June 13, 2008
During the 2007-08 academic campaign, UCF received major contributions from several outstanding freshmen. These young student-athletes are the future stars for the Knights and will be fixtures on campus for years to come. Here is a look at UCF's top freshmen from 2007-08:
Kyle Cobb
Men's Golf
Despite competing in just two regular-season tournaments for the Knights, Cobb made a big impact at UCF as a rookie. At the Conference USA Championship in April, he tied for eighth at 217 (+1). Cobb was the lone freshman to finish in the top 10 at the league tournament. The Tallahassee native opened the championship with a pair of one-under 71s. In his collegiate debut, Cobb tied for 12th at the UCF Rio Pinar Invitational in February.
Bruce Miller
Football
After sitting out the 2006 campaign as a redshirt, Miller had a strong season for the Knights. The defensive end, who was named to the All-Conference USA Freshman Team, totaled 38 tackles and was second on the squad with 7.0 sacks. Miller recorded 9.0 tackles for loss on the year. Following the regular season, he garnered honorable mention freshman All-America status from The Sporting News.
Tiffany Lane
Softball
Lane came all the way from California to play for the Knights and posted an impressive freshman campaign. An All-Conference USA Second Team pick, Lane started all 61 regular-season contests for the Knights at shortstop. She was among the national leaders in triples per game and ranked in the top-10 in C-USA in 11 categories, including the top spot in stolen bases and total plate appearances. She established a program single-season record with five triples during the regular season.
Jenny Frisell
Women's Tennis
In her first year at the Division I level, Frisell completed the season playing at the No. 1 singles position, where she collected a 6-2 mark. On the year, Frisell went 17-9 overall and earned a spot on the All-Conference USA Third Team. She finished the year by winning six of her last eight contests.
Jean Michel Yotio
Men's Basketball
Yotio battled injuries during his freshman season, but still showed that he will be a force in the post for the Knights in the future. The power forward averaged 2.1 points in 29 games. Despite the modest offensive output, the Ivory Coast native had several strong performances, including an eight-point, three-rebound showing at home against UAB.
Sean Johnson
Men's Soccer
The 6-foot-4 Johnson started every game in goal for the Knights. He logged 1,668 minutes in 2007. Johnson posted 83 saves, which ranked 11th on UCF's single-season register. During the season, he helped the Knights to several impressive victories, including tournament titles at the New Mexico Invitational and the UCF Invitational.
Emma Cannon
Women's Basketball
Other Knights may have received more attention during the year, but Cannon might have been UCF's most valuable player in 2007-08. A Conference USA All-Freshman Team selection, the power forward averaged 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds. She ranked fourth in the league in rebounding and totaled 12 double-doubles on the season, which ranked fourth nationally among all freshmen. Cannon led the team in scoring nine times.
Brittany Skidmore
Rowing
The only freshman coxswain on UCF's varsity squad, Skidmore made an immediate impact with the Knights. Serving as a "coach in the boat," she spent most of the year as the coxswain for the varsity 4+ boat.
Jessy Tang
Women's Golf
Tang helped the Knights garner a berth in the NCAA East Regional. A second team All-Conference USA pick, she was the top finisher for her team at the league championship, tying for 11th. During the regular season, Tang recorded a UCF-best three top-20 finishes.
Claudio Romano
Men's Tennis
Along with Blaze Schwartz, Romano was one of two rookies who shined for head coach Bobby Cashman. He finished his first season at UCF with 12 singles victories. The Venezuelan also tallied 11 doubles wins, with five coming at the No. 1 position. Romano concluded the season with a 10-0 mark at No. 5, giving him the most wins on court five of any player in Conference USA. During the year, he recorded victories against players from three nationally-ranked programs.
Cody Allen
Baseball
The righthander had an impressive collegiate debut. In February, he fanned the first four batters he faced against Florida A&M. Allen finished the contest with six strikeout in 3.0 innings. Allen cracked the starting rotation in April and won his first start for the Knights. He went 8.0 innings with no walks, three runs, six hits and six strikeouts to defeat USF.
Lizzie Harris
Track and Field
In March, Harris became the first Knight to participate in the NCAA Indoor Championships. She achieved another first at the meet. The Miami native matched her personal-best in the high jump to finish tied for ninth, earning the first indoor All-America honor in program history. Harris recorded a leap of 5-10.75 in Fayetteville, Ark.
Christina Petrucco
Women's Soccer
A defender, Petrucco was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. She started 11 matches, posting 1,131 minutes of work. Petrucco had at least 70 minutes of work in 10 games. She played all 110 minutes against Miami and No. 11 Florida, as well as versus No. 6 Florida in the NCAA Championship Second Round.
This story appears in the May edition of KnightVision. Produced 10 times per year, KnightVision is the official publication of UCF Athletics. Each issue includes stories about UCF teams, student-athletes and coaches. To order 10 exciting issues from August through June, call 1-888-877-4373 (ext. 121) or 336-768-3400 (ext. 121).