BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Head women's soccer coach Mike Varga announced the addition of four signees, each of which will join his team for the 2020 campaign and look to help the 'Dogs return to the Big South title game for a third consecutive season. 

Gracie Athus, Abby Clark, Tina El-Amoor and Aaliyah Lucas will all join the Runnin' Bulldogs for the 2020 season, and all four hail from the state of North Carolina. 

Gracie Athus (Cary, N.C. / Cardinal Gibbons HS) is the oldest of two children and has excelled in the classroom at Cardinal Gibbons High School. She is Honor Roll student and has a 4.19 GPA. At Gardner-Webb, she intends to major in psychology.  

During her freshman campaign at Cary Christian School, she was the team's leading goal scorer in the spring of 2017 with 24 goals. In the 2A North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISSA) championship match that year, she accounted for two of three goals for CCS, leading them to a state championship victory. She earned First-Team All-Conference honors following her first season of high school soccer.

At Cardinal Gibbons, she played for Michele Miller as a defender and was named First-Team Cap-7 All-Conference as both a sophomore and junior. Her senior campaign will begin in February 2020.

Athus also played for the North Carolina Football Club ECNL. In 2016, the club was a North Carolina State Cup champion. One year later, she led the team to the SRPL Region III championship. Athus also received an invitation to the North Carolina ODP state team Region III camp.

"Gracie has so many of the qualities that we look for," said Varga. "She has the pace to be dangerous going forward and is an excellent 1-on-1 defender that doesn't shy away from the physical demands of the game. Gracie is versatile and can play in many different positions and systems. She will develop into a leader in this program and we are excited to have her joining our roster."

Abby Clark (Cary, N.Y. / Panther Creek HS), will begin her fourth year of varsity soccer at Panther Creek High School in the spring of 2020. The 5-7 forward has scored 19 goals and added 12 assists for head coach Sam Young's PCHS team.

Clark has received numerous honors at the prep level, including First-Team All-Conference recognition and a spot on the All-Region team. She boasts an impressive GPA and is an Honor Roll student at PCHS. Additionally, she represented her team as a member of the conference's All-Academic Squad.  

Clark played club soccer for NCFC '01 Elite G and led them to a Presidents Cup Championship and regional play in 2016. Additionally, this past summer she was the leading goal scorer for the US Presidents Cup Regionals, which were held in Texas. She has received an invitation to the NCYSA ODP Region III camp each of the past three years.  

Coach Varga stated, "Abby is a strong target player that will allow us to hold up play and build with numbers, and she also has the ability to create opportunities on goal for herself and is dangerous in front of goal. She is a proven goal scorer that has an excellent understanding of the game and is a great addition to our roster."

Tina El-Amoor (Garner, N.C. / Cleveland HS) signs with Gardner-Webb where she played midfield for Cleveland High School and the NCFC Elite. At Cleveland, El-Amoor has been a member of the varsity soccer program for the past three seasons. She has scored 17 goals and added 18 assists for 52 points. The 5-3 midfielder has been named All-Conference each season and was a 2019 All-Region and All-County selection. Additionally, she earned Academic All-Conference honors and boasts a 3.81 GPA in the classroom.  

El-Amoor was called up to play for the Palestine national team for the Olympic qualifier and Asian Cup.  

"I couldn't be happier that Tina is coming back to where I first saw her play when she was really just getting started," Varga mentioned. "She played for the local club (GCCSA) before moving to the Raleigh area. Tina's experience that she gained playing in national team matches and for NCFC will serve her well.  She has tremendous technical ability and always puts in the work needed to be successful." 

Aaliyah Lucas (Apex, N.C. / International Connections Academy) will come to Gardner-Webb from Apex, N.C. and International Connections Academy. She boasts a nearly perfect GPA with a 3.97 grade point average and is a four-time Academic Honor Roll member. She also earned the Star Student award in 2019. At Gardner-Webb, she plans to major in biology.  

The 5-1 wingback was a 2017-2018 North Carolina ODP team member and attended the regional camp. She played club soccer for the NCFC Premier '02 Girls squad and led them to a bracket championship at the Women and Girls in Soccer (WAGS) Tournament where she was also a two-time impact player award winner. Two years later, Lucas played in the WAGS tournament and once again received an impact player award. 

"Aaliyah had the unfortunate timing of a knee injury while competing for the ODP NC state team, and it is good to see her back on the pitch," said Varga. "Aaliyah adds tremendous pace to our team and will be a handful for defenders when she gets forward. She is another versatile player that has the ability to bolster our attack and add to our team defending."

For the latest on the Gardner-Webb women's soccer team, follow @GWUwsoc on social media or visit gwusports.com.