CHEYENNE, WY – Five student athletes from Laramie County Community College have signed their letters of intent to continue their careers at four-year institutions, including three women’s soccer players and two volleyball players.

Caroline Kuhn, Whitney Hansen, and Abby Williams from the LCCC women’s soccer team and Julliana Abbade and Sidney Kettelkamp will all be representing the Golden Eagles at NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, and NAIA programs next season.

“For them all to have aspirations of continuing to play and finding schools at levels that they could succeed,” Head Women’s Soccer Coach Lugo Arenas said. “It was a special group for me to inherit and it’s exciting stuff to see them represent our program.”

“It’s going to be sad not to have them in the gym next year but I’m really excited to see what they do at the next level,” Head Volleyball Coach Zach Shaver said.

Kuhn is the only All-American from the group and will be continuing her career with the University of North Dakota from the Summit League.

“It honestly feels really rewarding to sign to a Division I program just because it's always been a dream of mine and it validates the years of hard work and dedication I've put into my career,” Kuhn said. “I also think it's a testament to my commitment, perseverance, and support of everyone that's supported me along the way, especially everyone here at LCCC.”

Along with being named a Second Team All-American, Kuhn was also named to the All-Tournament Team at the NJCAA DI National Championships along with earning Region IX First Team honors. She leaves as a starter for 38 of the 39 games she played in her career, with 20 goals and five assists, scoring on nearly 20 percent of her shots during her two years as a Golden Eagle.

“I think throughout my time at LCCC, I was the most proud of my team and its determination to succeed,” Kuhn said. “Even though we had lots of ups and downs, and we couldn't always pull through with the results we wanted, we still managed to get further than anyone expected, and that's something I definitely won't forget.”

Hansen will be staying in the area when she takes to the field next season for Black Hills State University, an NCAA Division II school in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

“Actually, throughout high school for volleyball and basketball camps I went to the facilities there and the campus and I fell in love with it,” Hansen said, saying the environment is very similar to that at LCCC. “Not only is the team super close, but the coach reflects that and insists that happens so that was a huge factor for me.”

Hansen was a key member of the Golden Eagles on the pitch, despite not having flashy numbers, starting in 34 of the 39 games she appeared in as a midfielder and scoring two goals to go with five career assists. Her two goals were both game winners for LCCC against Northwest College and Lamar Community College.

“I learned how to be stronger mentally, not only as a teammate, but personally, and being able to work with Lugo and accomplish just as much if not more than we did last year, that was huge and was something that will always be top tier and awesome.”

Williams will be heading closer to home to continue her college career at NCAA Division II Pittsburg State University in Kansas.

“It was kind of one of those unexpected things,” Williams said. “I was a little stressed out wondering if I was going to move on and this kind of came out of nowhere. One of my previous club coaches reached out to me and said one of his friends had just been hired (at Pittsburg State) and said I should check it out. I went on a visit and the very next day I committed so it was quick.”

Williams showed her growth as a player during her time at LCCC, going from only eight appearances as a freshman to starting 12 games as a sophomore. In 24 career games, she scored two goals and had ten assists, with all but one coming in the second year of her time as a Golden Eagle.

“It was an interesting start, having three different coaches, but I think the craziness kind of made the experience what it was. Without that, it would have been totally different, and I think it has made us all better,” Williams said of her two years with the program. “Seeing the differences in each year and the team both years has been so close knit, I think that’s what the coolest thing about this place is.”

From the volleyball team, two-year starter Sidney Kettelkamp made her commitment to NCAA Division II Norte Dame College in Ohio.

“I talked to the coach several times and I just felt an instant connection and she had everything I wanted, and I had everything she wanted,” Kettelkamp said. “The environment there is like LCCC. The community is very supportive of all the athletes and the athletes are all friends. It’s just the culture that I really wanted.”

Kettelkamp made multiple contributions as a Golden Eagle on the court, but her ability to play multiple positions was something that made her stand out as a player for LCCC on the court, having to move from an outside hitter to a middle blocker as freshman because of injuries, before transitioning back to an outside for her sophomore campaign.

“We definitely wouldn’t have had the success that we had these two years without her stepping up and doing whatever was asked of her by the coaching staff and by her teammates,” Shaver said.

Kettelkamp finished her career with 221 kills, 34 aces, and 78 blocks in 54 matches with the Golden Eagles.

Abbade was a transfer student to LCCC when she came to the Golden Eagles from Tyler Junior College and will be moving on to play for Warner University in Florida.

“Coming from Brazil, it’s way closer to home,” Abbade said of her decision to become a Royal. “I’ll be able to go home a lot, my parents will be able to visit, and I also felt a connection with the coach. I just felt in my heart that that was the place that I should go.”

Abbade unfortunately struggled with injuries during her first season with LCCC and was unable to play during the entire year. As a redshirt sophomore, she made major contributions to the Golden Eagles late in the season, and was able to appear in 23 matches, including all three Region IX Tournament games in 2023.

“It felt really special, having the chemistry that we had as a team, having coach trust us to build this culture and make the program better, it’s really awesome to be a part of that and I will always remember LCCC for that,” Abbade said.

“I’m really excited to see how strong she is going to be,” Shaver said. “She really gave us a spark and did some special things in matches this year, and she really was the turning point in the playoffs this year when we were down 0-2 to Western Nebraska and we made a lineup change and she came in and helped in the reverse sweep of winning that match.”

For more on these student athletes, and for updates on future signings, please visit www.golccc.com.