STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford, the 2015 NCAA champion, stockpiled more talent with the signings of four standouts to National Letters of Intent, head coach Jeremy Gunn announced Monday.
Joining the Cardinal for the 2016 season are Kyle Casey (Fairfield, Conn./New York Red Bulls Academy), Jared Gilbey (New York, N.Y./New York Red Bulls Academy), Marc Joshua (Menlo Park, Calif./Juventus Sport Club) and Derek Waldeck (Newhall, Calif./Real So Cal Academy).
The group joins a Stanford squad which won the program’s first NCAA title at Sporting Park in December. Stanford routed Clemson, 4-0, extending the school’s streak of at least one NCAA team championship to 40 years, on ongoing record, while earning its 108th NCAA team title and 129th overall.
| Kyle Casey • Fairfield, CT • Fairfield Warde • Red Bulls Academy |
- New York Red Bulls Academy (2012-16)
- Has three goals and three assists for the U-18s this season
- Team tops the Atlantic Division and is ranked No. 2 nationally heading into spring
- Scored nine goals in USSDA and two in Generation Adidas for the U-16s in 2014-15
- U-16s were National Championship finalists and Atlantic Division winners, ranked No. 1 heading into the playoffs and winners of the Generation Adidas Cup
- Grandfather played with the New York Americans in the ASL and in 1954 World Cup qualifying for the United States
Gunn on Casey » Kyle is an excellent 1-v-1 soccer player. He has the drive and the ability to take on his defender, and has a wonderful knack for scoring goals. He is also equally adept when it comes to assisting his teammates -- often picking out the correct pass to make at the right time.
| Jared Gilbey • New York, NY • NYC Lab School for Collaborative Studies • Red Bulls Academy |
- Teammate of Kyle Casey with New York Red Bulls Academy (2012-16)
- Started all 13 league games during the fall season for the U-18s
- Was second on the team with five goals and added five assists
- Started 30 of 31 games for the U-16s in 2014-15, scoring four goals
- Has served as a co-captain of the U-16s and U-18s the past two seasons
- Played a year up with the U-16s in 2013-14 and was a national quarterfinalist
- With Casey and the U-14s in 2012-13 competed against Manchester City, Red Bull Brazil and Everton at a summer tournament in Salzburg, Austria
Gunn on Gilbey » Jared is a very talented central midfielder with incredible movement. He continually finds a way to make himself available for his teammates and is often the player at the center of play dominating a game. He also has extremely good close control of the ball and couples that with an expansive range of passing.
| Marc Joshua • Menlo Park, CA • International High School of San Francisco • Juventus SC |
- Four-year member of Juventus Sport Club
- Led Juventus in goals scored (17) and minutes played in 2015
- Named to the USSDA West Coast All-League Starting XI (2015)
- Week 11 Academy Player of the Week (2014)
- Team was 2014 Dallas Cup Champions
- Created a business with friends which designed and sold clothing items to high school students, with the profits being donated to Project Senegal, an organization that provides necessities to impoverished Senegalese students
Gunn on Joshua » Marc is a goal-scoring central midfield player. He has a very good first touch and is also capable of beating his opponent in one-on-one situations. Marc creates time and space for himself in the middle of midfield and then ghosts into the box as a phenomenal attacking threat.
| Derek Waldeck • Newhall, CA • Hart • Real So Cal Academy |
- Real So Cal Academy (2014-16)
- Also played for SCV Magic (2013-14) and FC Los Angeles (2012-13)
- Was on the Cal South ODP team in 2014 and Washington ODP team in 2010-11
- USSDA quarterfinalist with Real So Cal in 2014-15
- Coast Soccer League Champion with FC Los Angeles in the fall of 2012
- U.S. Soccer U-14 Boys' National Team ID camp and training camp (2011)
- High school team was Foothill League Champions and a CIF quarterfinalist in 2014
- Two-time All-Foothill League first team and All-Santa Clarita Valley first team
Gunn on Waldeck » Derek leads his team by example, always making his teammates tick. He is equally comfortable playing left back or central midfield. As a central midfielder, he is the engine continuously carrying his team through games. As a left back, Derek has great poise on the ball, which often affords him time to make great decisions.”