WASHINGTON, D.C. – Four star recruits Katelyn Stokes (Lanham, Md.) and Brooke Hawthorne (Atlanta, Ga.) have each signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Howard women's tennis team in 2010-11, it was announced on Monday.

Stokes, a local product from nearby Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Prince George's County, Md., lost one high school match in four years (state finals in 2008) and is considered the greatest tennis player in Prince George's County High School history. She won a Maryland State Championship in 2007, 2009 and 2010 and is a four-time Region and County Champion (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010).  

Stokes is only the fourth girls tennis player in state history to record three Maryland State titles. She was named to the Washington Post All-Met First-Team in 2008, 2009 and 2010 (Player of the Year).

Hawthorne was undefeated as a freshman at Atlanta Girls School, a Georgia IAAA high school. She was the State Singles Champion in 2007 and helped her squad to a Regional Championship the same year.

Hawthorne helped Riverwood, a Georgia IIIA high school, to a State and Regional Championship in 2008. She spent her final year and a half at the prestigious Ben Franklin High School.

"We are very pleased to get two top level recruits," said Howard head coach Larry Strickland. "Both Katelyn and Brooke are very highly regarded players nationally. They will both be impact players on an already outstanding team."

Stokes and Hawthorne join a Howard squad that posted a 15-4 (5-0 MEAC) mark in 2009-10. The Lady Bison won the 2010 MEAC Northern Division title and finished as the runner-up in the MEAC Championship.

In addition to excellence on the court, four members of the Howard women's tennis program obtained Academic All-America honors.