SIGNING PHOTOS

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The NAU women's basketball team has received commitments from eight players to join the program for the 2013-14 season. The recruiting class spans from players that are 5-4 to 6-1 and who play all positions and have all done outstanding work in the classroom in addition to their basketball success.

"We're ecstatic," NAU head coach Sue Darling said about her first recruiting class. "It's a really solid class on the basketball floor and absolutely in the community and in the classroom. The people of NAU and Flagstaff are going to be so impressed with these young women because they will represent our school and our community to the highest level. They're just great kids and wonderful students and on top of that they can play some basketball."

Darling and her staff spanned the country looking for talent, as the 2013-14 class has members from Arizona (Rene' Coggins - Mesa), California (Brittani Lusain - San Diego), Colorado (Bradlee Cotton – Denver; Taylor Leyva – Pueblo), Oregon (Caetlyn Preston - Oregon City), Texas (Destiny Amezquita – San Antonio), and Kansas (Hunter Thomas – Stilwell). All of the recruits have been first team all-conference selections at their respective schools and all carried solid grade point averages through their high school careers.

Additionally, Bisera Peshkova joins the program from Bulgaria and will begin school at NAU in January before becoming eligible to play for the Lumberjacks next season.

Amezquita, Coggins and Lusain come to NAU as point guards while Peshkova, Preston, and Leyva will serve as swing players. The team also brings in great size and strong post play from 6-1 recruits Cotton and Thomas. In addition to their high school achievements, the seven American recruits all have extensive club basketball playing experience and Peshkova has experience playing in the 2010 FIBA Under-18 European Women's Championship.

"There is absolutely a common thread between all eight; they are first and foremost all distinguished and accomplished young women," Darling added. "They all excelled in the classroom as well as on the basketball court. They are all gym rats; they love the game and love to compete."

See below for more on each recruit with comments from Coach Darling:

Destiny Amezquita – G – 5-4 – San Antonio, Texas/John Jay HS

First Team All-District as a junior...Surpassed 1,000 career points during junior season...Averaged over 17 points per game junior and senior seasons, averaging 7 assists and 2 steals per game during senior season...Four year starter and two year team captain...Team advanced to Texas state final four during freshman season and made regional championship sophomore season.

Coach Darling: "Destiny is kid that has got savvy written all over her. She's not big in stature but she can absolutely play the game. She creates first for her teammates and then for herself and anybody would love playing with her. She has deep range and is a great floor general with unbelievable court vision."

Rene' Coggins – G – 5-7 – Mesa, Ariz. – Mountain View HS

Four year letter winner and three year team captain at Mountain View HS...First Team All-Conference selection...Two time honorable mention All-state selection...Led team to state semifinals in 2011 and 2012...Averaged 11 points per game while shooting 48% from the field an 87% from the free throw line...4.00 GPA, ranked 12th in out of 718 students in class

Coach Darling: "When it comes to work ethic there aren't a lot of kids that could outwork Rene'. She has a high basketball IQ and she's dynamic both offensively and defensively. She has tremendous basketball ability and her leadership skills are what really make her stand out."

Bradlee Cotton – 6-1 – C – Denver, Colo./Science & Technology HS

Named Colorado Class 3A All-State second team as a junior...Averaged 13.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game during junior season to lead team to 25-2 record.

Coach Darling: "Bradlee is very strong on the inside and very skilled on the outside and has a very high basketball IQ. She's going to contribute both offensively and defensively and she definitely has basketball smarts."

Taylor Leyva – 5-11 – G/F – Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West HS

Four year starter and two-year captain of team that was the first in school history to reach the state Final Four...Two-time All-South Central League first team...Holds school records for most free throws made in a game and most rebounds in a game, season, and career...Averaged 15.1 points per game as a junior.

Coach Darling: "Taylor is a dynamic wing. She's kind of a do-it-all player – she can shoot, she can pass, she can dribble. She plays great defense and can rebound so she's a kid that's hard to stop whether she's playing on the wing or on the point or inside. She's very athletic and can create for herself and her teammates."

Brittani Lusain – 5-8 – G – San Diego, Calif./Mater Dei Catholic HS

First Team All-Conference selection...Four year starter and three year team captain...Averaged just under a double-double during junior season with 11 points and 9 rebounds per game while also averaging 4 assists...Team has not lost a home game during her high school career.

Coach Darling: "Brittani is a dynamic guard who can create for herself and others. She can hit a three but can also get them the old fashion way by driving to the hoop and scoring with contact. She can take a hit and still put the ball in the hoop and she's an incredible rebounder from the guard position."

Bisera Peshkova – 5-10 – G – Bulgaria/Barking Abbey Academy

Played in the FIBA Under-18 European Women's Championship in 2010...Saw action in five games and totaled seven rebounds...Played at Central Arizona College last year.

Coach Darling: "Bisera is a lights-out shooter. If she has any opening at all she's going to put the ball in the hole at distances even greater than the three-point line. She's going to be a killer from the outside and she has a tremendous work ethic

Catelyn Preston – 5-11 – G/F – Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City HS

Three year starter and two year team captain of team that won two Three Rivers League championships and finished third in the state of Oregon twice...Named second team All-League in 2012 and named Player of the Game in Oregon state playoffs...Averaged 10.6 points per game as a junior along with 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals as team went 25-3.

Coach Darling: "Catelyn is a savvy ball player. She is very good facing the hoop and with her back to the basket and she has a tremendous ability to find the open player as well as score herself. She is a great passer and really knows the game."

Hunter Thomas – 6-1 – F - Stilwell, Kans./Blue Valley Southwest HS

Played first three high school seasons at Saint Thomas Aquinas HS before transferring to Blue Valley Southwest...Saint Thomas Aquinas team won the state championship during her sophomore year and placed third her junior year.

Coach Darling: "Hunter is absolutely blue collar. She's big and strong and powerful and loves the physical game. She can get up and down the floor and has very good lateral quickness. She scores and rebounds and will be a real physical presence on the inside."