Mountain Hawks welcome four as Class of 2009

Bethlehem, PA – Following the most successful regular season in 20 years, Lehigh head coach Sue Troyan has announced that four student-athletes will join the Mountain Hawks in the fall, comprising the Class of 2009. Versatile guard Tricia Smith, center/forward Melissa Rich, guard/forward Ryan Ingalls, and forward Haley Crites will join a Lehigh team that posted 19 wins en route to a second place Patriot League finish last year.

“I am very pleased with the quality and depth of the incoming class,” said head coach Sue Troyan, the 2005 Patriot League Coach of the Year. “I feel that all four recruits have the skills and talents to compliment our returning core of players, and possess the ability to have a positive impact on the continued success of our program. They will all have the opportunity to make an immediate impact given the graduation of a senior class which included two all league performers and the Patriot League Player of the Year.”

Guard Tricia Smith (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) comes to Lehigh after a stellar career in which she scored over 1100 points, grabbed over 700 rebounds, and came away with more than 400 steals. As a senior, the 5-10 Smith was named the state of Ohio’s Division II Player of the Year by the high school association, averaging 14 points, ten and a half rebounds, and six and a half steals per game. A first team all-state selection, Smith was named the Muskingum Valley Player of the Year after leading her team to the MVL title with a 24-1 record. Among other accolades, Smith was the MVP of the all-state all-star game, while earning recognition as the top player in the state of Ohio within her division. Additionally, Smith was a standout volleyball player at Tri-Valley. At Lehigh, Smith will play on the wing and can also be effective as both a shooting guard and point guard.

“Tricia is a very versatile player who has the ability to play at all three guard positions on the floor, as a wing, shooting guard, and point guard,” Troyan said. “She comes from a very successful high school program where she played a pivotal role in her team's success. A proven winner in everything she does, we feel Tricia has the ability to make a significant impact on our program as a freshman.”

Local standout Melissa Rich (Coplay, Pa./Parkland) looks to make an immediate impact in the paint at Lehigh. The 6-2 Rich averaged over 12 points and seven rebounds per game as a senior in being named an all-conference selection and third team all-state. The team captain helped the Trojans win the District XI championship, while being named to the Morning Call All-Area team. Rich scored 1281 points in her Parkland career – third most in school history – and she pulled down 725 career rebounds. Rich was a recipient of the Via Scholastic Basketball scholarship.

“Melissa was a top priority at the post position for our recruiting class this year,” Troyan points out. “One of the top local players coming out of the Lehigh Valley, she is coming off a very successful senior year where she led her team to a district championship, a state playoff birth, and one of the most successful seasons in her school's history. She is everything we look for in the student-athletes we recruit – a tremendous student, a tremendous basketball player, and a tremendous person.”

Ryan Ingalls (Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) averaged a double-double as a senior in high school (21 points, 13 rebounds). A two-time team captain, Ingalls led her team to the regional semifinals. As a senior, she earned first team all-league and All-Gazette honors, and was an honorable mention all-met selection. Ingalls averaged six blocks, five assists, and five steals per game as a senior. She scored 960 career points and blocked 250 shots. Standing at 6-2, Ingalls is expected to contribute on the wing and as a forward at Lehigh.

“Ryan is an outstanding player who has the versatility to shoot the three-pointer, take the ball hard to the basket, and defend in the post or on the perimeter,” Troyan notes. “Her size will give our program an added dimension at the wing position. She is one the top players coming out of the [Washington] D.C. area. She completed her high school career with tremendous junior and senior seasons on the court; I believe she will continue to show this improvement and has the ability to develop into one of the top players in our conference.”

Forward Haley Crites (Collingswood, N.J./Collingswood Senior) averaged over 12 points and nearly nine rebounds per game as a senior – a season in which she captured all-conference and all Group II honors. Crites helped her squad reach the South Jersey finals of Group II last year, earning her school’s most courageous female athlete honors and capturing the Stacey Cox Memorial Scholarship in the process. Over the course of her career, the 6-1 Crites averaged over ten points and almost eight rebounds per night.

“Haley is a very talented post player who is coming off a strong senior campaign where she helped her high school program advance deep into the state playoffs,” Troyan explains. “We feel her energy and enthusiasm will be great assets to our program. She possesses a great work ethic and a willingness to do what it takes to win and be successful.”

Next year, Lehigh returns two starters and six letterwinners from a team that won 19 games and a school record ten contests against Patriot League opponents. The Mountain Hawks advanced to the league semifinals for the second straight season in 2004-05. Lehigh opens its 2005-06 season on Friday, November 18 at Penn.

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