ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Northwestern College athletic communications office announces the signings of 22 Red Raider recruits during the month of January, including a number of local athletes.
Ryer Crichton (Larchwood, Iowa) has announced his intention to attend Northwestern College and join the baseball program.
A .390 career hitter, Crichton was named First Team All-District and First Team All-Conference in 2022. Last season, Crichton went 16-for-16 on stolen base attempts while also recording an .885 fielding percentage with West Lyon High School. Crichton was an academic letter winner for his work in the classroom.
“Northwestern gives me a great opportunity to grow my faith, play baseball, and get a great education all at the same time,” Crichton commented. “I also really like the small college and small-town feel.”
He is the son of Dean and Maria, and brother to Kanon, Teagon, Payton, and Calissa. Crichton plans to study Exercise Science at Northwestern.
Ava Schmitz (Orange City, Iowa) has announced her intention to attend Northwestern College and join the Raider dance team.
A student at MOC-Floyd Valley High School, Schmitz is a member of the National Honor Society, an academic letter winner, and an honor roll student.
“Northwestern has always been on my radar because of family connections to the school, which gave me an inside view of how beneficial the education and athletic programs would be for me,” said Schmitz. “When considering other colleges, a few main things always brought me back to Northwestern – the size of the school and student-to-teacher ratio, having the specific courses and academic opportunities I was looking for, and feeling at home on the dance team, even from my first visit. I can’t wait to spend more time on campus and perform with the Northwestern dance team!”
She is the daughter of Carrie and Tom Truesdell and Cory Schmitz, and sister to Aiden and Ava Truesdell and Leif Schmitz. Schmitz plans to study Nursing and Spanish at Northwestern.
Jackson Van Den Bosch (Orange City, Iowa) has announced his intention to attend Northwestern College and join the men’s golf team.
A multi-sport athlete at MOC-Floyd Valley High School, Van Den Bosch is a two-time First Team All-Conference golfer and two-time Second Team All-Conference baseball player. His current 18-hole average is 79.0 and he has a tournament low score of 75. He is also a member of the National Honor Society.
“I chose Northwestern College to be part of a great golf program along with receiving a Christian education,” Van Den Bosch said.
“We’re really excited to add Jackson to this year’s recruiting class,” said Aberson. “He comes from one of the best high school teams in the state and brings a lot of athleticism to the course. We’re looking forward to seeing his growth both on and off the course over the next four years.”
He is the son of Dawn and Kyle Van Den Bosch, and brother to Aubrey. Van Den Bosch plans to study Business at Northwestern.
Kylee Britt (Le Mars, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to join the Northwestern cross country and track and field teams.
A four-year varsity cross country runner at Le Mars High School, Britt was a varsity letter winner all four years of high school and won the Leader Reward and Tough Dog reward.
“I feel that Northwestern can help me grow with my studies and grow in my faith with God,” commented Britt.
She is the daughter of Ron and Andrea Britt, and sister to Luke and Alli. Britt plans to study Pre-Medicine at Northwestern.
Kylie De Jager (Alvord, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to join the Northwestern volleyball and track and field teams.
An accomplished multi-sport athlete at Western Christian High School, De Jager was a member of the 2022 2A State Volleyball championship team and a state qualifier in the 4×400, 4×400, and distance medley. In her most recent volleyball season, De Jager totaled 411 digs and 47 service aces. She is also an “A” honor roll student with a 3.9 GPA.
“It was really important to me that I went to a Christian college, and I feel that my faith will flourish at Northwestern,” said De Jager. “I have also been attending volleyball camps since I was in fifth grade and I have always loved the coaching staff and how they did things around here.”
She is the daughter of Kyle and Mindy, and sister to Kaden and Maddyn. De Jager plans to study Psychology at Northwestern.
Cadence Goebel (Orange City, Iowa) has announced her intention to attend Northwestern College and join the volleyball team.
A four-year player at Gehlen Catholic, Goebel achieved multiple academic and athletic honors. On the court, she earned Class 1A All-State Second Team honors, was a First Team All-Conference selection, and was a team captain and most valuable player. For her career, she had 1,871 assists, 220 kills, 96 service aces, 110 blocks, and 628 digs.
Academically, she was as an academic all-state and all-conference selection, compiled a 4.0 GPA, was the Vice President of the Gehlen Catholic Honor Society, and was named Rotary Club Student of the Month.
“I was drawn to Northwestern because of the atmosphere and how faith is incorporated into everything,” Goebel commented. “The volleyball program is impressive; becoming a part of the team has been a dream since I was young and attending the kids’ camps. It is exciting to be a part of the program, and the faith-filled education I will receive at Northwestern will prepare me well for the future.”
She is the daughter of Dan and Jacki Goebel, and sister to Trinity and Aurora. Goebel plans to study Elementary Education at Northwestern.
