BYU-Hawaii Athletics-History

February 11, 2008

Four Sign with Seasiders

Laie, HI—The Brigham Young University-Hawaii Men’s Soccer team added four impressive players today by signing them to National Letters of Intent. They are Alejandro Inostroza of Chile, Zackery Kampf of Gilbert, Arizona, Corey Ackerman of Saratoga Springs, Utah, and Bryce Whiting of The Woodlands, Texas.

Alejandro Inostroza will join the Seasiders next fall

Inostroza, a central midfielder, will bring an impressive international resume to Laie. He was selected to the Under-17 Chilean National Team in 2005-2006 and trained under professional coaches such as Jorge Aravena and competed against national programs from Australia, Uruguay, and Argentina. He is currently the captain of the Universidad Catolica Under-19 team, which won a national championship in 2007 and was runner-up in 2005 and 2006 at the Under-17 level. He also led his team to a third-place finish in the 2007 Costa Rica Copa Saprissa International Tournament. “I am extremely excited for what Alejandro will bring to our team in the fall. He has consistently played at such a high level and will bring stability, skill, and creativity to our midfield,” said BYU-Hawaii Head Coach Jeff Miller.

Zach Kampf signed to play for BYU-Hawaii

Zack Kampf has been a four-year varsity starter at Highland High School. His athleticism helped him spend time at every position, although he excels at defense or outside midfield. With his high school he won regional championships in 2007 and 2008, a state 5A championship in 2007, and reached the state semifinals in 2008. He played club soccer with Gilbert Arsenal ‘90 Premier. His club team won three state championships and in 2007 reached the Semifinals in the Far West Region Championships. He led Arsenal to over 12 tournament championships including the Nomads (2003), North Huntington Beach (2004) and Sereno Pro Classic (2005 & 2006). Kampf is also bringing Olympic Development experience to BYU-Hawaii. He has been on the state Olympic Development Program (ODP) team since 2004, was chosen captain in 2007, and selected to the Region IV Pool in 2006. Kampf also excels in the classroom and will be coming to BYU–Hawaii with over 30 college credits from AP courses. He is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and was chosen Math Student of the Year. Coach Miller said, “Zack has had a lot of success with his high school and club. He will bring that winning mentality to BYU-Hawaii.”

Ackerman will bring experience and leadership to the Seasiders along with his soccer skills. He won a Utah state championship with Bingham High School in 2001. He led his team in scoring in 2003 and 2004 seasons, earning first-team All-State and team MVP honors both years. Ackerman used his speed and power through the midfield to bring his club team to a final four finish in the state cup tournament his final year there. He finished with 46 goals, over 30 more than the second leading scorer and again received MVP honors. In 2007, Ackerman returned from serving as a missionary in Vanuatu for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Corey has an eye for the net and scores brilliant goals. He will bring consistent goals scoring opportunities for us this year and throughout all his time at BYU-Hawaii,” commented Miller.

Bryce Whiting will make the trek from Texas to Laie to play for the Seasiders

Bryce Whiting comes from a very strong soccer state and will help the Seasiders shore up the defense. Playing in his 2007 Texas state tournament, his The Woodlands High School defeated the number one and number three teams in the country to advance to the finals. Whiting played club ball with Texas Rush Nike 89/90 who won the 2007 Surf Cup, were finalists in the 2007 Texas State President’s Cup, champions of the 2006 Plano Labor Day Cup, finalists in the 2006 Tampa Bay Sun Bowl, and finalists in the 2005 CASL Shootout. Whiting was named tournament MVP of the 2006 Tampa Bay Sun Bowl but his most impressive accolade was being named captain of the Under-19 Rush National Super team comprised of select Rush players from seven states. The Rush club program formed the team to send to the National Club Championships in 2007 where they took fourth place nationally. “Bryce is a committed defender who will merge seamlessly into our system. He defends every attack well and has excellent distribution out of the back,” stated Coach Miller.