South Dakota State soccer head coach Brock Thompson announced Thursday that the program will have three incoming student-athletes, all of which with prior college playing experience, join the roster for the 2025 season.
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BROOKINGS — South Dakota State soccer head coach Brock Thompson announced Thursday that the program will have three incoming student-athletes, all of which with prior college playing experience, join the roster for the 2025 season.
Mallorie Benhart, Hannah Langstaff and Lauren Walter have all submitted paperwork and will begin their time in Yellow and Blue at the start of the spring semester. The trio brings significant versatility to the squad at different positions on the field.
Mallorie Benhart joins the Jackrabbits after spending two seasons at Green Bay. Benhart played in 25 games and was the Phoenix’s primary starter totaling over 2,000 minutes at keeper.
Her freshman season saw Benhart record a career-high 11 saves in a match along with two other appearances with 10 saves apiece. She finished that year with one shutout and recorded a .739 save percentage.
This past 2024 slate saw Benhart finish the year with a 1.68 goals against average and .747 save percentage, while tallying four shutouts. She had an eight-save match to go along with making seven saves in a Sept. 1 meeting against South Dakota State in Green Bay.
Prior to her collegiate experience, Benhart was a standout at Lakeville North High School in Lakeville, Minn. She earned numerous team awards along with an all-conference selection as a senior. Benhart helped lead the Panthers to a conference title and a state tournament appearance during her prep career.
“Mallorie is a quality goalkeeper that brings a wealth of experience to our program,” Thompson said. “She has great shot-stopping ability and has a tremendous kicking game. Most importantly, she is driven and we look forward to getting to work with her.”
Hannah Langstaff spent her first two seasons of college soccer competing for Akron. Langstaff was a strong contributor on the defensive side of the pitch for the Zips. She played in 33 matches in her time in Akron and made 31 starts. She served as a part of the team’s starting 11 in all of its matches in 2024.
This past season saw Langstaff play the full time in half the squad’s matches, including in the final six of the campaign. She finished this past season competing for the second most amount of minutes among Akron’s position players with 1,417 minutes appeared and closed out her career with over 2,400 minutes on the playing surface.
She’s been handed just one yellow card in her college tenure. Langstaff has recorded 12 shots from the back line with three coming on goal. Prior to her time in the college ranks, Langstaff put together a lengthy resume of club soccer experience. That span includes earning a national championship in the summer of 2023 in the Girls Academy League with Sockers FC, a team based outside Chicago.
“Hannah is a great addition to our program because of her ability to play deeper on the field,” Thompson said. “The versatility in her game will allow her to play as a center back, wide player or as a defensive center midfielder. We can’t wait to see Hannah grow as a Jackrabbit.”
Lauren Walter brings a decorated career at the NAIA level to South Dakota State as a graduate student from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark.
Walter appeared in 100 total matches and was a first team all-conference selection in every season she competed (2020-2024). She ended her career for the Eagles as the program record holder in career goals (67), assists (50), points (184), shots (352) and game-winners (19). Her senior campaign in 2024 included a game-winning goal that clinched the program’s spot in the NAIA National Championship quarterfinals, the farthest the program has ever advanced.
The Centennial, Colo., native earned Second Team NAIA All-America accolades in 2024, Third Team honors in 2023 and was an honorable mention in 2022. Walter led her conference in goals twice with 20 in 2022 and 18 in 2023. Her career-high 49 points totaled in 2023 earned her Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year award. Walter tallied a career-high 18 assists in 2024 which ranked fifth in the nation at the NAIA level.
Prior to her time at John Brown, Walter was a four-year letterwinner at Arapahoe High School in Colorado. She led the Warriors to a pair of 5A state runner-up finishes.
“It’s amazing to be able to add a player like Lauren to our team,” Thompson said. “Her college career appeared over, but based on the recent NCAA ruling, she’s able to spend a year as a Jackrabbit. She’s a strong, powerful forward that is committed to becoming the best she can be and helping her teammates do the same.
The South Dakota State soccer program completed the 2024 season with a 15-5-2 record. The Jackrabbits earned their ninth all-time conference tournament championship en route to their eighth NCAA Division I Tournament appearance.
