University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Men’s soccer adds four players to incoming Fall 2021 class
03.04.2021 | Men's Soccer
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's soccer team announced four incoming freshmen to its fall 2021 class on Thursday with Myles Edmondson, Jarron James, Sam Presser and Bryan Womé.
"Our staff and program are thrilled to welcome these four young men to our Bulldog family," said UNC Asheville Head Coach Mick Giordano. "In combination with our spring transfer signings, we feel we really have one of the best recruiting classes in the country with adding fantastic ability and depth to our already talented team. Not only are they good footballers, but all four are fantastic students and exemplify high-level character within their day-to-day lives. There is no doubt they will be a fantastic addition to our team and University. Massive credit to our top assistant, Ross Fitzpatrick, for all of his work to ensure we continued to add players of such high football IQ while also displaying all of our core values as a program."
Edmondson, who hails from Oldham, Manchester, United Kingdom, can play in the midfield and as a left back. At age seven, Edmondson signed with one of the most historic youth academies in the world at Manchester United FC. From here, he moved onto the Category 1 youth academy in Bolton Wanderers FC. At the age of 16, Edmondson started in both the U18 Youth FA Cup and League Playoff Semifinals against Middlesborough and Crystal Palace. He was the captain of his U18s side and helped Bolton win the Junior Premier League Cup, topping Ajax FC in the final as he scored a penalty along the way. Edmondson was one of the youngest players called into play for Bolton's Under-23's in the PDL at the age of 17.
"We are beyond happy to add someone of Myles' ability to our group. He believes in what we are building here and will be an integral part of what we accomplish moving forward," said Giordano. "His work-rate is truly unmatched and he possesses a fantastic football mind. His versatility and ability to play in numerous positions will no doubt lead to success. Even at such a young age, Myles has a brilliant pro mindset both on and off the field which will add great dividends to our culture. He has a long and bright future ahead of him which we are excited to be a part of here at UNC Asheville."
A wide midfielder from Charlotte, North Carolina, James played his club for the historic Charlotte Soccer Academy. Most recently, James has been with the 02/03 National Academy in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). Prior to the club's move into the ECNL, James played in the US Soccer Development Academy for six years. At six feet tall, James is an explosive player with a hunger to create chances in the attack. He is a four-star recruit and ranks in the Top 10 for 2021 graduates out of North Carolina.
"Jarron has been a player we have tracked for a long time now. He has all of the pedigree to play for the top programs in this country," Giordano said. "We are so happy that he has chosen UNC Asheville for his academic and athletic ventures. He will do amazing things for this program and University as his ceiling is immense."
Presser will instantly add more attacking creativity to Asheville's lineup, as the 6-foot-1 Parker, Texas, native can play as a forward or a center attacking midfielder. Presser plays for highly touted AYSES '02 Gold which are currently ranked #2 in North Texas, #3 in the South Region and top-20 in the country. He has had multiple trials in Germany with Bundesliga 1 and 2 clubs. Presser, who serves as his team captain, has a knack for finding the back of the net, currently leading the Texas 6A high schools in goals scored this season.
"Sam was our first commit for the 2021 class and first player to really see the staff's vision for the future," Giordano said. "He comes from a football family with his dad being a youth coach and former student-athlete at Duke. Sam also comes from the talent-rich Dallas, Texas, region that traditionally breeds some of the best players in the country. Not only does he play for a top club team, he is the Captain and lead man for them. He will bring an entirely different skill set to our attack than what we have here right now which certainly excites our staff and players."
Like James, Womé hails from Charlotte, North Carolina, competing for the same 02/03 CSA National Academy team in the boys ECNL. The six-foot forward currently ranks second on the team in goals scored for the 2020-2021 season. Womé comes from a football family with his dad having played for numerous pro clubs across Europe's top leagues and brother currently playing at USC Aiken. While he grew up playing in Europe at a young age, he has really honed his skills over the last two seasons being with CSA. In 2019, he was named to the South Mecklenbburg All-Conference First Team.
"Bryan is a player that coaches dream of in the recruiting process. He cares about maximizing his ability both on and off the field," said Giordano. "He has the awareness to off balance a backline with his creativity on the ball, but also possesses wonderful pace which gives him the ability to unlock teams in numerous facets. Bryan adds another dimension to our attack that will allow our team to be even more attack-oriented and goal threatening. We cannot wait for him to join us here on campus."
