NORFOLK, Va. – Head coach Mallory Hetzel added Leah Onosato of Japan and Pilar Muguruza of Argentina to the 2019 roster on National Signing Day. Onosato will start in January of 2019 and Muguruza will start as a Monarch in August of 2019.
“We are excited to have Leah and Pilar join our team,” said head coach Mallory Hetzel. “Both of these ladies will be model student athletes for ODU. We look forward to helping them achieve their academic and athletic goals in the years to come.”
A decorated player from Japan, Onosato will join the Monarchs in January. In 2017, Onosato qualified for the highly competitive Japan Junior Finals, where she finished in 19th nationally. She placed third at the Kyushu Area Tournament. As an amateur, the incoming freshman qualified for the Japan Women’s Open. Onosato placed 13th in the All-Japan Women’s Amateur. Over the course of her junior career, Onosato has twice qualified to represent her home country in the IMG Junior World Tournament.
“Leah will be here in January and have an opportunity to make an immediate impact on our program. She will give us some much-needed depth as we head into our championship season. Leah is mature and self-driven. Her desire to help the team improve is just what we need.”
Over the course of her amateur career, Muguruza has won three events in 2018. The Argentina native posted a two-round total of 146 to win the Compeonato Argentino de Menores. Muguruza also won the Torneo Internacional Jockey Club de Rosario and El Federal with a 67 first round score. Muguruza also competed in the competitive ANNIKA Invitational Latin America.
“Pilar will start in August and be a key piece in our future successes. She’s a world-class talent and a great person. Pilar has a lot of international tournament experience and comes from an athletic family.”