ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Missouri Western head lacrosse coach
Jessica Berg has announced the addition of 11 incoming freshmen for the 2025-26 season.
"I am very excited about the talent we are bringing in with our 2025 class," Berg said. "These players range from quick athletes who play with a bit of finesse, to players who are fast and strong in their movements. This class includes women who know how to win through heart and hustle. The 11 who signed will help strengthen our depth and increase the range of skills we have in our bag of tricks. I cannot wait to work with them!"
Madison Brinkman (MF, 6-1, Fr., Cottage Grove, Minn. / Park HS)
Brinkman is a three-sport letterwinner at Park High School, earning all-conference and all-section honors in lacrosse as a sophomore. She also earned all-conference accolades in her freshman season. She also played hockey and tennis. Brinkman plans to major in biology at Missouri Western.
Grace Buesgens (MF/D, 5-6, Fr., Prior Lake, Minn. / Lakeville South HS)
Buesgens enjoyed great success at Lakeville South High School in Minnesota, helping her team to the 2024 Section and State Lacrosse Championships. Buesgens herself was a 2024 Section 1A All-Section Second Team pick and a South Suburban Conference Honorable Mention Team member. In 2023, her team won a Section championship and placed 3rd at state, and also won a State and Section Championship in 2022. Buesgens was the 2022 Lakeville South Lacrosse Rookie of the Year as a freshman. She plans to major in sports medicine at Missouri Western.
Giana Cesario (MF, 5-4, Fr., Littleton, Colo. / Chatfield HS)
Cesario was a CHSAA First Team Academic All-State honoree in 2023-24, with a 4.7 weighted GPA. She started every match as a junior and senior, and 15 of 16 matches as a freshman. Additionally, she tallied the best shot percentage on the 2023 varsity team, ranked second in caused turnovers and she was third in points collected in the 2021-22 season.
Addisyn DeMars (GK, 5-10, Fr., Hugo, Minn. / Mahtomedi HS)
DeMars was a team captain at Mahtomedi High School, earning first team All-Section and all-conference accolades. She was also named the Minnesota State High School League Girls' Lacrosse Player of the Week on May 1-7. DeMars plans to major in medicine at Missouri Western.
Brittan Gulick (MF/A, 5-5, Fr., Greenwood Village, Colo. / Cherry Creek HS)
Gulick earned Honorable Mention All-League 5A Attack honors in 2023, along with the Lacrosse Varsity Award in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In addition, she was an American Select, Colorado Regional team member in 2021, 2022 and 2023. She also played field hockey in high school.
Lauren Jonas (D/MF, 5-6, Fr., Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake HS)
Jonas was a Prior Lake High School team captain, where she earned the prestigious Daggit Award and was a 10A-MVP. She was a 2024 girls' lacrosse all-tournament team member, an all-section second-team honoree and an all-conference honorable mention pick. Jonas plans to major in sports management with a minor in exercise science at Missouri Western.
Emerson Mattox (A/MF, 5-6, Fr., Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake HS)
Mattox was named the Most Valuable Attacker and Most Valuable Defender at Prior Lake High School, where she tallied 28 goals, 13 assists and 41 total points in the 2024 season. She's participated in numerous tournaments, including the IWLCA Presidents' Cup, the IWLCA Capital Cup, the IWLCA New England Cup and IWLCA West Coast Cup. She plans to major in nursing at Missouri Western.
Victoria Meneses (MF/D, 5-6, Fr., Glendale, Calif. / Glendale HS)
Meneses earned many accolades in her prep lacrosse career, including being named a 2022 Sandstorm Player to Watch and a 2023 Pacific League First Team All-League player. She was also a member of the 2024 Mexico U20 National Team and, in that same year, a Prep League First-Team All-League player, the 2024 Prep League MVP, the Glendale Midfield Player of the Year, an All-CIF Division 3 First-team honoree and the 2024 Battle by the Beach Team MVP.
Rhianne Toebben (MF, 5-8, Fr., Warrenton, Mo. / Francis Howell HS)
Toebben earned first and second team all-conference honors at Francis Howell. She also was a standout guard in basketball, earning all-academic and all-conference honors in that sport. She plans to major in chemistry at Missouri Western.
Isabella Vanwagoner (D/MF, 5-4, Fr., Traverse City, Mich. / Traverse City Central HS)
Vanwagoner plays club lacrosse for the Summit Lacrosse Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She lettered in lacrosse for the Trojans, playing both defense and midfield. She plans to major in exercise science at Missouri Western.
Gretchen Wenner (MF/A, 5-1, Fr., Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater HS)
Wenner started playing for Stillwater High School's varsity lacrosse team as an eighth grader and also plays tennis. A midfielder, Wenner plays for the Pipeline Platinum Red club team.
