ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Northwestern college athletic communications office announces the signings of six athletic recruits for the month of October.

Men's Golf
Drew Van Roekel (Boyden, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue his golf career at Northwestern College.

Van Roekel golfed for Boyden-Hull High School the past three seasons and will play his senior season this upcoming spring. His 18-hole average is currently 78 with an 18-round tournament low of 73. Van Roekel earned first team all-state honors and first team all-conference twice thus far in his high school career. His accomplishments include a tie for fourth place at the state tournament.

"We're ecstatic to add Drew to the Raider golf family," said Head Coach Aaron Aberson. "He's got an incredible work ethic which will only help him continue to get better on the golf course. Drew will be an outstanding teammate and member of the Northwestern community."

Van Roekel plans to study Finance at Northwestern. He is currently a member of the National Honor Society and a member of the Honor Roll. He is the son of Brad and Lorinda.

"I love the team atmosphere and it is a great campus," stated Van Roekel.


Women's Basketball
Payton Beckman (Panora, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue her basketball career at Northwestern College.

Beckman is a guard for the Panorama High School team. She has competed in basketball and cross country for four years as well as track for three years. As a junior, Beckman averaged 23.3 points per game, recorded 96 steals, 84 rebounds, and 60 assists. Thus far for her career she has tallied 1,151 points, 273 steals, 240 rebounds, and 167 assists. Beckman earned second team all-state, all-region, and first team all-conference her sophomore and junior seasons. During her freshman year she earned second team all-conference. During her junior year she eclipsed the 1,000-point mark.

"We are excited to welcome Payton into our Raider family," commented Head Coach Kristin Rotert. "Payton is a skilled guard with a great work ethic. Her ability to shoot the ball from long range combined with her athleticism make her a great fit for our program."

Beckman plans to enter a major in the medical field at Northwestern. She is an Honor Roll student and a member of the National Honor Society. She is the daughter of Jeff and Diane.

Beckman had this to say about why she chose Northwestern, "I liked the campus, the personal feel, the coaches, the programs offered, and the faith-based community."


Volleyball
Jewel Bergstrom (Boyden, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue her volleyball career at Northwestern College.

Bergstrom has competed in volleyball and basketball for three years as well as softball and track for four years at Boyden-Hull High School. She recorded 860 assists on the season and averages 9.3 assists per set with a 91.4% serve efficiency. Bergstrom has tallied 2,403 career assists. She has earned all-state, all-conference, and all-district honors during her time at Boyden-Hull.

"Jewel has had quite an impressive high school career," noted Head Coach Kyle Van Den Bosch. "She has surpassed 2,000 assists in her career and lead her team to the state tournament the last two seasons. She is a kind-hearted person who is a great teammate and will fit in so well with the other quality young women in our program. She has been someone we have had our eye on for quite some time so we are excited that she is a Red Raider!"

Bergstrom plans to study Biology at Northwestern. She is a member of the National Honor Society. Bergstrom is the daughter of Rod and Marci.

"I chose Northwestern because it is an amazing college where I can continue to grow my faith and receive a great education, while having the opportunity to play volleyball," stated Bergstrom.

Zavyr Metzger (Larchwood, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue her volleyball career at Northwestern College.

Metzger played three years of varsity volleyball at West Lyon High School. She tallied 192 kills and 107 blocks with 44 of those being solo during her senior season. For her career, Metzger totaled 399 kills and 228 blocks. She owns the school's block record for both career and single season. Metzger earned second team all-conference her junior year, the teams for this season have not been announced yet.

"Zavyn Metzger is a long physical middle blocker who had a great senior volleyball season," stated Head Coach Kyle Van Den Bosch. "She was leading the state in total blocks at one point this season so we are excited to see those skills translate to the college game. Zavyr is a hard worker who has her best volleyball in front of her yet and we are excited to have her as part of our campus and volleyball team!"

Metzger plans to study Nursing at Northwestern College. She is an Honor Roll student at West Lyon. She is the daughter of Clint and April.

"I chose Northwestern College because of the environment," stated Metzger. "The volleyball team was always so welcoming and they bring a lot of energy to the court. Also, the academic part of it is extremely important to me, and I believe it was the best school for me."


Men's Basketball

Kasen Bailey (Washington, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to continue his basketball career at Northwestern College.

Bailey is a standout recruit from Washington High School where he played basketball for four years and football for three seasons. He averaged 14 points per game during his junior season on 35% shooting from the field and tallied 62 assists. Bailey was part of two conference championship teams. He also received all-conference honors twice.

"We are excited to have Kasen Bailey joining us!" stated Head Coach Kris Korver. "He is a skilled 6'3" guard with a lot of potential. He is a young man with excellent character and is choosing Northwestern for all of the right reasons! Kasen will have an opportunity to grow in his faith, grow as a leader, and grow as a basketball player at Northwestern. He understands how to play the game and we hope to see him work hard to improve. We are looking forward to watching how Kasen will positively impact our campus and our basketball program."

Bailey is an Honor Roll student at Washington and stated that he chose Northwestern because of "the atmosphere and tradition." He is the son of Kirk and Sarah.


Women's Tennis

Julia Anderson (Rapid City, S.D.) has signed a letter of intent to continue her tennis career at Northwestern College this spring. She will join in January of 2022.

Anderson played four years of tennis at Rapid City Christian. Her standout career includes a state championship in doubles and a third-place finish in singles. Anderson was named to the all-state tournament team as well. Here most recent season's record was 15-4 in singles and 19-3 in doubles.

"I am excited about the upcoming tennis season," noted Head Coach Jamie De Jong. "Last year was a growing experience for our team. This year, we have added some solid players that will allow us to shift players into positions that they will be more competitive in. Julia is an unexpected bonus and she will add some strength. She brings with her a heart for Christ, a competitive team spirit and a desire to grow forward. We are blessed to have her join us. It's going to be a fun season, and I hope people will come cheer for these players as we will be hosting quite a few home matches in April."

Anderson plans to study Criminal Justice at Northwestern. She was academic all-state and posted a 4.0 GPA.

"I felt it was a place I'd be able to fit in, while achieving my academic goals and playing tennis," stated Anderson. "All while growing closer to God and meeting new friends."