SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State women's soccer head coach Kirk Nelson announced Monday the signing of two student-athletes for the 2024 season.
 
Joining the Bears are:

• Charlotte Crees – 5-10 – For. – Sutton Coldfield, England – Cadbury Sixth Form College (Birmingham City Women Academy)
• Isla Theakstone – 5-5 – Mid. – Nottingham, England – Nottingham Girls High (Notts County Women FC)

 
"I believe we have gained two fantastic student-athletes to add to our program," Nelson said. "Both Charlotte and Isla are well rounded people and players with a ton of experience at a high level. We can't wait for them to join us this fall."
 
Charlotte Crees
Crees played for the Birmingham City Women Academy where she faced teams such as Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton and Liverpool in the FA Professional Game Academy League. Crees started every cup game for the team in the 2022-23 campaign where she scored two goals. In the 2021-22 season, Crees played for Birmingham City Women's U16 team where they finished second in the FA Girls' England Talent Pathway League. The team also won a one-day tournament in which Crees scored the winning goal with a shot from 25-yeards out.
 
Associate Head Coach Cory Herchenroeder on Crees:
"Charlotte is a player that will bring an added level of athleticism and high level 1v1 skill on the ball. We're extremely excited to add Charlotte to the Bears family."
 
Isla Theakstone
Theakstone has earned the top goal scorer award for all three seasons she has played for Nottingham Girls. In her junior year, she was also named the Managers Player of the Year and tallied the most assists. Theakstone is currently playing for Notts County Women F.C. In the 2022-23 season, she recorded 12 games played with 10 starts and three goals.
 
Associate Head Coach Cory Herchenroeder on Theakstone:
"We're extremely excited to add Isla to our Bears family. She is a very high IQ midfielder that is extremely crafty and will help us bolster our attack."