Personal: Born on August 2, 1997 in Augusta, Ga… The daughter of Glenn and Melissa de Graaf… Father Glenn played rugby for Life University in Atlanta, Ga… Great grandmother swam across the English Channel… Member of the National Honor Society… Recipient of Certificate of Honor Le Grand Concours: Bronze… Plans to major in pre-med.
Natalee Heiser – F, Fr., 5-10, Arlington, Texas (Martin HS/FC Dallas)
Rated as a four-star prospect by TopDrawerSoccer.com, Arlington, Texas native Natalee Heiser 
enters Mississippi State as one of the best forwards in her state. Heiser ranked as the 13th best player in the Texas region and 136th overall in the nation.Vype.com named her the top player in the Dallas-Forth Worth area. Along with signee Alexa England, Heiser was a member of the prestigious FC Dallas club and became known as one of the top scorers on the team after scoring 10 goals in an 18-game stretch. The Arlington native was a four-year starter for Martin High School in Arlington, earning District 3-5A and District 4-6A MVP honors as a sophomore and junior.
Gordon on Heiser: “Natalee is another player from the north Texas area who played on the FC Dallas club and already has that great experience under her belt. She's an athletic and technical forward who is a tough competitor. She has the ability to score goals in a variety of ways from in the air to on the ground. Natalee another player that will come in and transition very well, I think she will make an immediate impact on our team.”
Why she chose MSU: “The campus at MSU is very nice. The coaches were so welcoming and made me feel like I belong here. They were caring, friendly and easy to talk to.”
Personal: Born on Jan. 21, 1998 in Arlington, Texas… The daughter of Rick and Kari Heiser… Plans to major in kinesiology.
Emily Malone – D, Fr., 5-5, Greenville, S.C. (JL Mann HS/CESA)
Palmetto State native Emily Malone comes to the Bulldogs after a successful career at J.L. Mann 
High School where the Greenville, S.C., native racked up 76 wins in three seasons. Malone led her school to the state finals all three years, winning the state championship in 2015. In club competition, Malone played for the Carolina Elite Soccer Academy under head coach Andrew Hyslop. With CESA the defender led the team to victory in the South Carolina State Cup in 2012. Malone was rated as a three-star prospect by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
Gordon On Malone: “Emily Malone is a player from South Carolina who comes from CESA, another club who plays in the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League). Her club coach and director is a former teammate of mine, Andrew Hyslop, and he has done a great job developing players in the South Carolina area. We see those players all over the southeast and she will come in with the right attitude and mentality to really compete for minutes next season.”
Why she chose MSU: “From the moment I stepped on campus, I knew I was home. The coaching staff made me feel wanted and I wanted to be in an environment that was a big family. I wanted to be apart of a legacy and a transformation in a sport and that's what I plan on doing at MSU.”
Personal: Born on Jan. 27, 1998 in Greenville, South Carolina… The daughter of Terry and Cindy Malone… Member of the National Honors Society… Winner of the American Legion Award in 2012… Plans to major in biological sciences.
MaKayla Waldner – F, Fr., 5-6, Dexter, Mo. (Dexter HS/St. Louis & IL Metro)
One of the most gifted athletes in her state, Dexter, Mo., native MaKayla Waldner comes to MSU as
the gem of the 2016 class. The four-star prospect only played soccer in club competition, since Dexter High School did not offer the sport. In club play Waldner scored 15 goals last year, as she led her team to a third-place finish in the ECNL North American Qualifier. Waldner played with both St. Louis and Illinois Metro in club play, while also competing in track, tennis, basketball and football at her high school. In AAU track, she was a 15-time national medalist and two-time national champion. Waldner's junior season was the most successful on the track, as she claimed the state championship in the 300-meter hurdles. While playing football Waldner earned All-Conference Honorable Mention as a placekicker. She was a four-year varsity player in tennis and track and field at Dexter High School.
Gordon on Waldner: “MaKayla Waldner is from a small town in Missouri that's much like Starkville in her hometown of Dexter, Mo. I think that was some of our appeal to her for coming to MSU. Certainly in terms of club soccer she was a late bloomer, she played on several travel teams. When we first found her she was playing on a travel team in Kentucky, she then went on to play for Scott Gallagher in the ECNL. She is a talented multi-sport athlete, competing in track, tennis, basketball and was the place kicker for her high school football team. She is very athletic and very competitive, so we are very excited of the possibility she can bring to our team next year and hopefully that's a lot of goals. We've been counting down the days until she could sign with us and we are super excited that she is now officially a Bulldog.”
Why she chose MSU: “Mississippi State felt like home and it's full of opportunities for me. The coaching staff is family oriented and very playful.”
Personal: Born on Aug. 19, 1997 in Chardon, Neb… The daughter of Robert and Kim Waldner… Father Robert was a three-time All-American in wrestling at Chadron State… Mother Kim played basketball at Chadron State… Brother Trevor was a Missouri state champion in wrestling… Sister Brittney was the second female in the state's history to advance to state in Missouri boy's wrestling… Sister Samantha competed in track and cross-country at Missouri Valley College… Was named the senior class president at Dexter High School… Member of the National Honors Society… Plans on major in bio-medical engineering.
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